Each year, a group of non-profit wellness and mental health awareness organizations sponsor National Stress Awareness Month during the month of April. Along with Stress Awareness Month, they also promote a National Stress Awareness Day. This year we observe Stress Awareness Day on Sunday, April 18th. Last year at this time – mid-April 2020 – we found ourselves toward the beginning of what turned out to be one of the
How to Decide if Your Child Needs an Inpatient Mental Health Treatment Program Every teen with a mental health, behavioral, or alcohol/substance use disorder is unique. The same is true of any disorder for which they receive a clinical diagnosis. Each disorder develops in different ways for different reasons. A mental health disorder – a category that includes behavioral disorders and addiction – follows its own trajectory and is influenced
Every year on April 10th in the U.S., we celebrate National Siblings Day (NSD). Founded in 1999 by Claudia Evart in the spirit of Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, Claudia created the Siblings Day Foundation in order to promote NSD and give everyone with siblings the chance to honor the special place siblings have in their lives. National Siblings Day was formally recognized by President Bill Clinton in 2000 and
Residential Treatment Helps Teens With Depression There are a wide range of treatment options for teenagers with depression. If you’re the parent of a teen who recently received a diagnosis for a depressive disorder, finding the best support available is a priority for you and your family. We assume you’ve already taken the first step by arranging for a full biopsychosocial evaluation for your teen, administered by a licensed mental
Depression Treatment for Teens Can Save Lives Parents of teens have to play detective all the time. Most of us understand why. At a certain point – which is different for each individual – teens change the way they communicate with their parents. It doesn’t happen with every teen, and the communication rarely stops completely. When they need clean clothes, food, help with homework, the car keys, or permission to
In 1987, a non-profit organization called the National Council for Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) – first founded in 1944 as the National Committee for Education on Alcoholism (NCEA) – initiated the first annual Alcohol Awareness Month. Between 1987 and 2019, the NCADD hosted Alcohol Awareness Month to accomplish the following goals: Increase awareness about the negative effects of alcohol misuse and alcohol use disorder (AUD). AUD is the clinical
This month is National Minority Health Month. National Minority Health Month has its origins in April 1915, when Dr. Booker T. Washington instituted the first National Minority Health Month in an effort to encourage members of the African-American community to better take care of their health. He asked local health departments, schools, places of worship, and businesses to help him spread the word. Years later, the U.S Department of Health
Therapies for Adolescent PTSD and Early Trauma We recently published an article here called “Behavioral Health Treatment Centers Help Teens Overcome Trauma.” That article offered an overview of what trauma is and how trauma can lead to long-term, adverse physical, psychological, social, and emotional consequences. We then presented the fundamentals of a framework for processing, healing, and moving beyond trauma that’s called trauma-informed care. This article will focus on one
If your teenage child talks about suicide – which means they think about suicide – the first thing you should know is that you must take it seriously. Do not ignore it. Do not assume they’re joking, being dramatic, or saying it only to shock you. While you may be right – it may be one or a combination of all three of those – the consequences of you being
When you first learn your daughter engages in the behavior informally known as cutting, you’re probably at a total loss. For many people – especially parents – it’s difficult to understand. You probably feel a mix of confusion, shock, and worry. You wonder why your child would want to harm themselves. And you may feel guilty and think that somehow, it’s your fault. With all these emotions swirling in your
