If you’re a parent who recently discovered your teen has an addiction disorder, the first thing you want to do is find them the help they need. That means you’re probably thinking, “I need to find a drug rehab center for my teenager.” That’s a good idea, and it will put you on the right path, but there’s something else to consider. In the 21st century, we don’t always separate
Suicide Hotline, Mental Health Emergencies, Substance Use Emergencies Before the coronavirus pandemic swept across the country in early 2020 and created a mental health crisis for children and adolescents that prompted the Surgeon General of the United States to publish an advisory in early 2021 called Protecting Youth Mental Health, there was already a mental health crisis brewing. The crisis: suicide. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) published a series
Is Texting While Driving a Warning Sign or Risk Factor for Addiction? There’s an interesting phenomenon in the field of mental health research that’s developed over the past fifteen years. We should clarify that. The phenomenon developed in a subfield of mental health research: addiction research. The subject of the phenomenon we’re talking about goes by several names. Here are the thee most common: Cell phone addiction Internet addiction Social
Fentanyl-Involved Deaths Drive Increase If you read or follow national news at all, you know that for the past decade, the nation has been in the grip of what’s called the opioid crisis. The opioid crisis – or the opioid epidemic, as it is also called – actually began over twenty years ago, around 1999, with an increase in opioid prescriptions driving upward trends in opioid addiction and opioid-related overdose
Problem Gambling Among Adolescents When parents think of the behavioral, mental health, or emotional disorders their children might experience or develop during adolescence, a gambling addiction or disorder typically isn’t at the top of their what should I worry about? checklist. During this pandemic era, most parents have their attention on the mental health issues adolescent development experts warned them about back in March 2020. They look for signs of
Inhalants Can Kill Within Minutes – With Just One Use If you’re the parent of a teenager, you know there’s a very real chance your child might experiment with alcohol or drug use during their teenage years. Right or wrong, experimenting with intoxicants has become akin to a rite of passage in the U.S. It’s alternatively glorified and vilified in the media, in pop music, on televisions shows, and in
This is Not the Marijuana Hippies Smoked at Woodstock After alcohol and tobacco, marijuana is the most commonly used and abused drug among teenagers in the United States. Teen marijuana use became widespread in the 70s, dipped in the 80s, and steadily increased through the 90s, the 2000s, and 2010s. When marijuana vaping products became available several years ago, they became popular among high school students. Rates of use for
If you’re a teen, you’ve got to be excited the coronavirus pandemic is coming to an end. 2020 was tough. You endured a year of missed school, no friends, and no gatherings. Facemasks, anxiety, social distancing. Missed milestones, cancelled trips, and quarantines. It’s no wonder COVID-19 caused a mental health crisis for teens and young people. Globally, youth experienced unprecedented rates of depression, self-harming behavior, and suicidal ideation. Post-COVID Teens
Each year during the week of Valentine’s Day, alcoholism awareness advocates around the U.S. and the world observe National Children of Alcoholics Week (COA Awareness Week) to draw attention to the challenges children of alcoholic parents face every day. In response to the growing epidemic of addiction in the U.S., COA Awareness week now includes all children of addiction – not just children of alcoholics. The information in this article
If your teenager has a mental health or substance use disorder, you may have considered residential treatment for them at some point in the past. If they have a mental health disorder such as depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder, you understand that if they spend a period of time focusing solely on healing and recovery, they’ll receive more support – and likely make more progress – than they do in
