Prescription Drug Abuse in Adolescents
For decades, many parents worried about their adolescents experimenting with or getting addicted to “hard” drugs, such as meth, heroin, or cocaine. The good news is that those drugs aren’t as common among teens as they once were. Unfortunately, prescription drugs are increasingly taking their place. These drugs are much more accessible because they’re found […]
Drug Addiction and Abuse in Adolescents
Helping your child navigate the choppy waters of adolescence is probably one of the most difficult parenting tasks of all. Teens are hard-wired to stretch their wings, try new things, and take risks to learn about themselves and grow into young adults. Unfortunately, experimenting with mind-altering substances is a dangerous temptation many teens find irresistible […]
Helping Your Adolescent with Bipolar Disorder
What is Bipolar Disorder in Teens & Adolescents Mood swings are often considered a typical part of adolescence – just ask any parent with one or more teenagers at home. However, typical teenage mood swings are different from the intense mood swings of associated with bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is a serious, lifelong psychiatric illness. […]
Borderline Personality Treatment for Teens in Los Angeles: Understanding Borderline Personality Disorder In Teens
Adolescence can be a turbulent time. Anyone who lived to survive it – including those who are now parents of teens – know about the social, emotional, and physical rollercoaster that often characterizes the teen years. For a small percentage of teens, the emotional turbulence is especially intense, confusing, and painful. For some teens, emotional […]
Helping Your Adolescent with Asperger’s Syndrome
It’s heartbreaking for parents to discover that their child’s development isn’t on par with other children his or her age. Asperger’s Syndrome, which primarily impacts social and communication skills, fits into a category of delayed development formerly known as “pervasive developmental disorders”. Up until 2013, Asperger’s Syndrome was diagnosed as a distinct disorder. However, since […]
Cutting in Teens as a Form of Self-Harm in Adolescence
There’s something inherently disturbing – at least for most people – at the thought of anyone intentionally cutting himself or herself. And yet, a surprising number of young, vulnerable teens gravitate towards this behavior – and their parents are completely oblivious. Teens who engage in cutting usually aren’t trying to commit suicide. Death is rarely […]
Helping Your Adolescent with Binge Eating Disorder
Binge eating disorder (BED for short) is a relatively new diagnosis, although binge eating has been around for a very long time. While many teens binge eat from time to time, the behavior becomes problematic and serious when it’s occurring on a regular basis. Since the excessive eating often occurs in secret, it’s not always […]
Social Anxiety Disorder in Adolescents
If you’re like most parents, you want your kids to learn to be comfortable in their own skin, develop self-confidence, and thrive socially as they grow up. Unfortunately, some children develop in the exact opposite direction, for example being painfully self-conscious, afraid of rejection or embarrassment, and extremely uncomfortable in social settings. The anxiety they […]
Anorexia Nervosa in Adolescents
It’s heartbreaking to see your teen become so obsessed with body weight and shape that he or she diets to the point of become dangerously thin. Attempts to reason with or reassure your child aren’t only futile, but often result in intense power struggles that reinforce your teen’s determination to waste away to nothing. This […]
Bulimia in Teens and Adolescents
Frequent binge eating, self-induced vomiting, laxative abuse, and excessive exercise are common indicators of bulimia nervosa – a serious and potentially deadly eating disorder that impacts many teens. Bombarded with messages from the media, their peers, and society in general that suggest their value, self-worth, and desirability are directly tied to being thin, some teens […]