Since 1949, May has been recognized as “Mental Health Awareness Month.” One theme for this year is Live Well! It’s Essential for Your Potential. This them focuses on the importance of mental wellness and the steps everyone – children, teens and adults – can take to improve their well-being and resiliency in the face of difficult […]
On Tuesday, March 22, 2011, Adolescent Counseling Services hosted an intimate presentation and discussion on teen stress at the Cubberley Community Center in Palo Alto. A presentation on teen stress was given by ACS’ Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment Program Director, Enrique Flores, MA and ACS’ On-Campus Counseling Program Director, Roni Gillenson, LMFT. Other panelists included Ursula […]
New York Times: Teenagers, Friends and Bad Decisions “In studies at Temple University, psychologists used functional magnetic resonance imaging scans on 40 teenagers and adults to determine if there are differences in brain activity when adolescents are alone versus with their friends. The findings suggest that teenage peer pressure has a distinct effect on brain […]
Symptoms of ADHD and bipolar disorder are often confused—and often coexist in the same person. How to make the distinction, and suggestions for treating bipolar disorder along with ADHD. It can be difficult enough to obtain a diagnosis of attention deficit disorder (ADD ADHD), but to complicate matters further, ADHD commonly co-exists with other mental […]
“Worried about a Moody Teen?” The Wall Street Journal published a new article on how to tell the difference between typical teen angst and more serious problems. Click here to read the article on the Wall Street Journal website or click here to view a similar article written by ACS Staff.
Another factor is separating out sadness and depression. Sadness (or grief) is a natural response to loss and the symptoms may seem the same as depression. The major difference with depression is that the person feels that there is something wrong with themselves, “no one likes me, there is something wrong with me.” That usually […]
Excerpt from “99 Tips for Talking with Your Teenager“ Tip #36: If you are concerned, call a professional, such as ACS, to get an opinion. Professionals can help you because of their experience and because they are more removed from the problem than you as a parent. Commentary from Margaret Murchan, LCSW: Teenage depression is […]