Seeking the Help of a Substance Abuse Facility

When you start to look for a substance abuse facility, be prepared to answer some questions. The questions may seem personal to you but they are very important for your care. The elderly or young adults will need different types of help so giving the correct age is very important. Another question you may not want to answer is a list of the drugs you are using on a daily basis.

 

Just remember these questions need to be answered truthfully to decide whether or not the facility is capable of helping you with your type of addiction. Answering questions truthfully will ensure you will be getting the best care that is appropriate for you. Getting over the initial embarrassment is not hard if you keep your ultimate goal in mind and that is finding the help you so desperately need.

 

Choose a Reputable Substance Abuse Facility

 

When you are looking for a substance abuse facility, don’t forget that you need to make sure the facilities you are enquiring about are licensed to give care.

You need to find a facility with trained professionals who have all dealt with substance abuse problems and their treatment. Don’t waste your time on a new facility that is full of hype with little quality to back it up.

 

Look for a facility that already has a presence in the community as a good place to go. If you choose a facility that has been in business for years, you are probably going to find great experienced staff that can help you no matter what your needs are.

 

A substance abuse facility should take care of you both in your body and in your mind. Just dealing with one problem and not the other will not give you the right tools you need to succeed later on down the road. It is important to get to the root of the problems in order to be able to pass beyond the addiction. Cleaning your body without dealing with your mind will soon leave you feeling empty and drag you right back down through the spiral of addiction.

 

Now that you know what to look for in a substance abuse facility, it should be easier when you make your decision. Take your time and make sure your research is done before committing to the center and you will soon find yourself leading a clean drug free life in a matter of months.

 

 

Substance-Abuse

Substance Abuse and the Interventionist

When someone admits that they have a problem with drugs or alcohol and that they desire help, then you should do what it takes to get the individual into treatment and a rehab program. However, it may be easy to think about when you know that this person lives on street corners and then you are unable to reach them. At this time a substance abuse interventionist is going to be your next step and your main focus.

If you are a friend or a member of a loving family, you can appreciate what it means to lose your family to drugs or alcohol. It is quite overwhelming and hurting, if you were to inquire from many families who face that predicament. The trip back to normalcy can be quite uncertain, long and tough. With no encouragement, it makes it even more difficult.

There are some addicts that find it difficult to quit doing drugs even after trying for many times.

Even if you fail, it does not signify the impossibility of succeeding in drug or alcohol recovery. Family members generally will give their hand of support if they are sure that you are willing to quit. All you have to do is to discuss the matter with them. They will be understanding of your plight and realize that it takes bravery for you to admit your problem and will open their hearts to assisting you by searching for substance abuse interventionist. Some people will still take the easy way out and go back to abusing drugs again even after discussing this with their family member and requesting for help.

Most drug rehab treatment programs are mainly focused on getting the addict into a structured and organized program that helps them to control their destructive habit and learn how to deal with any triggers of going back into drugs after being admitted into the program.

Having direct control over abusing drugs is the most important part of having success. However, most drug addicts will never confess that their lives are not in control. They will come up with any type of excuse of abusing drugs and why it became a part of their lives. This is the crucial denial of their circumstances.

There are various reasons why people abuse drugs and alcohol. Some people like the influence that they think it gives them. They also love the bogus control that has become a delusion, but looks like it is typical to the drug addict. Some see the drugs as soothing. They use it to comfort the feelings of loneliness and lack of confidence that they are feeling.

Many have attempted to put every thing into perception and have been unsuccessful. Others don’t even attempt at trying. Their rehabilitation is like a rotating door where they go in and out of treatment without experiencing complete recovery. Retracting to drug abuse provides them with impermanent reprieve from the stress that life gives and they are unable to deal with it. The drugs and alcohol become their escape from reality until they have to wake up to the truth that they do have a big problem that needs fixing.

Best ADHD Drug? Looking At Two Possible Contenders Which Fail The Test

In a recent survey on the effectiveness of one of the most popular psychostimulant ADHD drugs, there were very mixed results. This is typical of ADHD drugs so it is impossible to know what is the best ADHD drug. Every child will have different reactions and sometimes it is really difficult to get the dosage right which causes many parents headaches and just adds to the stress of the whole thing.

In addition, there is widespread ignorance about ADHD and that is partly due to the hype that the pharmaceutical companies are putting out about these drugs. Not helped either by their lackeys who crowd Facebook and pretend to be parents who of course have tried that drug. There is no doubt in their minds that this is the best ADHD drug! But that is normal in this day of mass communication and massive brainwashing in every media we have around us.

Well, let us look at the results for this particular drug which is supposed to be marvellous. Maybe it is for some people. The scores are out of a maximum of ten. This scored poorly because of side effects and in fact only got five out of ten. The actual effectiveness of the drug scored eight out of ten. As to whether they would recommend it, it got seven out of ten and the same score for ease of use. As we can see, the problem of side effects is the biggest problem and that is why many parents are now seeking alternatives.

Lots pf people thought that with the launch of the non stimulants which use atomoxetine, this would be the answer to all their prayers. It is a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor and there was a lot of hype about this. One advantage seems to be the fact that there is little chance of addiction which is a big defect with the stimulants. But this drug also fails on the essential criteria. For example nobody knows exactly how it works, there are still health risks and nasty side effects and the drug will certainly NOT cure your child’s ADHD. Its side effects include suicidal thoughts. As we can see, this is certainly not the best ADHD drug!

So, conventional medicine using allopathic drugs does not cure ADHD but many people are under the impression that it does. They are also convinced that children will outgrow ADHD and that once they reach adulthood, they will be alright. The reality is very different. That is why it is essential for parents and schools to take a more comprehensive view of the whole ADHD treatment issue.

Mental Health Benefits

When you think of health insurance, you probably think of coverage for prescription drugs, visits to the doctor, hospital stays, surgery expenses, and the like. But your overall health also includes your mental health, so don’t overlook benefits that can help your outlook. Depending on the type of health insurance plan you have, coverage for mental health expenses may or may not be included. Review your policy with an eye for the following.

What are mental health expenses?

Depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders affect countless Americans. So do substance abuse problems. Treatment for these problems may include consultations with doctors, private counseling, group therapy, prescription medications, hospital stays, outpatient programs, alternative living arrangements, and other expenses.

Read your health insurance policy to determine whether mental health benefits are provided

Whether you have a private health insurance plan or participate in a group health plan at work, you’ll need to read your policy carefully to find out what is and isn’t covered.

If your policy provides coverage for mental health care, consider the extent of that care.What types of benefits are provided? What do you have to do to get benefits, and how do you appeal decisions you don’t agree with? There could be a different set of procedures for mental health care than for other forms of medical treatment in your plan. You should also pay close attention to treatments that are excluded from coverage and any limitations (e.g., hospitalization coverage for a maximum of 14 days).

Pay close attention to the types of mental health care providers and the approval process

Find out which mental health professionals are covered by your plan. Are social workers, clinical psychologists, and psychiatrists included? What if you choose a licensed professional not covered by the plan? Some plans will deny coverage if you go outside their network of providers.

You should also determine who’ll make the decision regarding the type of treatment you’ll need. You may need to speak with your primary care physician (PCP) or call a toll-free number to explain your situation. Must you get approval before seeing a mental health specialist? Find out how long it takes to receive approval for treatments, and whether your mental health care provider will have to request approval for subsequent treatments.

Continuity and coordination of your behavioral health and medical care are important, so it is to your advantage to include your PCP in your treatment for mental health issues. If your policy does not use the same network of providers for mental health and medical care, make sure that your physicians share information in order to carefully monitor medication usage.

In addition, look to your policy to determine how your privacy will be protected. For example, if your medical information is transmitted, stored, or used for any purpose as data, will anything that identifies you be removed to protect your privacy? Will the information be transferred to others or sold? If your policy is unclear or fails to address important issues, ask your insurance agent.

Group health insurance plans and mental health

Group health insurance plans are usually not required to include mental health coverage. However, some states do have laws that mandate this type of coverage. If your plan provides this type of coverage, federal law prevents the plan from placing annual or lifetime dollar limits on mental health benefits that are lower than the limits for medical and surgical benefits. For example, if your health plan has a million lifetime limit on medical and surgical benefits, it cannot put a 0,000 lifetime limit on mental health benefits. (This law does not apply to individual health insurance plans or to groups with fewer than 50 employees.) Some states have their own additional requirements.

Group health plans may put other restrictions on mental health benefits and still comply with the law. For instance, mental health benefits can have higher co-payments or a lower number of allowed treatments, as compared to medical and surgical benefits.

What to do if you need help

If you’re concerned that you’re suffering from a mental disorder, be aware that physical conditions may be causing your symptoms. Behavioral disorders can have a medical basis or implications for your physical health. Your PCP can help determine if your symptoms are related to a medical cause. Medically related causes for mental or behavioral disorders will be covered under your medical care policy.

Follow your policy’s guidelines to get help. If your policy does not cover mental health benefits, check with your state department of public health for any publicly funded programs where you may be able to receive services for substance abuse or mental health. Also, many employers provide on-site counseling or reimburse external agencies to provide the service for their employees under their employee assistance program.

Many states require insurance carriers to provide mental health benefits, so find out if your state mandates behavioral health and substance abuse benefits. Be sure to take notes and get the full names of anyone you speak to at your insurance company. If you don’t follow the insurance company’s rules, you could have to pay for the appointment yourself.

 

The Effects Of Drug Addiction and Substance Abuse

One thing that you would acknowledge is that the drug addiction crosscuts the prescription and non-prescription medicines. In fact, abuse or addiction to prescription medicines makes for the most prevalent these days. This may actually be as a result of their ease of availability as well as the low costs in which they come at. Irrespective of the fact that most of these substances fall under the ‘controlled’ category, they are not only available from medical practitioners but also from pharmacies as well as illegal outlets and streets.

Whether one is addicted to non-prescription or prescription drugs, the abuse is always characterized by the defiance of a qualified medical practitioner’s prescriptions. One would actually be taking the items for reasons other than those for which the medicine was prescribed or against the prescriptions of a qualified medical practitioner.

Substance abuse starts with development of psychic or even physical dependency to a particular drug. Now it would be important to understand that every drug whether non-prescription or prescription will always produce physical dependency. This is a situation where the individual starts craving for it and would not feel normal if he or she does not take it or stays off it for too long. It would be important to acknowledge that physical dependency would not necessarily imply that the individual has become dependent or is abusing it. All that it implies is that the normal functioning of the body systems and especially the brain and the central nervous system have become dependent on the presence of the substance.

If the individual continues taking the drug, there is the possibility of development of tolerance (chemical tolerance). This results from the deposits of residue building up in the body. With these, the individual would realize that the drug becomes ineffective especially as far as bringing about the initial effects is concerned. These could be the euphoric feelings, pain relieving, suppression of coughs, relieving fever or any other reason for which it was consumed. To bring about these effects, the individual would need to take more of whatever substance they had already consumed. One thing that you need to acknowledge is that as much as chemical tolerance and physical dependency do not indicate that the individual has become addicted or is abusing the drug, it definitely could lead to addiction if the individual continues increasing the amounts consumed. This is because chemical tolerance progressively builds up meaning the individual would need to continually increase the amounts. Eventually, the individual may end up overdosing because of this.

In most cases, it is quite difficult to determine the cause and effect of addiction. Actually, you may never determine what caused the other; for example, did depression result in substance abuse or did the addiction cause the depression initially? However, one thing that you would acknowledge is that, the effects of substance abuse crosscuts every aspect of an individual’s life be it behavior, psychology, mental capacity, family life and even health. Actually, health and mental aspects happen to be the most affected.

There are varied effects of the addiction mainly depending on the amounts taken, the type taken, time over which the drug is taken as well as the health of the individual. You will acknowledge that the effects are worse or more severe when an individual has been abusing several substances together.

Looking at the physiological effects, the drug may induce severe effects to the individual’s entire body system. Initially, addiction would induce such physiological effects like blood pressure, irregular breathing, sudden loss of weight or gain and increased heart rate. In the long term, the effects actually happen to be more serious. The most common long term effects of addiction include heart disease, brain damage, lung diseases and arthritis. In cases where individuals share syringes used for injecting, there are possibilities of contracting HIV/AIDS.

On social and psychological effects of drug addiction, you will acknowledge that the individual has no control over the substance. In such scenarios, if an individual does not consume the amount needed, he or she would be restless, anxious and depressed therefore increasing the craving for it. Given the high cost of some of these drugs, the individual may find it hard to keep up with the price and therefore resort to stealing and other unethical behaviors like prostitution. Actually, this addition has been touted as one of the prime causes of high crime rates. Having in mind that the individual will be focusing all efforts on attaining the substance, he or she would be hard pressed fulfilling their obligations either at work or in the family. In most cases, the addicts prefer keeping to themselves and may have behavioral changes such as extreme irritability, mood swings and irritability. Given the adherence of these drugs to the normal functioning of the brain and the central nervous system, the individual may have reduced mental as well as physical capacity.

Defining Child Sexual Abuse – Recognizing When It Is Abuse and When It Is Not

Child sexual abuse is assault.

It is victimisation, violation of a child and a form of violence (even if it is not physically violent).

It is a crime.

Any form of sexual behaviour between a child and an adult is abuse because its purpose is to gratify the adult’s needs, whether these are sexual needs or the need for control and power, or the need for warmth and affection. Children cannot consent to sexual behaviour because they do not understand the consequences of sexual relations nor do they understand the nature of sexual urges. Therefore, even if a child is persuaded to give consent this is still abuse.

The types of behaviour that constitute sexual abuse
Sexual abuse includes, but is not limited to physical contact – touching of the child’s genitals, getting the child to touch or penetrate the adult and oral, vaginal or anal penetration [by penis, fingers or objects].

If someone does not touch the child but involves them in an activity where others touch them, such as making them participate in pornographic films or prostitution, that person is an abuser.

Even stroking a neutral part of the child’s body (such as an arm or head) is abuse if there is a sexual feeling behind the touch. Penetration is not necessary for an act to be labelled sexual abuse.

Children notice the difference between normal touch and sexual touch and it confuses them because they do not understand what is happening. Girls may describe feeling funny feelings in their belly and boys may talk about strange vibrations in the legs. Their limited life experience has not given them the tools for labelling these sensations as sexual. Therefore, the manipulative person can easily overcome their reticense and convince them to ignore their discomfort. Sexual looks and suggestive words directed at a child affect them in the same way.

Non-contact abuse includes:

the exposure of genitals [young children might play 'show me yours' but older children, teens and adults do not],
showing the child pornography,
taking pornographic pictures of the child,
watching a child undress or dress or having a child watch an adult do the same,
watching them in the bathroom,
discussing your sex life with them,
having them watch you bathe, have sex or masturbate and/or watching them.

Some sexual abuse is very subtle
This includes abuse carried out under the guise of normal caring: bathing the child or applying creams while simultaneously engaging in some form of sexual behavior, giving excessive and unnecessary enemas and examinations of the child’s private parts when there is no medical reason to do so. Even brushing the child’s hair can be abusive if the adult has sexual feelings toward the child and does not block these feelings.

These forms of abuse are more often carried out by mothers. A child can be so used to being very intimately washed each night, from an early age, that, even if it makes them feel awkward at the time, they do not realise it is abuse until they are older. These subtle types of abuse may be equally as damaging to the child’s mind as penetrative abuse. The confusion the child experiences is because they don’t know the difference between normal caring activities and abusive ones; they are torn by not knowing if what they disliked was abusive or not.

When tickling become abusive
Sometimes adults and children play games of hide-and-seek, tickling, brushing each others’ hair, etc. These games are normal and fun as long as the child is allowed to say “That’s enough. I don’t want to do this anymore”. When the child is being tickled and says “Stop” and the adult continues, the child’s boundaries are not being respected. The child may continue to laugh because that is a natural physical reaction to being tickled. It does not necessarily mean the child is still enjoying it. It is important to stop when the child says so even if the child then says “more”. This teaches children that they can set their own boundaries and that even an adult is supposed to respect that.

Child abuse by other children
Today it is recognized that even children can sexually abuse other children. We see this in the school yard, in the neighbourhood and in the home.

The differences between normal childhood sexual play and abusive behaviour among children are not always clear. Normal childhood play can involve sexual elements but this is not abuse if both children are equal and consenting. If the play goes beyond normal developmental bounds, indicating a power difference, then the child initiating it may also need some professional attention. It may indicate that the abusing child is being abused elsewhere or is exposed to sexually explicit material, such as pornography.

Children who have abused another child will be treated differently than an adult who has abused a child.

It is important to know how to distinguish abusive behaviours from normal behaviours so that children who are in abusive situations can be helped.

Sheri Oz is an Israeli expert in the field of Childhood Sexual Abuse. In addition to lecturing at international conferences, she has published numerous clinical articles and position papers and one book. For over 25 years she served as therapist for sex abuse victims and clinical supervisor for other therapists wanting to learn from her. Today, she is concentrating on teaching and writing.

Spirituality and Hope in Mental Health

A new frontier for the mental healthcare recovery movement is the effects of spirituality and hope in mental illnesses. Now importantly, spirituality and hope are not one in the same. Spirituality is finding some sort of faith, whether in a religion or in one’s self, to lean upon. Hope in regards to mental illness recovery, on the other hand, can stem from both spirituality and through learning from great examples.

Hope in mental health recovery is crucial. One must have something to drive themselves to improvement or they risk a feeling of stagnation, which can spiral into a lack of activity, growing weight disorders, and adult onset diabetes. Such discussion, however, ventures into the realm of the importance of physical activity in mental health recovery, which is truly a topic in and of itself, thus for fear of digression, as important and immense as the subject matter is, it will not be discussed further in this article.

As one begins to notice, those in the upper functioning levels of recovery in mental health care facilities tend to have abnormally high levels of faith and spirituality.

This suggests that spirituality, and all the necessary self-reflection that occurs through the path to spirituality or faith in any given belief, serves as an external motivation and support system for recovery from mental illness. This occurs for several reasons. Primarily, following a form of religion tends to expose the mental healthcare consumer to a supportive social network; as will be discussed in a future article, productive and supportive social networks are crucial on the path to recovery. Religion also encourages self-reflection for the purpose of discovering one’s relationship to both figures of external deities and to those in the surrounding community.

This form of self reflection is of immensely constructive value, for it is echoed in a psychological treatment plan for mental healthcare recovery known as Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT).

DBT is a method of psychotherapy developed by the University of Washington’s Marhsa Linehan, which follows a pseudo-Buddhist meditative approach of self-reflection for the purpose of emotional regulation and distress management. Importantly, I do not propose to push one religion over another, I am very much a proponent of spirituality in one’s self being just as effective, if not more, than spirituality in the form of a religion; it is merely the act of self-reflective meditation, whether that be seated meditation such as the Buddhists, Daoists, or Zen practitioners, or whether it be active meditation in the form of yoga, jogging, martial arts, etc. which is important. Spirituality in mental healthcare recovery forces the individual to acknowledge the self; to acknowledge the self’s shortcomings, and yes, to recognize the self’s strengths as well, which ultimately results in more progressive and realistic treatment goals, thus more effective recovery tactics.

One can thus understand why spirituality, whether that be in the form of religion or self-belief, is important to recovery, but hope is on an equal playing field of importance. Hope can stem from spirituality (as in a desire to become a better, more balanced person), but is also derived from exposure to examples of success. The American Club House Model of mental healthcare recovery positions those with mental illnesses in a close proximity to one another. After speaking with several mental healthcare consumers, one begins to recognize the influence of successful individuals with mental illnesses on those still on the path to recovery. Those still struggling with their disorder can learn from successful examples, learn from others’ former mistakes, and hold others as a shining light when they hit a down-swing; also serving as inspirational to many healthcare consumers are the many success stories being published on YouTube, which allows consumers to view those who suffer from severe mental illnesses and their successes from anywhere in the world.

Spirituality and hope in mental illness recovery can be monumentally important. The Western slope and coastal regions of the United States are starting to push such a methodology via their Hope studies, while the Eastern state hospitals and mental healthcare facilities are tending to lag behind. Hope in mental health recovery is monumentally important, and is a cutting edge development for mental healthcare practitioners.

Find a sense of spirituality, whether that be in a higher power or faith in yourself. Discover the hope that follows. And then, you will notice the difference in recovery hope truly represents.

How to Handle Conversation With Your Substance Abusing Teen

The right way of dealing with your substance abusing teen is to have a conversation about his unhealthy habits. As a responsible parent, you should talk to your teen soon after confirming his unhealthy habits. Having a conversation will help you connect with your teen to know what made him take up this habit. A healthy conversation also gives a chance to express your concern, and to explain the consequences of these harmful habits. Most importantly, it helps you create a safe and supportive environment for the wellbeing of the teen.

This article offers you few tips on how to handle a good conversation with your substance abusing teen.

First confirm the substance abuse: Be sure about your teen’s substance abusing habit before starting any kind of conversation. Also, confirming the fact in advance will provide you with proof when the teen tries to escape or fool you.

You can opt for various home drug testing kits for accurate, quick and reliable results without affecting your teen’s privacy.

Prepare yourself for the conversation: Talking aimlessly or attacking your teen directly is a bad way to start the conversation. A worthwhile conversation can be made only when there is enough preparation. Prepare yourself on how to start a conversation and how to proceed with it. Plan on what questions should be asked. Know how to deal when your teen gets violent or aggressive. Collect information on various ill effects of drugs. Above all, think about how to make your teen comfortable with the talk.

Show your concern: When your teen reveals about his behavior, don’t be judgmental. Try to be honest about your feelings. Show them your worry and disappointment too. Talk about your expectations from him. Show your concern clearly by explaining how his substance abusing behavior would ruin his future and make sure that your concern does not come across as a nagging or cursing to your teen.

Try to be cool: Your teens may initially turn violent on being pointed out for his bad habits, but try to handle him. Let him understand the concerns of this behavior rather than blaming him for the behavior. Tell him that his behavior is unacceptable, but in a polite way. Don’t alienate your teen by showing your grudge on him for his behavior. Remember that it is a conversation and not an argument, so try to stay cool.

Listen to your kid – be attentive: Give your teen enough time to talk. Remember, most of the times a substance abusing teen is a troubled teen. Check why drugs became an answer for his problems and be attentive while he is answering. Respect your teen’s feelings of anger, stress, fear, pressure, etc. Give him space to express his feelings in a way he is comfortable with and listen carefully to figure out how he got habituated to drugs. Your concern for him is also revealed when you are attentive to him while he is speaking.

Extend support: Don’t just highlight the negative consequences of his behavior. Give him the confidence that he can overcome this habit. Try to make him involve in extracurricular activities and family gatherings to divert his mind from drugs. Be a positive role model and help them in solving problems, enjoying free time and managing stress without using drugs. Extend your moral support to help him lead a healthy lifestyle.

When you are conversing with your teen, don’t try to give lectures, as they don’t work. Try to maintain conversations regularly with your teen to stay connected with his life, friends and studies. When your teen is convinced that you are making honest effort in making his life positive, then there are higher chances of getting favorable results.

Teenagers And Mental Health

Teenage years may be fun and sometimes tough. It takes being one in order to know what it is like. You may experience different circumstances such as being top in school, getting in trouble with peers, feel discriminated, getting along with family and friends and making smart judgments. This kind of feeling or pressure often affects teenagers but is considered normal for them. But if someone is displaying a negative disposition towards the matter, it could be regarded to as a warning sign of a mental health disorder. Mental health is a very vital part for teens overall health.

Studies show that many children and teens are experiencing mental health problems, which are confirmed in more or less 7 percent of children and teens between the age of 11 and 18. Often, they have serious emotional disturbances that are caused by real problems in their family, school and community life. Some teenagers can easily handle mental challenges but some may have a hard time coping with it. Oftentimes, this causes more trouble and eventually leads to the disruption of their lives. Mental health problems may be painful and sometimes severe for teenagers.

Some mental health disorders are common to teenagers, ranging from mild to severe. A teenager may often have more than one disorder and this includes Anxiety Disorders, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Bipolar Disorder, Conduct Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), Depression, Eating Disorders and Schizophrenia. Anxiety disorders are very common to teenagers. It is estimated that 10 out of 100 teenagers have had a form of anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorder includes phobia, panic disorder, OCD and post-traumatic stress disorder.

A teen with ADHD finds it impossible to focus on things and easily gets distracted. Most teens with this kind disorder have difficulty in concentrating, and keeping quiet, thus also affecting their attention span on things. Bipolar disorder, which is also known as manic-depressive illness is marked by inflated mood swings between lows and highs. These symptoms are more difficult to spot in people of a certain age because they are easily mistaken for just normal moodiness Depression in teens is very different from depression in adults because teenagers feel irritated and switch moods from time to time while for adults they feel sad and worthless most of the time. Teenage depression is not just about mood swings and occasional melancholy. Depression is a serious problem that impacts every aspect of a teens life. Untreated depression for teenagers can lead to problems in school, running away from home, low self-esteem, addiction to internet games or social networks, self-injury, and dependency on alcohol or drugs for self-medication. At the worst, it may lead to suicidal thoughts and action.
Eating disorders can occur and can be life threatening because some teenagers eat to forget and become very unhealthy. A teen with bulimia nervosa feels compelled to binge, then feels guilt after wards, which is dealt with by purging the food in some way (for example, vomiting). Schizophrenia is an upsetting mental health disorder. Young people with it have psychotic periods where they are hallucinating.

Remember that mental health problems are treatable. First thing to do in treating the illness is to learn about the symptoms and taking attention or concern when warning signs are spotted. If a teen claims nothing is wrong without stating any reason for being depressed, you should trust your instincts that he may have a mental health disorder. If warning signs are sighted in a teenager, it is better to seek for professional help. Do not be shy to seek the help of a doctor or psychologist because it is for your own sake and that of your love one. You can also find help by talking to your parents, school counselors or a friend.

How To Treat ADHD Without Medication – Shocking Facts Hidden From The Public

The fact that more and more parents are enquiring about how to treat ADHD without medication is indicative of the fact that all is not well. The side effects of the drugs used are well known and worrying because many children just cannot tolerate them. As a consequence they are forced to take other medication to be able sleep and eat normally.

The shocking facts revealed in a study done just two years ago by the National Institute on Drug Abuse are hardly known and have been well hidden from the general public. There are very good reasons for this, of course.

Basically, the Institute was trying to establish whether the basic ingredient, methylphenidate, which is used in Ritalin and Concerta, has the same addictive effect as cocaine. After all, they are both just amphetamines and the addictive qualities of cocaine are well known and established.

They decided to inject cocaine and methylphenidate into mice to see what effects they had on their brains. They discovered that methylphenidate was even more damaging and addictive than the cocaine. For example, in the area of the brains which experience the reward sensation, the methylphenidate was causing similar,if not even greater changes.

These reward areas of the brain were undergoing changes that are very close to those who have been long term addicts of cocaine. There was a remarkable overlap between the methyphenidate and the cocaine. Basically, there was the same addictive element in both cases.

But researchers are quick to point out that we do not know enough about how this drug acts on brain cells, and more importantly on children’s brain cells, which should be sufficient to stop the mass drugging of our children, but it is not. The report of this experiment can be found in the February 2009 edition of the NIH News.

Now these experiments were conducted on mice so we cannot draw the same conclusions necessarily for humans but it should help us to reflect on how to treat ADHD without medication. There are just too many question marks, doubts, controversies and risks.

There are lots of ways to treat ADHD without medication. Adding more Omega 3 to the diet can be as effective as the psychostimulants in some cases. This was the result of a study done at the University of Adelaide in Australia. They found that just after three months on Omega 3, the behavior of the 130 children in the experiment was much better. They were calmer and less hyperactive.

Then there are strategies such as ADHD behavior therapy or simply parenting skills which help the child to be aware of the boundaries and the consequences of his behavior.

Other experts recommend that more green time and physical activity should be used and there are countless studies which show that children are better behaved and more focused after that sort of activity.