When looking for troubled teen therapy and programs, one usually encounters the term “cognitive behavior therapy”. What is it and how can we harness it to deal with behavioral issues that our teens may have? What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy? This is a treatment or psychotherapy modality that aims to develop self-awareness and critical thinking so that it positively affects one’s actions. Part of the self-awareness is recognizing that it is not external factors such as people, happenings and circumstances...
According to the United States Centers for Disease Control, suicide among 15 to 24 year olds falls as the top three cause of death. This translates to roughly 5,000 teenagers who die by their own hand every year and more than 120,000 suicide attempts. As parents, these statistics give one fear: “What if it happens to my child?” Does my child have a high risk for teen suicide? The stresses that teenagers experience (failing a test, having one’s heart broken,...
Often, the obstacle against helping a troubled teen struggle against drugs is misinformation. There are a number of misconceptions about this issue that can cause fear and complicate the path towards healing and recovery. Thus, these misconceptions regarding drug addiction and its treatment should be confronted head on so that those involved (the teen and his loved ones) can make informed choices (about a possible troubled teen program) and face the road to healing with realistic expectations. Here are some...
Does a teen wilderness program look like an attractive option for your troubled teen? Do you think some time with a physically challenging program and exposure to nature help him come to terms with his feelings and how he is behaving? Are you having some niggling doubts about the effectiveness of such a program? Here are some things you need to look into to help you determine whether wilderness therapy will be helpful for your teen: - Benefits being offered....
A parent’s t-shirt proudly proclaims, “I survived the teenage years”. Indeed, embattled parents of teenagers often feel that the all the years leading up to the teenage years (including the sleepless nights and the terrible twos) are just a walk in the park. But where do we draw the line between “normal” teenage angst and outright rebellion? How do you know whether your teen simply needs a firm parenting or much more – such as intervention from an experienced therapist...
Successfully completing a troubled teen program is not the end of the journey towards recovery and maturity. A teen who has worked so hard to fight off the demons that hound him may be easy prey during a moment of weakness. When there is addiction involved, the probability of going back to previous bad habits is all too high. As parents, we need to be on the alert to ensure that our teen has the necessary support and safeguards to...
Landmines! One misstep and… boom! This may very well be what it feels like when talking to an angry, rebellious and moody teenager. When there are all kinds of indications that your teen is into some kind of trouble (i.e. drugs, gangs, criminal acts, etc.), how do you talk to your teen without starting a word war? How do you start connecting to your teen so that you know how to go about getting help for him? You can start...
It comes as a shock – your child has a substance abuse problem. And the hurt and disbelief sets in, when you realize you did not have any inkling, even when you thought you and your teen had a close relationship. Why didn’t your child come to you for help? Why did you not see the signs? The best place to start is to start understanding what led your teen into this path and why they don’t see the harm...
Dealing with an angry, rebellious teen can sometimes leave you feeling hopeless and desperate. However, it can be helpful to recognize that your intervention has stages. If you are able to help your teen at the first stages, then you need not explore more drastic, stringent measures. Here are some of the levels of intervention that parents of troubled teens can explore: - Heart to heart talk. It is normal for a teen to try to test the boundaries of...
Self-harm, or self-injury, is alarmingly an increasing trend among teenagers. There are an estimated 20% of teenagers who have, at one point, tried or are continuing to inflict physical harm using fire, knives, razorblades, scissors or even safety pins and paper clips. What’s more, teens are becoming more creative in how they self-injure – biting, hitting, biting, burning, scratching or pulling their hair. Why do teens cut? Teens cut for a variety of reasons. It can be a way for...
