Teens Archives | Page 25 of 37

This School’s Mental Health Awareness Program Tackles Real-Life Teen Stressors

Sometimes, the signs are clearly visible—people can read you like a book. Other times, no one can even guess what you’re struggling with inside. This dichotomy was the inspiration behind Colorado’s new statewide mental health campaign, “Below the Surface.” This attention-grabbing awareness campaign stemmed from a wave of student suicides in high schools around Colorado Springs, which kept happening one right after another. In just one high school, in the

August 19, 2019

Balancing It All: Are Teens Too Busy These Days?

For adolescents juggling school, homework, extracurricular activities, social commitments, SAT/ACTs, and maybe even college applications, the day may never seem long enough. Phew…just writing out that list made us need to take a breath! Teens these days are as busy as ever. Is it Good to be Busy? Many feel that it’s good to be busy. “I don’t want my kids just sitting at home on their laptop or phone

August 16, 2019

New School Year, New You: Put Your Recovery First

Let’s say, for instance, one thing you did this summer was get treatment for an alcohol or substance use disorder. It may have been a live-in, residential program, a day treatment program, a half-day program, or something else. Whatever type of treatment you received, we’re sure it wasn’t the easiest thing you’ve ever done. You probably spent hours – if not days or weeks – exploring the issues that led

August 12, 2019

How to Survive the Transition From Middle School to High School

For a teen, perhaps one of the most nerve-wracking academic transitions is the one between middle school and high school. There’s a new, bigger school building you have to acclimate to. New peers, which mean new cliques. Brand-new teachers and classes—and many of them. A faster pace at school. Anticipating all of these new social and academic changes could cause a bit of stress in anyone, let alone a teen

August 6, 2019

How to Stay Sober in Your First Year of College

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

August 5, 2019

Team Sports, Adverse Childhood Experiences, and Mental Health

A story published by National Public Radio (NPR) in May caught our attention. Here’s the headline: “Playing Teen Sports May Protect From Some Damages of Childhood Trauma” Like many things we see in the media that intersect with our specialty – helping adolescents struggling with mental health and/or substance use disorders – we thought to ourselves: “Hmmm. Interesting – if true.” It turns out that this interesting piece of news

July 22, 2019

Your Friend is Addicted to Drugs. Are You Enabling Their Behavior?

If your friend is addicted to drugs—whether it’s opioid pills like Oxycontin or recreational drugs like weed or crack—you may feel obligated to help. Whether or not your friend asks you for help, you may feel like you need to stop their dangerous cycle and get them back on track. First, we’ll be straight up with you: it’s not your job to make them better. What do we mean? The

July 18, 2019

How Do I Stop My Bully?

Marilyn* was getting bullied at her public school. Girls made fun of her clothes and her appearance. She didn’t drink or go to clubs or bars, and they made fun of her for that, too. They called her names, threw her hostile looks, and taunted her behind her back. Every time she walked into the cafeteria, her heart would start pounding as she wondered where she would sit. Each lunch

July 15, 2019

What to Do When You Have Bad Friends

Sometimes, our friends are the best parts of our lives. They give us emotional support, spread cheer, and/or help us become better. Whenever we’re around them, you feel happier and a better version of yourself. On the other hand, certain friends are simply bad for you. They can be difficult to be around. They might engage in risky or criminal behavior. Your mom doesn’t like them. They’re exclusive, excluding, and

July 12, 2019

Envious of a Friend? What They Have Won’t Make You Happy

Emily, Abigail, and Hannah were sitting together at lunch. The end of the shool year was just a few weeks away, so the three high school friends were discussing their summer plans. “We’re going on a cruise to Alaska,” said Emily, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “My mom found this amazing cruise line that comes with a million pools and Jacuzzis onboard, plus a movie theater and a

July 11, 2019