SEE HOW PARADIGM HELPS ADDRESS TEEN RISK BEHAVIORS

With a legacy spanning over a decade, Paradigm Treatment has been a beacon of hope for teens and young adults aged 12 and 26 who are grappling with mental health challenges. Our proficient medical and clinical personnel are dedicated to addressing the fundamental causes of the difficulties faced by today’s youth in an increasingly stressful world. They are well-versed in the risky behaviors that can present alongside certain mental health conditions.

We provide effective treatment for a range of conditions, including anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, mood, and personality disorders, along with co-existing substance abuse issues. If you have any questions or are looking for guidance, please reach out to us today.

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Teens who are struggling with addiction often find it very difficult to quit. This is because they not only have to deal with the physical addiction but also the emotional and psychological aspects of their addiction. Additionally, teens may feel like they have no one to turn to for help, which can make quitting even more difficult.

If you know a teen who is struggling with drug addiction, there are many resources available to help them. There are also many support groups and other organizations that can offer assistance. If you are concerned about your child’s drug use, it is important to talk to them about it and get them the help they need.

If your teen is dealing with addiction and/or mental health issues, please reach out to us at Paradigm Treatment Austin, or Paradigm Treatment Malibu.

Which Age Group Is Most Vulnerable to Developing Addiction?

Generally, the age group that is the most vulnerable to developing an addiction is the late teens and early 20s. When adolescents experiment with drug use before, the typical times are the most at risk. Specifically, adolescents who engage in alcohol and cigarette use in their late childhood or early teenage years.

What Parenting Strategy Will Assist Teens Struggling to Quit?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as every family is different. However, some parenting strategies that may be helpful include:

Why Are Teens Struggling to Quit?

There are many reasons why teens may find it difficult to quit using drugs. For some, drug addiction may be a way to cope with underlying mental health conditions. Others may have started using drugs recreationally and then become addicted. Peer pressure can also play a role in why teens continue to use drugs, even when they want to stop.

It is important to remember that addiction is a disease, and teenagers are not always able to control their impulses or make rational decisions. There are some warning signs that your teen may be struggling with addiction.

Some Warning Signs That Your Teen May Be Struggling With Addiction

• Lying or stealing
• Secretive behavior
• Changes in mood or personality
• Withdrawing from friends and activities
• Changes in eating or sleeping habits
• Poor school performance
• Trouble with the law

If you notice any of these warning signs, it is important to seek professional help. Teenagers are more likely to succeed in treatment if they receive help early on. Drug addiction is a serious problem, but it is treatable. With the right help, your teen can recover and go on to lead a healthy and successful life.

Treatment for Teens Who Are Struggling to Quit

Paradigm specializes in adolescent mental and behavioral health services for teens. When treatment is accessible and individualized to the adolescent struggling and the community, the healing process covers the entire system. It’s crucial for teens struggling to quit drug use to have access to treatment in a timely manner for this critical time.

We offer intensive outpatient programs and partial hospitalization programs for teens ages 13 and older. Our varying structures can fit several individual needs.

IOP for Teens Who Are Struggling to Quit

Typically, these are short-term programs that meet several different needs of the clients each week. During this treatment, teens work with a team of counselors and therapists to address the underlying causes of their mental illness. There are several benefits to an intensive outpatient program that can enhance a teen’s life in the long run.

PHP for Teens Who Are Struggling to Quit

A partial hospitalization program for teens is a level of care that falls between outpatient and inpatient care. Generally, they are short-term and can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. During a PHP, there will be several therapy sessions designed to help teens overcome.

Paradigm Treatment Can Help

Paradigm Treatment Center is a leading provider of residential treatment for teenagers. We offer a variety of programs and services that are designed to meet the unique needs of teens. Our team of experts can help your teen overcome addiction and get on the path to recovery. If you are concerned about your teen’s drug use, please contact us today to learn more about our programs and how we can help.

The post Why Are Teens More Susceptible to the Effects of Drugs Than Adults? appeared first on Paradigm Treatment Center.

When parents notice toxic behaviors from teenagers who might be trying to get their way, it’s helpful for parents to look carefully at what’s going on and figure out why this is happening. Typically, teens who exhibit these behaviors suffer from underlying mental health issues that cause them to act out of character.

Communication with your child is key when they are showing signs of manipulative behavior. If symptoms worsen, you may want to consider seeking a mental health evaluation at our teen treatment center in CA. Remember, you have resources and support to guide you through this journey.

What Is Manipulative Behavior in Teens?

Teenagers are known for their skill in manipulation, particularly when it comes to their parents and guardians. Manipulation refers to influencing someone unfairly to get what they want or avoid consequences.

These behaviors can involve deceit, guilt, flattery, or other strategies. Manipulative child behavior symptoms can manifest in various ways, such as exaggerating, lying, playing mind games, or exploiting others’ emotions. Parents and caregivers must recognize and address these behaviors to promote healthy communication and relationships with teenagers.

Parents must maintain patience and consistency when addressing symptoms of manipulative behavior in children. If symptoms persist, consider mental health treatment for your teen. Remember not to blame yourself but offer your teenager empathy, guidance, and care.

5 Common Signs of a Toxic Teenager

Detecting manipulative behavior in teens can be challenging, but there are common signs that parents and caregivers can watch out for. These signs might include:

How Teens Use Emotional Manipulation Against Parents

Teens may cry, yell, give the silent treatment, or make hurtful comments to elicit a reaction from you or get what they want. For example, your teen may threaten to run away or hurt themselves if you don’t give them more freedom or the latest smartphone. These behaviors are meant to make you feel guilty, so you’ll give in to their demands.

In addition, signs of a toxic teenager may include emotional blackmail. Emotional blackmail is saying things like “If you loved me, you’d let me go to that party” or “You never trust me!”. Don’t fall for these manipulative ploys. Your teen is testing their limits and needs consistent rules and boundaries.

What Parents Can Do

• Stay calm and don’t give in. Remain consistent and follow through with reasonable consequences.
• Don’t feel guilty. You’re the parent, and it’s your job to set appropriate boundaries.
• Spend one-on-one time. Build trust and improve communication. Your teen may act out if he or she feels ignored or unheard.
• Seek counseling. If manipulative behavior is frequent or intense, it could indicate an underlying mental health condition that requires professional support.
• Establish clear rules with reasonable consequences. Be open to listening without judgment, so your teen feels heard. Compromise when you can.
• Praise your teen when they show responsibility and honesty. Positive reinforcement can help change behavior over time.

Monitor for signs of mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety, which can sometimes manifest as manipulative behavior. Provide extra support and set clear rules to help your teen build better coping strategies. The teen years are challenging, but with the right approach, you can maintain a trusting relationship with your teen.

When It May Be a Sign of Mental Health Issues

If your teenager’s manipulative behavior is frequent, intense, and causing significant difficulties, it might signal underlying mental health concerns. Manipulative child behavior symptoms in teenagers are often rooted in underlying mental health conditions and past traumatic experiences.

Frequently, these behaviors are associated with low self-esteem, which could result from factors like bullying or abuse. In some cases, manipulative actions in teens can also be linked to depression. Certain teenagers may employ charm and deceit as a way to mask their depression, a phenomenon referred to as “smiling depression.”

Some warning signs of a mental health concern include:

• Lying and deceiving excessively to get their way. For example, making up elaborate stories or excuses.
• Lacking empathy for how their behavior impacts others. Not seeming to care about the feelings or needs of family members.
• Needing to be in control. They have frequent angry outbursts or mood swings when they do not get their way.
• Blaming others for their problems. Not taking responsibility for their actions and always faulting someone else.
• Lacking close friends. Having trouble maintaining healthy relationships as peers and friends also become aware of their unhealthy behavior.

If these signs sound familiar, talk to your teen’s doctor. Counseling or therapy can help you deal with deeper issues and learn better ways to communicate with your child.

Treatment for Manipulative Child Behavior Symptoms Caused by Mental Health Issues

When dealing with manipulative child behavior symptoms, it’s critical to approach the situation with care and seek appropriate treatment. Here are steps that can be taken to address these issues:

Paradigm Treatment Center Provide Mental Health Treatment for Teens

Paradigm Treatment Center is a resource that can offer significant support and treatment for young adults and parents who are grappling with various challenges. It provides a range of specialized services that address mental health issues and behavioral concerns that can contribute to manipulative child behavior symptoms in teens.

Our team of experienced mental health professionals creates personalized treatment plans for each teenager, considering the reasons behind manipulative behavior and targeting the underlying causes. At Paradigm Treatment Center, we offer a safe and supportive space for teenagers to openly share their emotions and challenges, fostering healing and growth.

As treatment progresses, we assist in planning the transition back into daily life, equipping teenagers with tools for ongoing success. Learn more about our programs and contact us today!

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No doubt children moving through the process of adolescence while also managing the difficult symptoms of ODD can be difficult to parent. Those children can be more at risk to fail academically, occupationally, and socially, and those failures might lead to problems at home. Teens with ODD symptoms and their families can experience immense challenges in their relationship.

However, it’s important to remove the diagnosis for a moment and zero in on the ways that your unique teen presents his or her challenges. Sometimes a diagnosis, although helpful, can mask the ways that your child actually expresses his or her symptoms. For instance, Dr. Ross Greene, author of The Explosive Child, explains that the medical description of ODD doesn’t do justice to the actual process of what he calls “inflexible-explosive behavior”.

In fact, the two lists below compare the medical description of ODD and Dr. Green’s description of the inflexible-explosive child.

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), the clinical reference used by professionals of psychology to diagnose clients, ODD teens are described in this way:

• loses temper
• argues with parents/adults
• defies or refuses to comply with the rules of teachers, parents, and other adults
• deliberately annoys other people
• easily made angry or resentful
• often spiteful and vindictive
• frequently emotionally sensitive and irritable

However, Dr. Greene explains that this doesn’t give you an accurate picture of your child’s behavior. Instead, it might add more confusion. For this reason, he provides a more detailed portrayal of the characteristics and behavior you might see in your ODD teen:

• Your child might have an incredibly low frustration tolerance. Your teen becomes frustrated far more easily and by far less trivial matters than other children his or her age.
• An ODD teen might have a difficult time managing frustrating situations and might not be able to think through how to handle frustrating moments.
• Frustration often leads to cognitive debilitation which leads to an inability to stay calm, consider options, and problem solve.
• ODD teens usually have very little ability to be flexible and adaptable. They seem unable to switch gears or change plans when needed.
• ODD teens tend to think in very rigid, concrete, black and white ways. There is frequently an inability to see the gray areas and recognize other possibilities.
• Explosive episodes might have an out-of-the-blue quality to it. They might come out of nowhere, even when your teen is in a good mood. He or she might quickly switch to anger, frustration, and annoyance.
• When other children might become irritable when tired or hungry, ODD children and teens might completely fall apart under these circumstances.

According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, when treated early with a comprehensive treatment plan, ODD can be managed and a teen can eventually return to normal functioning. However, if not treated through therapeutic means, such as psychotropic medication and therapy, teens with untreated ODD will have a very difficult time adapting to the demands of adulthood and will often have trouble holding a job, staying in relationships, and avoiding the law.

Certainly, the parent-teen relationship is not easy with this sort of diagnosis. Yet, with the help of mental health professionals, teachers, school counselors, and school administration, your teen might learn new ways of responding to frustration, raise his or her frustration tolerance, and learn new coping mechanisms. Furthermore, therapy that addresses family relationships can restore hope, healing, and health.

Related Articles

Parent-Teen Conflicts Increase With Teen ADHD and ODD

Teen Anger: What’s Normal, What’s Not

Help for Parents of Angry and Aggressive Teens

How To Know When Residential Treatment Is Appropriate

The post The Truth About the Oppositional Defiant Teen appeared first on Paradigm Treatment Center.

Normal Teen Anger Behaviors

As teens grow and mature, they naturally want less parental input. Just as your toddler would say, “I do it myself,” your adolescent also wants to figure things out for him- or herself. This means that they are likely to rebuff your advice, sometimes in the form of a verbal outburst or a slammed door. They will often want to take friends’ advice (which, since the friends are also teenagers, is not always beneficial) over yours. While this is frustrating and annoying for you, it’s a vital part of your teen’s process for maturing into an adult. If he or she constantly depended on you the same way that they did during childhood, they wouldn’t be ready for adulthood when the time came.

If your teen seems annoyed at you when you offer advice or prefers to spend more time with peers than with family, this is completely normal and healthy. A teen who argues about politics, morals, privileges, and a host of other topics is often working out who they are and where they stand. You, as a parent, are a safe person to have heated discussions with, and your teen knows this. Arguing is a natural part of the teen years and is usually not a problem if the anger dissipates quickly, if your teen seems otherwise happy, and if there is no verbal or physical abuse involved.

Worrisome Teen Anger Behaviors

Most teenage dramatics and argument-picking is normal, albeit frustrating. Sometimes, however, teen anger becomes worrisome and warrants intervention. If your teen is being verbally abusive or is threatening to physically harm you or anyone else (or, worse, following through), this is a red flag. Getting into a physical fight, particularly if it happens more than once or if bullying others becomes a habit, it’s worth investigating. If you find that you’re walking on eggshells to avoid angering your teen, this might indicate a problem, particularly if you are not extremely sensitive to all conflict with your teen. If your teen is being purposefully oppositional and refusing to comply with rules, boundaries, and consequences, this is a problem — whether he or she likes it or not, you are, as the parent, the one in charge.

Symptoms of a Mental Health Problem

Sometimes, mental health conditions like depression or anxiety can cause higher-than-normal levels of anger. Familiarize yourself with the symptoms of depression and anxiety. If your teen is not eating or sleeping well, is often feeling worthless or guilty, or has dropped out of activities that he or she has previously enjoyed, depression might be contributing to the anger problem. Similarly, if your teen is often nervous or experiences physical symptoms like headaches, stomachaches, or a rapid heartbeat, he or she might be dealing with anxiety. Of course, there are other mental health conditions that can begin to show symptoms during the teen years, including the following:

• bipolar disorder
• schizoaffective disorder
• obsessive-compulsive disorder

If you suspect that there are mental health issues involved and that your teen’s anger is a symptom of or being exacerbated by it, seek professional help.

Substance Abuse and Anger

Anger can also sometimes be a sign of a substance abuse issue. If your teen is hanging out with a new group of friends or if he or she is being secretive or is exhibiting other signs of substance use and abuse, get help promptly. It is common for teens to occasionally experiment with alcohol and marijuana, but if it gets to the point where you are seeing symptoms of abuse, then it’s gone beyond experimentation. Also, if you suspect that your teen is using club drugs or harder drugs like cocaine and heroin, that’s a serious problem that goes beyond normal teenage rebellion and curiosity.

What You Can Do

During a time when your teen is calm, broach the subject of his or her anger. Let your teen know  that you understand that the teenage years are difficult and that it’s normal to feel strong emotions as adulthood looms. Also let your teen know that you still expect to be given basic respect. You can set reasonable boundaries and consequences for your teen. If you think that the anger is abnormal or if your teen has concerns about not being able to control him- or herself when angry, make an appointment with his or her family doctor for an evaluation and a referral to a mental health professional. If you or your teen is in immediate danger, you can head to the nearest emergency room or call 911 for police and paramedic intervention. This is the step you should take if your teen is physically abusing you or if your teen is threatening to commit suicide or harm someone.

Parenting a teen is not easy, and it’s normal to have to deal with teen anger, sometimes on a regular basis. When that anger becomes hard for your teen to control or it goes beyond what other teens in your life are experiencing, it’s important to take action so you can help your teen learn anger management skills that will last a lifetime. It’s good to get this situation under control now, before your adolescent becomes an adult and the consequences of actions taken in anger can become much worse. Talk to your child’s doctor or a mental health professional if you are concerned.

The post Teen Anger: What’s Normal, What’s Not appeared first on Paradigm Treatment Center.

Motor vehicle accidents are the number one cause of accidental death in teenagers, and also account for a large number of injuries in the same age group.

Your teen may or may not spend a lot of time thinking about their own mortality in connection with driving, but as the parent of a driving-age teen, you probably think about it more than you’re comfortable with. While your teen’s reaction time and reflexes are probably as fast as they’ll ever be, their inexperience and impulsiveness can lead to poor decision making that put them in danger while driving. And teens can be resistant to lectures and advice about the importance of driving safely. So what can you do to help ensure that your teen takes driving safely seriously?

Here are ways parents can help raise teen driver safety awareness.

Meet Your Teen Where They Are When Discussing Teen Driver Safety Awareness

Teenagers want to be taken seriously. By the time they’re old enough to drive, they often consider themselves basically adults, and they don’t appreciate being talked down to or treated like children. And, to be fair, a teen who is old enough to drive really is only a few short years from being a legal adult. So, the approach that you take with them when discussing teen driver safety matters. Your teen is less likely to take you seriously when you talk to them about driving safely if the conversation is a one-way lecture.

Instead, approach your conversations about teen driver safety like a real conversation. Ask for your teen’s input about reasonable rules and restrictions that will help keep them safe while driving, and make sure that you really listen to what they have to say. Being a new driver can be scary, and beneath their teen bravado and excitement about being able to drive, your teen really might have a few fears and insecurities about their own driving ability and may have some good ideas to contribute.

Consider using a Parent-Teen Driving Agreement (you can create your own or find one online, such as this one offered by the CDC) as a way to outline and solidify your rules and expectations for your teen driver. Asking your teen to contribute to and sign a contract shows that you consider your teen to be enough of an adult to agree to and hold up their end of a contract and that you’re willing to do the same. They may take that more seriously than a one-way list of rules.

Enroll in a Driving Education Program Together

In a few states, parents are required to complete a driver’s education program as part of the Graduated Driver’s License requirement for teens. While parents in most states are not required to do this, it’s not a bad idea to look for educational programs aimed at parents of teen drivers while your teen is learning to drive, or even to enroll in a driver safety course together with your teen.

Programs aimed at parents of teen drivers can help you learn about the real challenges facing teenagers behind the wheel and how you can handle them while offering support for your experience as the parent of a new driver. For example, many parents imagine that drinking and driving is the biggest threat to their teen driver’s safety and focus on that danger. But, while drinking and driving is a real risk, today’s teens are more likely to get into an accident because they’re texting and driving than because they’re drinking and driving. That means that parents may want to focus more on ensuring that their teens know about the dangers of using their cell phones while driving.

Enrolling yourself and your teen in a driver safety safety awareness course together is also a good way to make sure that you’re updated on the rules of the road as you help your teen practice driving. After all, it’s probably been a while since you took your own driving test, and getting a refresher course certainly can’t hurt. You’ll probably spend more driving time with your teen than their driver’s education instructor, and the last thing that you want to do is unintentionally pass on bad habits.

Know and Enforce The Graduated Driver’s License Rules

Most states have some type of Graduated Driver’s License (GDL) program in place. Instead of transitioning from a learner’s permit to a full standard license, a GDL puts some steps in between to more slowly transition teens from student drivers to drivers will full privileges. In some states, this means a curfew – for example, in Florida, 16-year-olds can’t drive between the hours of 11 pm and 6 am, and 17-year-olds can’t drive between the hours of 1 am and 5 am. In other states, this means limiting the passengers that teens can have in their cars. In Maryland, for instance, teens are not allowed to have passengers in the car who are under the age of 18 for the first 5 months of having their license.

Because GDL rules vary from state to state, it’s important to familiarize yourself with your state’s laws concerning underage drivers. Your teen may receive a citation or another consequence if they’re caught breaking GDL rules, but realistically, states must rely on parents to enforce these rules, because it’s impossible for a police officer to catch every infraction. GDL rules exist for a reason – inexperienced teen drivers are statistically more likely to get into accidents if they’re driving very late at night or with multiple other teens in their vehicle – so knowing and enforcing your state’s GDL restrictions helps keep your teen safe.

Conclusion

Becoming a driver is probably important to your teenager. And having a teen driver in the house can be beneficial for you as well! But from a parent’s perspective, it’s important that your teen becomes a safe driver.

You can help raise teen driver safety awareness by taking steps to make sure that your teen understands the safety rules of the road and is incentivized to make driving safety a priority.

The post How Parents Can Raise Teen Driver Safety Awareness appeared first on Paradigm Treatment Center.

Teen Reactive Attachment Disorder Begins During Child Development

Reactive attachment disorder stems from not having basic emotional needs met during infancy, toddlerhood, and the preschool years. New parents usually meet their babies’ needs by cuddling, soothing, rocking, and interacting. Moms and dads generally react with empathy when their babies or toddlers are upset, they celebrate with smiles and hugs when their little ones first walk and reach other milestones, and they meet physical needs by feeding their babies when they cry and changing diapers when they are soiled. All of these actions, along with countless others, show babies and toddlers that they are loved. As a result, they develop a strong bond with their parents and other caregivers and feel secure and content most of the time.

When a baby is ignored, neglected, and abused, however, emotional needs are not met. They might cry for hours and nobody answers. Or they might find that when they reach milestones, nobody reacts. They might have little to no interaction at all; this can be the case even when the parents or caregivers meet their physical needs. For example, a mother or father might feed the baby without making eye contact or holding them. Or they might bathe and dress their child without talking or playing.

When this occurs, the child will often not forge any bonds to his or her caregivers. They might feel stressed and sad most of the time. They don’t know how to communicate in a loving manner and they are anxious when they are in the company of their caregiver. When the main caregiver leaves, they don’t show any signs of separation anxiety, which is common in babies and young children. As time goes by, the child will grow up not knowing how to bond to others because they have not learned this vital skill during the earliest weeks, months, and years of their life. Note that RAD shares many of the same signs as autism. While the two conditions might present similarly in some ways, they are not related.

Learn more about the symptoms of reactive attachment disorder in teens.

Why Parents Do Not Bond With Their Babies

The reasons that a parent might not bond with his or her baby can vary. If the mother has been abused or neglected herself, she might not know how to show love to her baby. If she or the child’s father is using drugs or other substances, they both might be unable to meet the child’s emotional needs. Sometimes, a mental health disorder or a mental impairment on the part of the parent is the cause of the problem. Other times, the parents are abusive and neglectful for some other reason. Many children who suffer from RAD end up in the foster care system or are placed for adoption. Others, particularly those who are having their physical needs met and are not being physically abused, will continue to live with their parents.

How RAD Affects Teenagers

While reactive attachment disorder begins and is diagnosed prior to the age of five, its effects last for many years. Teens with the condition often have trouble bonding with their parents, their friends, and romantic partners. They often withdraw from and avoid others. When they are experiencing negative feelings, they are more likely to want to be alone and will usually not want to involve others or share their feelings with them. They often lack basic social skills and do not know how to show empathy to others. They might feel awkward and ill at ease in all social situations, including in the classroom and anywhere where they are part of a group.

Teens with RAD might be more prone to mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and eating disorders. They are also more prone to substance abuse and addiction.

Treatments for Teen Reactive Attachment Disorder

Treatment for RAD centers around therapy for both the teen and his or her current caregivers. If the teen is living with his or her parents, the parents will often need parenting classes to help them learn how to communicate and bond with their teenager. If the teen is living with other family members, an adoptive family, or foster parents, those adults will also need guidance as they learn how to help the teen create bonds and develop social skills. Cognitive behavioral therapy for the teen is a must so he or she can learn how to cope with negative feelings and communicate with others in effective ways.

Teens who have RAD along with substance addiction or an additional mental health disorder will need to have treatment for the coexisting disorder as well. For example, an adolescent with teen reactive attachment disorder might need inpatient rehabilitation for an alcohol or drug addiction or a different type of therapy or medication for anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder. A full evaluation is necessary to make sure that the clinician knows what conditions are affecting the teen so a treatment plan can be created.

Understanding and coping with the behaviors of an adolescent who has teen reactive attachment disorder can be difficult for caregivers, so individual therapy for the adults involved can be helpful. With love and consistency, your teen can get past his or her rough start and go on to have a fulfilling life complete with relationships with family members, friends, and even romantic partners. Talk to your adolescent’s pediatrician or family doctor about the treatments available for reactive attachment disorder. He or she can refer your family to the appropriate behavioral health specialist.

The post What Is Teen Reactive Attachment Disorder? appeared first on Paradigm Treatment Center.

Keep reading to learn the causes and symptoms of this uncommon but serious disorder.

What Is Reactive Attachment Disorder?

Children with RAD don’t create the proper bonds with their parents or caregivers. Typically, when a child’s basic needs aren’t met or the child is subjected to extreme abuse, they can develop this syndrome that causes them to be irritable, inconsolable, and fearful when in the care of their parents or caregivers. As childhood progresses, the child or teen will often be insecure and will not form attachments or cultivate healthy relationships.

Causes of RAD

Babies and toddlers need a warm, nurturing environment when they are first brought into the world. They rely on adults for their every need. Not only do they require physical care, such as clean diapers, feedings, and proper sleep, but they also need emotional care from their parents or caregivers.

If the parents or caregivers don’t meet the baby’s or toddler’s needs or they don’t provide a warm and loving emotional response, the child doesn’t learn to expect it from them. This makes it difficult for the child to create a bond with the parent or caregiver.

This can occur because the parent or caregiver simply isn’t able to give the care because of a mental health or substance abuse issue or because the child gets passed around between caregivers, never having enough time to properly connect to any one caregiver.

Signs and Symptoms of Reactive Attachment Disorder

RAD can present itself in many different ways, but the most common symptoms include:

• Excessive withdrawal and self-isolation
• Fear when with caregivers
• Very little or no smiling or laughing
• Does not make eye contact
• No fear or separation anxiety when the caregiver is not in the room
• Lack of interest in socializing with others
• Does not want the comfort of adults
• Consistent rocking back and forth when upset
• Resists being picked up or carried by an adult
• Doesn’t play with toys

These signs and symptoms most pertain to kids ages 5 and under. It can present itself in older children and teens as well, but they can mimic other issues, which can make it difficult to diagnose later in childhood.

Typically, older children that have RAD have behavior that resembles that of children much younger than their actual age. They often have high levels of anxiety. They might seem controlling and unwilling to let others help them with small or large problems. They may seem irrational or moody and they may even throw temper tantrums past early childhood. Older children with RAD may seem closer to complete strangers than they do their own parents or caregivers.

Treatment for RAD

Since reactive attachment disorder is a condition that affects the entire family, the treatment focuses on fixing the family bonds. As children and their parents or caregivers repair their relationship, children can learn to create healthy relationships with others moving forward.

Typically, treatment for RAD includes cognitive behavioral therapy for everyone in the household. This includes the affected child, parents, and caregivers. It can also include siblings. Therapy sessions may focus on the child alone, parents alone, and then everyone together in some family sessions.

Children may also undergo social skills treatment. This helps them learn proper ways to interact with others as well as what healthy relationships look like. Sometimes children also qualify for special education in the classroom. This can further help children learn how to behave socially as well as how to focus on their academics.

RAD treatment may also focus on parents, as they play an integral role in developing a healthy relationship with their child. Parents often take parenting skills courses that help them learn how to interact with their child with RAD as well as how to discipline them. Because of the fear and lack of attachment with a parent, discipline may look a lot different for a child with RAD and parents need to learn this skill.

The Complications of RAD

The complications of RAD can present themselves differently in each child, but the most common issues include:

• Delayed development
• Lack of physical growth
• Mental health issues including anxiety and depression
• Trouble with anger management
• Substance abuse issue
• School issues (poor grades, social issues)
• Difficulty developing relationships

Without proper treatment, reactive attachment disorder can cause issues for a lifetime. Problems with anger management and the inability to form and maintain healthy relationships can plague the individual for years or decades. Treatment can be sought at any time, but it is most effective during childhood.

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#1 Concerns About Your Sleep-Deprived Teen

Your teen might not realize that he or she is operating on a sleep deficit. Since adults are encouraged to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night, your adolescent might assume that the same applies to them. A teen who needs to get up at 6:00 am for school, therefore, might think it’s perfectly fine to go to bed at 11:00 pm (or later), not realizing that his or her body really needs more shut-eye than that. Simply letting your teen know that they need more sleep might be enough to encourage them to turn in a bit earlier.

#2 Enforce a Reasonable Bedtime

If your teen, particularly if he or she is a younger teen, is not voluntarily going to bed at a reasonable hour, you can set and enforce a reasonable bedtime. Just as you would set a curfew for your teen, you can have a “lights out” time. Be prepared to meet some resistance against this idea, but if you’ve decided that a bedtime is necessary, then stick to your guns. For the teen who gets up at 6:00 am, a 9:00 pm bedtime might be too early, but you can meet in the middle and insist on lights being off at 10:00, which will probably lead to your teen falling asleep by 10:30. This will usually allow enough time for homework, extracurricular activities, dinner, and some socialization.

#3 Disable the Internet After a Certain Time

One reason that it is easy to be a sleep-deprived teen is that many of them stay up into the wee hours texting on their phones, surfing the internet, and playing video games. It is perfectly reasonable to set offline hours, when phones get charged in a common area, such as the kitchen, and computers get turned off for the night. Not having devices in the bedrooms (yours included!) can lead to better quality sleep as well as more sleep, and turning off your wifi router can have other positive health effects, too.

#4 Allow Them to Catch Up in the Afternoons and on Weekends

It’s not realistic for most teenagers to get their full 9 hours of sleep every night during the school year, so be prepared for them to catch up on the weekends. You can also encourage your exhausted teenager to take a short nap in the afternoon. One caveat: Sleeping for more than 30 minutes or so in the afternoon can make it harder to fall asleep at night, creating a vicious cycle. Tell your teen the benefits of 20-minute power naps and encourage them to try to sneak in a little catnap after school if they aren’t getting enough sleep at night.

#5 Encourage Them to Get Enough Exercise

Daily exercise can keep your teen on a better sleep schedule. In addition to the physical benefits, exercise also provides some mental health benefits. Your teen will enjoy better sleep not only because they are more physically tired but also because they are able to set their anxieties and worries aside thanks to the increased physical activity. If your teen isn’t involved in a sport or taking P.E. at school, an evening walk with you will often do the trick.

#6 Allow Them to Say No to Extras

Some adolescents are not getting enough sleep because they are simply extending themselves too far. If your teen is taking several honors or AP classes at school, working part-time, playing a sport, and volunteering on the weekends, it’s natural that they are ready to drop at the end of the day. Not only that, but they might be staying up late to do homework or to simply spend some time relaxing since they didn’t have time earlier in the day. Ask them if they’d like to drop one or more of those heavy obligations so they can take more time for themselves.

#7 Introduce Your Teen to Relaxation Methods

If your teen is having trouble falling asleep, relaxation methods like meditation or guided imagery might help. There are many audio files available online and videos on YouTube and similar sites that can help your teen relax and fall asleep. They might also enjoy breathing exercises or yoga. Learning how to relax will not only help facilitate better sleep but will also help your teen beat stress and anxiety.

#8 Try Natural Remedies to Beat Insomnia

Make sure your teen’s bedroom is cool enough, but not too cold; sleeping in a room that is too warm or very cold can cause insomnia and night-waking. A cup of warm milk or chamomile tea can help your teen drift off more easily. The routine of a hot bath or shower will also often make your teen sleepy enough to fall asleep without a problem, as will comfortable pajamas. He or she might like white noise like a fan running; on the other hand, silence might be preferred. Ask them whether they’d like a nightlight, too. All of these factors can lead to better sleep.

#9 Seek Professional Help

If you have a sleep-deprived teen there could be a physical or mental health issue interfering. Anxiety and depression can both cause insomnia, for example. Depression can also cause a teen to feel exhausted even after getting plenty of sleep. Vitamin deficiencies can cause fatigue, too. If your teen is waking frequently or not feeling well-rested, nightmares, sleepwalking, or sleep apnea might be to blame. Talk to your teen’s doctor about screening him or her for these types of issues and, if necessary, referring you to a mental health or sleep specialist for additional help.

The post 9 Ways to Help a Sleep-Deprived Teen appeared first on Paradigm Treatment Center.

Mood Swings

Do you remember when your child was three years old, and they went from elated over being able to have chocolate milk to furious because you served it in a green cup? While teenagers won’t throw themselves on the floor and scream, they do tend to have mood swings that can seem irrational and confusing to their parents. Your son might be happy about his team winning the game, then angry because the coach pointed out something he could improve on. Your daughter might go from tearful over an argument with a friend to excited and chatty when her current crush texts her five minutes later. Mood swings are a part of normal teenage behavior and to be expected most of the time.

Mood swings that are affecting your teen’s daily life, however, can indicate a problem. If your adolescent is aggressive to the point of being physically or verbally abusive or if they’re sad most of the time, these behaviors and feelings should be evaluated. Similarly, if your teen vacillates from having high levels of energy, erratic behavior, and ecstatic to spending an entire day in bed crying, this is another situation that requires professional help.

Spending Less Time With Family

In years past, you might have enjoyed having breakfast with your child before school, followed by them sitting next to you on the couch doing homework, family dinner, and an hour of television or chatting before bed. Weekends might have been spent on family pursuits such as going to the beach or just puttering around the house. Now that your child is a teen, though, you might feel as though you hardly see them! If they’re not out with friends, they’re in their bedroom chatting with classmates and buddies on their devices.

Spending more time with friends and less time with family is very normal teenage behavior. It means that your teen is shifting his or her circle of support to peers and away from parents and siblings. While it might feel hurtful, this is a necessary stage of development and should be expected and even encouraged.

A problem should be suspected if your teen is avoiding contact with everyone, however. If your teen is spending hours in his or her bedroom without communicating with anyone and is declining invitations to go out with friends and family members alike, they might be showing symptoms of depression.

Pushing Boundaries and Challenging Rules

Is your teen rolling in a half hour past curfew, making noise long after your family’s “quiet hours,” and getting up late for school? Maybe they’re breaking the school’s dress code or using foul language in everyday conversation. Teenagers are trying to figure out what type of adults they’re going to be, and one way they do this is by pushing against the boundaries and rules that they have followed without a problem in recent months. They are asserting their independence and autonomy and telling the adults in their lives, “you can’t tell me what to do!”

When it comes to parenting teenagers, it’s important to choose your battles. You might decide to let the school handle the too-short shorts and let your child deal with those consequences. On the other hand, you might insist that quiet hours are kept and enforce the loss of privileges if they continue to be inconsiderate to others in the family. Many parents decide to ignore and accept unnatural hair colors and odd fashion choices while honing in on misbehaviors that could have real consequences.

While it is normal teenage behavior for teens to push boundaries, if your teen is frequently getting into trouble at school or breaking laws, this indicates a problem that goes beyond simple boundary-pushing.

Mild Experimentation

The teenage years are a time for experimentation with adult behaviors, and although parents don’t like it, many adolescents will try alcohol, mild drugs (such as marijuana), and sexual activity. It’s important to make your stance on these activities well known; let your child know that you disapprove of substance use, for example, and don’t allow it in your home. At the same time, it’s important that you don’t overreact if you find out that your teen tried a beer at a party or that they have had (safe) sex. Flying off the handle is one way to encourage your teen to continue on and simply hide it better the next time.

Create a dialog that helps your teen make safer choices. For example, agree to pick them up, no questions asked, if they do not have a safe ride home or if they feel uncomfortable at a party or a friend’s home. Talk about the importance of safe sex to prevent not only pregnancy but also disease. Also, create age-appropriate boundaries such as knowing where your child is and who they’re with. Be aware of the signs of drug use and intervene promptly if you suspect that your child’s rare experimentation has turned into regular use or abuse of substances or, worse, an addiction.

Is this normal teen behavior or something more serious?

How can you tell between the tumultuous stage of adolescence and the presence of mental illness? It might be difficult to understand how clinicians determine whether your child is in fact suffering from depression, anxiety, or post traumatic stress disorder, for example.

Of course, there are signs to look for, which is the purpose behind the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). It is the standardized text and clinical reference used by psychologists and therapists across North America to diagnose their clients. The manual includes the names, features, symptoms, and demographical information on all the recognized mental illnesses, including addictions. The DSM is now in its fifth edition, published in the Spring of 2013.

Defining a disorder is not random. It is based on the definition of abnormal behavior, which psychologists have defined not only psychologically, but also culturally, statistically.  It’s important to note that abnormal here is defined in a specific way and not used critically as the word might sometimes suggest in every day conversation.

In general, a mental disorder is a pattern of behavior or thought that is not reasonable or easily understood. It is associated with significant distress or impairment in coping with the environment.  Mental disorders by definition include some sort of abnormal behavior, which are defined in four ways.

First, whether the behavior falls outside of a particular statistical range considered normal. For instance, if most people in the world can run a mile in 10 minutes, then that could be considered the normal range for the running speed of a human being. However, if someone can run a mile in 5 minutes or on the other end of the spectrum, let’s say 20 minutes, both the quick speed and the longer speed are considered to be statistically abnormal. When applied to mental health, someone who exhibits behavior that most of the population does not might be looked at as having a mental disorder.

However, being statistically abnormal does not immediately equate to having a disorder. For example, if an individual’s IQ is incredibly high, although it would be considered statistically abnormal, there’s no problem with being very smart!

Therefore, another requirement of abnormal behavior is whether it causes significant distress. If an individual feels depressed, anxious, fearful, or suicidal, then his or her behavior and thought pattern would be considered abnormal.

Also if his or her behavior or thought pattern leads to an inability to adapt or cope with circumstances, then that might also be considered abnormal. If someone is sad occasionally but is able to function at home, work and school, his or her behavior might not be defined as abnormal and might not meet all the clinical requirements for a diagnosis of depression. The inability to enjoy life, have significant relationships, function at work, or do well in school might indicate abnormal behavior.

And finally, abnormal behavior is any pattern that goes outside of what society sees as normal. For instance, in most societies, shouting in public to your deceased relatives might be considered abnormal, and in fact, a clinician might see that person as experiencing hallucinations or mania.  It’s important to consider cultural differences because in some societies talking to your ancestors, even though they are deceased, might be a part of spiritual tradition.

Abnormal behavior or patterns of thought is the first indication that a mental disorder might be present. This is what clinicians look for when formulating a diagnosis. However, most therapists and psychologists can spot the typical symptoms for certain diagnoses quite quickly. To confirm their observations, professionals in the field use the DSM, the manual mentioned above. It is America’s medical reference for diagnosing a client.  Sadly, it’s true that there are some clinicians who are quick to make a diagnosis and prescribe medication. For this reason, it’s important to get a second opinion if you feel that your child’s diagnosis isn’t right or arrived at with not enough information.

Conclusion

Your adolescent will go through many ups and downs between puberty and the time that their brain is fully developed, usually in the early to mid-20s. While a 14-year-old needs more supervision and boundaries than a 19-year-old, be aware that a continuum of parental guidance is necessary as you shepherd your child into adulthood.

Of course, you can do a little of your own assessment by exploring the level of functioning of your child. Behavior that signals trouble and possibly the signs of a mental illness are those that reveal impairment in a teen’s functioning. For instance, if your teenager is not doing well in school, if grades are dropping and there are continued behavioral issues, then there might be a problem. If conflicts among peers are escalating or if arguments at home worsen, then perhaps it’s worth exploring whether a mental illness is present. Again, one way to determine whether behavior is normal for adolescence or whether it warrants a diagnosis is if that behavior interrupts your child’s functioning at home, school, or work.

If you have need help deciphering whether the way your teen is behaving is normal teenage behavior or something to be concerned about, don’t hesitate to reach out for help. Your teen’s physician is a good place to start for advice. If necessary, your physician can refer you and your teen to a mental health specialist for an evaluation.

The post What is Considered Normal Teenage Behavior? appeared first on Paradigm Treatment Center.