A Parent’s Guide to Prevention (Part 3): Talking With Your Children Effectively

A Parent’s Guide to Prevention (Part 3): Talking With Your Children Effectively As soon as your child begins to talk, the questions come: “Why is the grass green?” “What’s wrong with that man sitting in the park?” If you show your child that you’re ready to give answers at any time, even if the topics […]

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A Parent’s Guide to Prevention (Part 2): Laying the Groundwork

A Parent’s Guide to Prevention (Part 2): Laying the Groundwork We, as parents, are the most important role models in our children’s lives. What we say and do about drugs matters a lot when it comes to the choices our children make. We can: set a positive example and get involved in our children’s lives; […]

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Mental Health Alert: “Emotional Health at a 25-Year Low” for College Freshmen

Freshmen Report: Students are Stressed and Depressed “The survey, “The American Freshman: National Norms Fall 2010,” was conducted by UCLA’s Higher Education Research Institute and included 200,000 students. The number of freshmen who said their emotional health was “below average” has risen steadily, according to the report. Only 52 percent rated themselves as “above average” in emotional […]

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A Parent’s Guide to Prevention (Part 1): It Could Be Your Child

A Parent’s Guide to Prevention (Part 1): Introduction When most parents talk about drugs, they voice some of their greatest fears and concerns. And their apprehension is well justified:  Drug addiction can destroy your relationships and family life and can harm or even kill you. Unfortunately, as the general public began to feel that the […]

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Understanding Stimulants: Cocaine vs. Methamphetamine

The following information appears in “Drugs: Shatter the Myths,” a free publication from the  National Institute on Drug Abuse and the NIDA for Teens website. What Are Stimulants? Stimulants are drugs such as cocaine, “crack,” and amphetamines that can cause the heart to beat faster, and blood pressure and metabolism to increase. Stimulants often cause […]

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Preventing Teen Suicide: Know the Risk Factors and Warning Signs

The following information appears courtesy of the Los Angeles Unified School District, Department of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Services: What You Can Do: Talk to your child about suicide. Don’t be afraid; you will not be “putting ideas into their heads.” Asking for help is the single skill that will protect your child. Help […]

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The Latest in Teen Mental Health and Substance Abuse (Part 4): Adolescents and Depression

THE LATEST (Part 4): Adolescents and Depression Resource: Teen Depression, A Guide for Parents and Teenagers Click on any of the following links to jump to a specific spot in this Help Guide Article: Understanding teen depression Signs and symptoms Effects of teen depression Suicide warning signs in teenagers Helping a depressed teenager Risks of […]

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Latest Trends in Teen Mental Health and Substance Abuse (Part 3): Academic Stress

THE LATEST (Part 3): Adolescents and Stress/Academic Stress Students Who Write About Anxieties Do Better on Tests, Study Says Psychologists at the University of Chicago have discovered a quick and easy way for stressed-out students to avoid choking on a high-stakes test: Take a few minutes right before the exam to write about all those […]

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The Latest Trends in Teen Mental Health and Substance Abuse (Part 2): Eating Disorders

THE LATEST (Part 2): Adolescents and Eating Disorders Expert Sees Growing Problem of Eating Youngsters with Eating Disorders “With so much attention focused on rising rates of obesity among children and teens, it can be easy to overlook kids who eat too little or purge after they binge. But government data suggest that eating disorders are actually on […]

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