Much has been written about how parents can help their teen children who are in recovery from substance abuse, but what about when parents are in recovery and want to prevent their teen from following their example? People who abuse drugs and alcohol tend to believe that their behavior does not affect others, but reality […]

This New Year starts with a positive and hopeful outlook regarding the use of alcohol and drugs among our nation’s youth — alcohol and illicit drug use among teens is continuing to decline or remaining stable. The use of cigarettes, alcohol, prescription opioid pain relievers, Ecstasy and synthetic cannabinoids (i.e., synthetic marijuana) among American youth […]

In the United States of America, 2.7 million children have an incarcerated parent. About 10 million youths have had a mother or father in prison some time in their lives. The National Resource Center on Children & Families of the Incarcerated at Rutgers University state that these kids experience “adverse childhood experiences” characterized by stigma, […]

Watching your teen slunk around the house may resemble an episode on the Discovery channel, sans the English accented narration. With the winter break in swing your student may begin to experience a similar phenomenon akin to reptiles: brumation – a state of sluggishness and inactivity during the cold weather season. Although the imagery is […]

Mother Teresa once summed up the essence of giving this way: “It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.” People may miss this message, with their hearts in the right place, through only donating money; instead of building a connection with those in need, benefitting their own health in […]

In the lives of addicts and other mentally ill people, quality support systems can help make or break recovery. Rising above negative influences may be a critical component of staying sober and mentally healthy, especially during a critical time like the holidays. Some people may be faced with the choice of either handling these harmful […]

The last day of school before winter break has finally ended and the kids are free – for the next few weeks at least. They should be happy with presents under the tree and more free time. Yet, not all children sleep soundly at night with dances of sugar-plums in their heads, as the holiday […]

In the middle of divorce, teenagers may wonder about their new place in splintered families. The flood of hurt feelings, fights and questions about visitations – among other issues – can leave adolescents in a lurch. Experts of various kinds have provided advice for adjusting to the new normal of nontraditional families with mental health […]

High school is a jungle of popularity and cliques for the students. In this jungle of an educational compound, students either form a pack or travel alone. To assimilate with the larger more-popular packs, all one has to do is walk the walk and talk the talk; even if that walk is abusing alcohol. The […]

In 2005, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) determined that 55 percent Americans between the ages of 12 and 18 volunteer in some way or another. Now according to 2014 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the rate of volunteerism was measured at only 26.1 percent among 16- to 19-year-olds. In order […]