Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD) in Teens & Children
What is DMDD? A relatively new psychiatric disorder known as disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, or DMDD for short, may be the proper diagnosis if you’re dealing with a teen with a combination of mood symptoms and highly disruptive and intense behaviors. Frequent anger outbursts combined with persistent, severe, and chronic irritability are the primary symptoms […]
DBT Guide for Parents
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is gaining more and more exposure as parents and therapists are recognizing its remarkable value in helping teens with emotional dysregulation, self-harming behavior, suicidal ideation, and other mental health and/or behavioral issues. If your child’s counselor or clinician recommended DBT treatment, know that providing this therapy to your teen can be […]
Transgender Teens
Adolescence is a time of radical transformation. Teens develop physically, emotionally, intellectually, and socially. They form their own identities, distinct from their parents. They engage in an evolving, instinctive process of trial and error to learn about themselves and find their place in the world. Through a series of successes, failures, and everything in between, […]
Mood Disorders in Children and Adolescents
What are Mood Disorders? Broadly speaking, a mood disorder is a mental health condition characterized by a significant, prolonged emotional disturbance that affects an individual’s ability to function in their daily life. The emotional disturbance can be low, sad, and depressive, or high-energy, unpredictable, and manic. The type of disturbance depends on the disorder, and […]
Co-Occurring Disorders
What are Co-Occurring Disorders? When a person – child, adolescent, or adult – is diagnosed with a mental health disorder and an alcohol/substance use disorder (AUD/SUD) at the same time, they receive a dual diagnosis. A person with a dual diagnosis has what mental health professionals call co-occurring disorders. Mental health disorders that commonly co-occur […]
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 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 […]