Month: April 2014

Finding a Teen Drug Rehab That Also Offers Accredited Academic Programs

Visions programs generally support education, always working closely with local educational facilities to help teens realize their educational objectives. The Visions Day School program however, is one of a kind.

The Day School provides a setting conducive to cognitive and emotional growth in an environment designed to help students stay focused and keep perspective on the challenges at hand. The learning curriculum used is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and is open to adolescents ages 13 to 18 years, both males and females.  The school is therefore ideal for teens who are finding it difficult to function in a mainstream set up due to mental health problems, emotional challenges, or behavioral issues.

Education while receiving treatment for mental, behavioral, or emotional problems helps these teens to find purpose in their lives. They know that others kids of their age go to school, so if they are kept away from school themselves, they immediately realize that something is wrong. They start thinking that they are not part of the society or that they don’t fit in. This is not acceptable.

Visions Day School curriculum is open to all and the program is actually transferable. Education services are planned at individual level and can be pursued from remedial to honors level. The student to staff ratio is three to one guaranteeing unlimited, direct access to teachers. Most of the time students are engaged in one-on-one sessions with the staff. Even counseling is offered at a personal level. The program boasts Masters Level Clinicians as well as Certified Counselors and has continual supervision to ensure total safety.

The learning schedule is quite flexible. Learning starts at 9:00am and continues through to 3:00pm, Monday through Friday, with two short breaks and a lunch break each day. Students also have a one-hour physical education session every Wednesday afternoon.

The teachers and tutors at Visions Day School strive to ensure that students achieve their academic goals. They help struggling students design purposeful individual lesson plans and engage their parents and guardians as well as the school regarding the progress of these teens.

In addition to the highly satisfying education, students have weekly counseling sessions.

Please call 866-889-3665 to talk to a Visions professional, or click below to schedule your consultation for accredited academic programs.

What is Self-Regulation and How Can It Help My Teen?

Self regulation, sometimes called executive function teaches young people to be mindful, thoughtful, and intentional in their behavior. It refers to the capacity to control one’s actions. A self regulated teen can start doing something when it is necessary, even if he or she is unwilling to do it. Self regulation will also enable a teen to stop doing something if needed, even if the teen feels like continuing with it.

Self regulation should not be confused with obedience. A self regulated teen will behave in a similar manner in the presence or absence of an adult. When they choose to stop doing something they shouldn’t do, they are not resisting to impress anyone, but because they fully understand the consequences of their actions.

Self regulation can be applied in social life as well as in cognitive behaviors such as when remembering or paying attention. Interestingly, teens who are able to control their behavior at an early age are more successful in following the teacher’s instruction when they go to school.

Benefits of Self Regulation in Teens

• Development of a strong identity – teens who exhibit high levels of self regulation have an increased probability of developing a strong identity, a factor that is closely associated with well-being. This well-being enables them to develop intimate relationships more easily.
• Performance in class – teens with low self regulation are unlikely to be as successful in their studies compared to their self regulated counterparts. Indeed, teachers report that self regulation ranks higher than entry level reading, math skills, or even IQ when it comes to school readiness.  The two facets of self regulation will both help the teen while at school. Social-emotional self-regulation ensures that kids are comfortable with rules and thrive in various social contexts such as one-to-one sessions and group learning. The cognitive aspect of self regulation allows them to use and further develop the cognitive skills necessary for problem solving.

Summary

Self regulation is best developed from an early age though it has to be continually nurtured into early adulthood.

Click below for more information on self regulation.

How To Help Your Teen’s Feelings of Being Overwhelmed

Stress and anxiety are a normal experience for most human beings as we are constantly under one form of pressure or the other. Much like in anything else that is cognitive, the intensity and how one reacts to the feelings of anxiety and stress vary from individual to individual. Contrary to the popular belief that adults have a monopoly over stress, children and teens do get depressed too. 

On top of the physical changes taking place in a teen’s body, they also have to deal with schoolwork and issues at home. The most common stressors among teenagers are school and academic performance, problems at home such as an abusive environment or divorce, and body image issues.

Signs that a teen is getting overwhelmed by anxiety and stress include insomnia, change in eating habits, increased irritability, anger management issues and lashing out, loss of interest in a lot of things, and lethargy. In extreme cases, it can result in depression, panic attacks, hopelessness, substance abuse, and various disorders such as eating disorders.

It is therefore important for a parent to ensure that they help their child get through the stress and anxiety in their lives. Communication is the most important factor in helping a teen deal with feelings of being overwhelmed. It is important to let your child know you are there for them no matter what, even when they are moody, rebellious, and pushing you away. Being able to communicate well with your child is important in order to know how they are really doing and to help keep them moving in a healthy direction.

Teaching a teen who is feeling overwhelmed healthy coping mechanisms is another way to help them. Hobbies and activities such as arts and sports help in relaxing the mind and body as well as ensuring teens are constructively engaged. Lack of healthy coping mechanisms results in teenagers trying to deal with the emotions they are experiencing negatively. They are thus more likely to engage in things such as substance abuse and self-harm or attempted suicide.

One should also consider seeking professional help for a teen who is feeling overwhelmed. Treatment centers like Visions Adolescent Treatment Centers help teens to identify what is causing their anxiety and how to deal with it in a constructive manner.

Click below or call one of our specialists for more information.

Why Healthy Relationships Are Crucial For Teen Addiction Recovery

Teens in this day and age are afflicted by many addictions, some of which did not affect past generations, such as addiction to the Internet. Given that the number of teens with addictions ranging from drug abuse to Internet and pornography addiction is on the rise, it becomes crucial to understand what a parent can do to prevent this from happening to their child.  

Overcoming addictions requires that the recovering teen severs some of their old relationships as well as making new ones. Unhealthy relationships that could lead to a relapse often need to end. Healthy relationships that are in line with kicking and keeping away from an addition should be cultivated to ensure the continued success of a teen addiction recovery program.

Unhealthy relationships with other kids who share the addiction, co-dependent relationships, and enabling relationships should be ended immediately. One should seek out healthy relationships when undergoing teen addiction recovery. It is best to seek relationships that encourage one in their effort to overcome addiction such as mutual support groups, having mentors and coaches in various aspects of one’s life, making new friends with whom one shares a constructive hobby or interest, and also with family members.

Some of the most important and healthy relationships for someone undergoing teen addiction recovery are with a sponsor and other people trying to kick the addiction. Addiction recovery is made much easier when one has the support and advice of someone who has successfully kicked the habit.

Mutual support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous are also very important after one has undergone teen addiction recovery. It is easier for one to open up to others with whom they share the same experience. Mutual support groups provide an environment that is supportive, honest, and in which those determined to kick an addiction can share freely without being judged. It also provides a great place for one to determine their progress and receive support in a bid to stay clean through encouragement, accountability, information, and comradeship to name but a few.

Although romantic relationships are not unhealthy, they can be when one is fresh out of a teen recovery program. It is therefore best to avoid starting a new relationship until the teen is in better control of their addiction and life.

Click below or call one of our specialists today at 866-889-3665.

What is Recovery and Is It Different For Teens

Statistics show that one in three pupils in a classroom suffer from mental illness. The good news though is that between 70% and 90% of individuals who get treated for the condition go on to show signs of reduction in symptoms and are able to enjoy a higher quality of life.

There are two categories of recovery; clinical and personal. Clinical recovery is being able to live free of symptoms. Personal recovery is being able to live a high quality of life within the limits of the illness. When people talk about recovery, unless its medical professionals, they are usually referring to second meaning.

Recovery can therefore be defined as developing a new meaning for and perspective on life which enables one to grow beyond the effects of mental illness.

Is Recovery Different in Teens?

The greatest challenge faced by mentally ill teens is the fact that their illnesses often have to be found-out by their parents.

If an adult is mentally ill, they are more likely to know about it early. They are old enough to tell if things are not going well. Few ever reach the stage of inflicting self injury. By that time they would have felt that something was wrong and would have talke about it with someone.

On the other hand, teens are still developing and may not be as self-aware. They may not have heard about mental illness. To them, anxiety, frustration, and depression, among other signs of mental illness, are never a cause for worry until someone (often their parents, guardians, or teachers) points it out. This sometimes allows more time to pass than is ideal before they start on treatment.

Kids, especially adolescents, are typically also very emotional. If a teen with a mental illness discovers that people are behaving differently towards them, they will quickly attribute that to their mental condition. Recovery demands a lot of willingness and ability from a mentally ill teen. Support from others actually comes second. Since adolescents go through a lot of physical, mental, and biological changes during that stage of life, they often find that they have too much weight on their shoulders which could hinder their recovery.

The recovery period may also require that the affected teen make some new friends and acquaintances if they associate with anyone who is usually cruel to them.  Being bullied often increases their worries making recovery even more difficult.

Call 866-889-3665 to speak to a professional at Visions.

Teen Suicide Prevention in California

All over the world, the number of teens attempting suicide is increasing. This raises a major concern for all parents as there is simply nothing that can prepare them sufficiently to deal with a suicidal teen. A suicide attempt shows that there is a dire problem that should be dealt with immediately. A suicide attempt should be a very serious concern for any parent, and professional help should be sought immediately from reputable centers such as Visions Adolescent Treatment Centers for teen suicide prevention.  

For a parent interested in teen suicidal prevention in California, Visions Adolescent Treatment Centers offer comprehensive programs meant to ensure that the underlying issue causing suicidal tendencies in a teen are dealt with.

The good news is that teens display various warning signs before attempting suicide that can help a parent determine early on if their child is thinking of suicide and curb the unhealthy thought before they act on it. Various factors affecting a teenager should also be taken into account to determine if they are at risk when it comes to committing suicide..

Factors attributed to teen suicide attempts include being in abusive relationships, the sudden loss of someone either through death or by other means such as divorce, mental illness, substance abuse, and great emotional distress. However, this does not mean that every teen going through such situations is suicidal. These are simply some warning signs that a parent should take very seriously as they indicate that a teen could be suicidal, or at least thinking about suicide.

An unhealthy preoccupation with death and talking about suicide should be taken seriously. When a teen constantly talks about, writes about, or in some way seems to be preoccupied with death and dying, it is a sign that death is becoming more of a fascination than is healthy. Statements and phrases that hint at suicide should also be of concern to a parent, even if said jokingly or in a moment of anger.

If a parent notices signs that a child is involved in self-harm, has low self-esteem, suffering from hopelessness, depression, self-hatred, or deep emotional distress, they should be concerned.

Whatever the situation, a teen suicide attempt points to serious psychological issues in the teen whatever their situation. Professional help should be sought immediately to help with teen suicide prevention.

Click below to schedule an appointment or call us at 866-889-3665

5 Tips on How To Prevent Your Teen From Harming Themselves

Preventing Teen Suicide

Self-harming behavior such as cutting, scratching, and burning, among others, is rather common in distressed teens. These teens don’t know how to verbalize their feelings yet and act on them by harming themselves. Teens choose self-harm to ease overwhelming emotions and to sooth deep feelings of sadness. They might also do it to express self-hatred or shame. Many times they also harm themselves because they feel helpless.  

Though self-harming is known as Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI) because there is usually no intention to commit suicide, the behavior can often lead to deliberate suicide.

So, What Can I Do as a Parent?

As soon as you learn about your teens self-harming behavior, it is important that you take them to a therapist for assessment, where they will also be taught how to deal with painful situations.

In addition to that you should do the following:

1. Help them understand situations that trigger the behavior – they should understand that everyone goes through difficult times which can cause negative feelings. You can always talk about your own triggers and how they make you feel.
2. Suggest that they engage in less severe behavior – self-harming is addictive, you don’t just walk away from it. Where the urge is persistent, suggest a few less severe behaviors such as tearing papers, pounding a pillow, or snapping a rubber band.
3. Modeling positive imagery in front of them – visualizing the good things can greatly reduce anxiety and painful feelings. When you practice positive imagery in front of your teens, they will learn to do the same even in your absence. For example, you can talk aloud when visualizing a soothing place you have been to.
4. Have a coping kit – the kit can contain helpful journals, upbeat music, and collections of photos of family, friends, and their heroes. Typically, it should comprise most of the things your teen finds calming. Make the kit easily accessible.
5. Be compassionate – let the teen know that you are always available to help them. In the event of a set-back, you must offer non-judgmental support. Do not overreact, criticize or shame them.

It is not easy to overcome self-harming. However, with your help and persistence, you can help them get over these behaviors and live a better life.

Please call 866-889-3665 to speak to a professional at Visions about preventing teen suicide.

What are Bath Salts and Can My Child Get High

Regular bath salts, such as Epsom salts, contain Magnesium sulfate, whereas sea salt contains Sodium sulfate, which is a staple ingredient for a typical and true bath salt. These are not the bath salts that have been the cause of the anti-narcotics agencies and medical practitioners latest head ache. Moreover, the impostors being used as drugs are not necessarily the brands being sold at regular drugstores. The bath salts that have had many people calling poison centers because of an emergency are sold under various street names such as:  

• Ivory wave
• Purple wave
• Vanilla sky
• Bliss
• Hurricane Charlie

Users have been taking the drug through snorting, injecting, and mixing it with food and drink. It is said that these particular bath salts contain methylenedioxyprovalerone or MDPV which gives the user a methamphetamine-like high. These bath salts are reportedly even more powerful than heroine and crack. Their effects may include:

• Rapid heart rate
• Intense craving
• Visual hallucinations
• Paranoia
• Psychosis
• Self-mutilation
• Suicidal thoughts
• Agitation
• Chest pains

There have been reports of users stabbing themselves in the face and stomach, while the son of a physician slit his own throat and proceeded to shoot himself in the head after enduring three days of what was termed “intermittent delirium.” Two law enforcement agents who had an encounter with a user under the influence were injured since the assailant thought he was fighting “two devils.” In July 2012, the Synthetic Drug Abuse Prevention Act made it illegal to possess, use, or as distribute many of the chemicals that are used to make the bath salts. Another chemical is Methylone or mephedrone which has also been placed under a regulatory ban by the DEA.

This law covers chemicals that are or can be used as ingredients to make synthetic drugs.

These drugs usually come in powder and crystal form. As such, they can pass as real bath salts and can be packaged and sold legally serving as a legal loop hole for dealers. The dealers also may add the misleading label “not for human consumption,” allowing them to get around the “Analog Act” under which substances which are substantially similar to illegal drugs are deemed illegal.

Click below to schedule an appointment, or call one of our specialists at 866-889-3665.

Why is My Child Smoking Pot?

The negative effects of smoking pot are well documented; increased risk of cancer, abnormal cell division, altered mental functioning and risk of brain abnormalities to name just a few.  

The big question then is why a child would ever think of smoking marijuana. How did he or she start smoking? What triggered the smoking? Surprisingly, most pot smokers say they had their first puff before their eighteenth birthday. At this young age, kids don’t really think that smoking can be addictive. To them, they imagine that they can test-smoke a couple of times and then take it or leave it. Before long they are usually addicted and smoking on a regular basis. They are actually likely to experience cravings and withdrawal symptoms just like adults.

There are several reasons why a kid may start smoking.

• Most kids are only experimenting and want to see what the fuss is all about. They have probably heard about pot several times and even know that the drug is illegal, but are excited to try it out. Since smoking pot is prohibited in most countries, children who get away with the first attempt without being caught can become exited at flouting the law.
• Many kids also say that they smoke pot because they want to appear older. According to them, if the older kids around them are smoking, they feel they must smoke as well if they want to be regarded with the same respect as the others.
• A number of children smoke when they feel low self-esteem. Sometimes they have to smoke to be accepted by their peers. Smoking pot, when others are doing the same, may earn them new friends and a certain status among their peers.
• A number of kids also smoke as a sign of rebellion, especially towards parents or those in authority.
• Of course most kids will start smoking if their friends are smoking.
• The child may also smoke pot if they have grown up in an environment where everybody else smoked it; parents, siblings, grandparents and others.

Summary

If you find out that your child is smoking pot, don’t panic. There are several ways to help them.

Please click below to schedule your consultation, or call us at 866-889-3665.