Risky Behaviour

Supporting Adolescents Through Grief

in Anxiety / Depression / Grief / Mental Health / Mental Health / Pandemic / Parent Tips / Parenting / Risky Behaviour  by Adolescent Counseling Services 0 comments

Written By: Melissa Boutsy, Clinical Trainee at ACS, On-Campus Counseling Program adolescentsexperiencing grief may be at their most vulnerable point in their lives as they work through adolescent challenges and bereavement challenges. The grieving process in adolescents is similar to adults, but we must be mindful of the difference of expression that may show through […]

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Video Games: Harmful or Helpful?

in Gaming Addiction / Internet gaming disorder / Mental Health / Mental Health / Online Monitoring / Pandemic / Parent Tips / Parenting / Risky Behaviour / Self care / Teens and Technology  by Adolescent Counseling Services 0 comments

Written By: Kayla Hernandez, Clinical Trainee at ACS, Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment Program more and moreAmericans are playing video games every year, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. About two thirds of adults and three quarters of children and teens reported regularly gaming, with reported use going up by six percent within the past year, according […]

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Tech-Positive Parenting

in Behavioral Norms / Facebook / Mental Health / Middle School Behavior / Monitoring Media / Online Monitoring / Online Privacy / Online Safety / Parent Role Models / Parent Tips / Parent-Teen Communication / Parenting / Relationships / Risky Behaviour / Setting Boundaries / Social Media Abuse / Society Norms / Teaching Mindfulness / Teen Apps / Teen Motivation / Teen Privacy / Teen Therapy / Teens and Technology / Tumblr / Twitter  by Adolescent Counseling Services 0 comments

Written By:  Deborah Sloss, LCSW, ACS Site Supervisor, On-Campus Counseling Program   Teenagers today are constantly “plugged in”– gaming, texting, tweeting, or posting on Snapchat and Instagram.  As parents, we worry that our kids are addicted, detached, and distracted by their digital devices.  We struggle with how to set appropriate limits and how to keep […]

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Do sports protect teens from abusing painkillers or enable it?

in Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment / Drugs & Alcohol / E-News / Electronic Cigarettes / Marijuana / Parenting / Prescription Drugs / Prevention / Recent Trends / Risky Behaviour / Smoking / Teenage Smoking / Uncategorized / Vaping  by Adolescent Counseling Services 0 comments

Reported By: Alexandria Hein, FoxNews.com Health As communities nationwide battle a growing opioid and heroin use epidemic, researchers and public health officials are scrambling to identify how abuse may begin. One of those sources, research suggests, could be high school athletics. But studies conducted thus far have produced conflicting results regarding whether participation in sports encourage […]

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How Parents Can Help Their Underage Kids Resist Alcohol

in Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment / Binge Drinking / Drinking / Drugs & Alcohol / E-News / Marijuana / Parenting / Prescription Drugs / Prevention / Recent Trends / Recovery / Risky Behaviour / Smoking / Teen Partying / Treatment  by Adolescent Counseling Services 0 comments

Reported By: Aimee Cunningham, NPR Health News    “Parental monitoring and warmth are a protective device against kids’ binge drinking.”   While a sense of inevitability often surrounds the topic of teen drinking, adults can play an important role in preventing underage alcohol use. Two recent studies provide guidance for parents. One finds that parents […]

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The Addict and the Enabler

in Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment / After-School Counseling / Co-Occuring Disorders / Community Counseling / Drugs & Alcohol / E-News / Parent Tips / Parent-Teen Communication / Parenting / Recent Trends / Recovery / Risky Behaviour / Setting Boundaries / Teen Partying / Teen Peer Groups / Treatment  by Adolescent Counseling Services 0 comments

Written By: Laura Cole, ACS Clinical Intern, Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment and Community Counseling Programs ACS’ Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment Program depends on the participation of not only the teen struggling with substance abuse, but the family or guardian as well.  Addiction affects the entire family, and each family member has a personal responsibility to the […]

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Substance Use Among Teens Is Never Benign

in Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment / Binge Drinking / Drinking / Drugs & Alcohol / E-News / Marijuana / Parent Tips / Parenting / Risky Behaviour / Smoking / Teenage Smoking / Treatment  by Adolescent Counseling Services 0 comments

By: Kathleen Meyers, Ph.D., YouthToday.org Kathleen Meyers, Ph.D., is a senior investigator with the Treatment Research Institute and a recognized leader in the assessment and treatment of adolescent substance use disorders, delinquency and co-morbidity. Meyers is the author of the Comprehensive Adolescent Severity Inventory, a multidimensional assessment instrument for youth with co-morbidity, which is widely […]

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Understanding differences in mental health symptoms in the LGBTQ community

in Anxiety / Co-Occuring Disorders / Depression / E-News / Gender / Gender identity / LGBTQ Issues / Mental Health / Outlet / Risky Behaviour / Self-Harm / Sexuality / Stress / Suicide Prevention / Transgender  by Adolescent Counseling Services 0 comments

Reported By: News-Medical  |  Study By: Drexel University  A study exploring the prevalence of mental health symptoms in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and questioning (LGBQ) community, found that the oft-overlooked questioning and bisexual youth face their own significant challenges, particularly when it comes to depression, anxiety and traumatic distress. “I think the failure to include […]

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Probing The Complexities Of Transgender Mental Health

in Anxiety / Depression / E-News / Gender / Gender identity / LGBTQ Issues / LGBTQ rights / Mental Health / Mental Health / Outlet / Risky Behaviour / Stigma / Transgender  by Adolescent Counseling Services 0 comments

Written By:  Tara Haelle, for NPR Experiencing the world as a different gender than the one assigned you at birth can take a toll. Nearly all research into transgender individuals’ mental health shows poorer outcomes. A new study looking specifically at transgender women, predominantly women of color, only further confirms that reality. What’s less clear, […]

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LGBTQQ Youth and Health

in E-News / LGBTQ Issues / Outlet / Recent Trends / Risky Behaviour / Sexuality  by Adolescent Counseling Services 0 comments

Written By: Rodrigo Garcia-Reyes, Outlet Program Spanish-language and Education Coordinator  22 states, including California and the District of Columbia require public schools teach sex education. 35 states and the District of Columbia allow parents to opt-out on behalf of their children.  A 2011 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) survey indicates that more than […]

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