Most of the articles we write are directed toward parents with teens in treatment for a mental health, behavioral, or substance use disorder. We support parents with advice about all sorts of things, from how to support a teen with depression, to how to help a teen with anxiety manage their panic attacks, or how to find the best treatment center for a teen with an addiction disorder. This article
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
Most people in the U.S. see the college years as a period of life when it’s okay to experiment with alcohol and drugs. In fact, most people think it’s normal. Most people also think it’s normal that a college student, away from the watchful eyes of their parents and neighbors for the first time, might go overboard with drinking. They might even try marijuana and smoke more than occasionally for
When you quit drinking, lots of unexpected little things come up. During treatment, you tend to focus on the big things first. You learn to manage your emotions and recognize your triggers. You spend time learning about the science of addiction, and you may even be able to pinpoint exactly when and why you developed an addiction. When you leave treatment, you know enough get yourself through the first few
Funny thing about no. It’s probably the first word you ever learned: “No.” You don’t remember it, but we can guarantee your parents do. Want cereal? No! Want cake? No! Want to play with Sally the Stuffed Seal? No! Toddlers love saying no. They’ll say no to anything and everything, just because. No one is quite sure why – because no one can ask a toddler. And even though every
It might be the first word you ever learned. Just ask your parents how much you loved saying it when you were a toddler. Want another cracker? No! Want more juice? No! Want to play with your sister? No! We know, we know. You don’t remember a thing from when you were two years old. No one does. That’s one of the strange things about being human: we were all
When you first quit drinking, there are a lot of unexpected little things that come up. Rehab and treatment tend to focus on the big things first. You work on coping skills to identify and handle your triggers, recognize and manage your emotions, and get yourself through the first few weeks of sobriety sane and healthy. But sometimes it’s the little things that can trip you up. That’s what this
You went through treatment and you’re on the road to recovery. Maybe you spent part of the summer in a residential program, or maybe you did an intensive outpatient, partial hospitalization, or day treatment program. You spent long, tough hours uncovering the issues that led you to addiction or substance abuse, and then you spent an equal or greater amount of time learning new, positing, life-affirming coping mechanisms to replace
As summer winds down, teenagers around the country head back to school. Some start in the beginning of August, while some start later, around Labor Day. In the Los Angeles area of Southern California, where Evolve offers substance abuse and addiction treatment for teens, high school tends to start in the middle weeks of August. That makes the beginning of the month transition time: families return from vacation, teenagers clock
