What are you afraid of? We might ask this question innocently, attempting to understand the strong reactions coming from our teens about something they are resisting. Is there any fear coming up for you? Our teens don’t like talking about fear. Fear, experiencing fear, and being honest about being afraid is still taboo in…
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We either tell our children about our pasts or we don’t. If we choose to tell them, we have to be careful in how we curate our stories to benefit our children by empowering them to make their own decisions. Do we want to encourage their substance abuse as part of the growing up experience?…
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Trauma is not something that we ever want for our children. Unfortunately, millions of children experience trauma at young ages. Either at the hands of their own parents or in a situation out of their parent’s or guardian’s control. An estimated 16% of children who experience a traumatic event in their lives will develop PTSD,…
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Teenage boys get hurt. Mothers, fathers, and care providers for adolescent males know that another injury is just one decision away. Trips to the emergency room and doctor’s office are common for another stunt, athletic injury, or mindless repercussion of a poorly thought out decision. As parents, we expect this kind of behavior from our…
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In the 1990s, “Big Tobacco” came under fire. The lawsuits were heard around the world as companies like Camel were criticized for creating characters and advertisements directed toward young people. “Joe Cool” was a camel-character that advertised cigarettes as being cool. A landmark lawsuit, the tobacco industry lost and had to change their approach. Such…
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Not my child. It’s a sentiment that is easy enough for any of us to think when it comes to the idea of self-harm. Our children wouldn’t, couldn’t do that to themselves. Where would they learn it from? Why would they hurt themselves? What can we do to make it stop? Self-harm is a self-destructive…
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Meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous and associated twelve step program fellowships are primarily for adults. Attend a designated “young people’s” meeting and you’ll find middle to late aged teenagers, those in their early twenties, and still find a littering of grown up adults. Family members of adolescents and teens who are struggling with drug and alcohol…
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Marijuana has declaratively had the title of “gateway drug” taken away from it as science has revealed that alcohol is more inspiring to alternative forms of substance abuse. However, that doesn’t change the large quantities of adolescents and teens recreationally experimenting with or abusing marijuana. Marijuana is popular among youth populations because it is considered…
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Playgrounds and schoolyards used to be the only platform parents had to worry about bullying for their adolescents and teens. The digital modern world has created a new platform which poses a threat to teen’s mental health due to feelings of inadequacy, anxiety, and the potential for bullying. Social media and it’s many distinct platforms,…
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Heroin is abundantly available. With new “filler” substances like synthetic opioids making the cost of heroin production cheaper for manufacturers, and the end product more potent, dealers are giving away their drugs for free. Reports from Chicago and cities like Columbus, Ohio have recently reported drug dealers giving away sometimes fatal samples of their heroin…
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