Tag Archives: alcoholism

Stress and Teens

Posted on by

Teenagers are under a lot of stress. I’m more than a decade out of my teens and can still remember worrying about grades, going off to college, choosing a major, keeping in touch with my friends, leaving home, and a hundred other things. Kids and adults share a lot of the same sources of stress — moving, the death of a family member, family financial problems, dealing with peers. But teens also have some unique sources of stress, including: Changes in their bodies The transition between childhood and adulthood Overloading on extra-curricular activities Figuring out what comes after high school … Continue reading →

Encouraging Your Teens to Eat Breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day… so the saying goes. But try telling that to your family! My younger brother used to hit the snooze on his alarm clock until the last possible second, then throw on some close and rush off to high school without eating. There are lots of “good” reasons for skipping breakfast: I wanted to sleep in. There’s nothing good to eat. It takes too long to make something. I’m not hungry when I first wake up. I want to lose weight. But research has shown that eating breakfast can help boost concentration … Continue reading →

Reassuring a Suicidal Person

Posted on by

In our continuing series on suicide, we look today at how to give reassurance, information, and hope to a person at risk of suicide. Suicide claims the lives of tens of thousands of Americans each year, and victims are of both genders, and come from a multitude of backgrounds. Certainly success and money are no insurance against the depression and anxiety that predates suicidal thoughts and actions. Once the crisis point has passed, (see links below for how to help a suicidal person), it is important to provide ongoing support for your friend or family member who has expressed suicidal … Continue reading →

Life is Precious – Don’t Waste It!

Posted on by

“Love every day. Each one is so short and they are so few”. This is very powerful quote from Norman Vincent Peale. When I read it, it really pulled me up. While some days may seem to drag and we often spent our lives waiting for certain things to occur, such as holidays, etc, the truth is that life does go quickly and our days here are so few. While Peale’s philosophy is true for all of us, it is especially true for those suffering from various forms of mental illness, particularly severe depression, where days do seem to drag … Continue reading →

Pregnancy, the Economy, and Your Job

The current economic recession/depression has many people worried about their future job security. This includes pregnant women, who may worry about their health insurance and maternity leave benefits as well as the job. A recent study suggests pregnant women may actually be most at risk of losing jobs during a recession. The study was conducted at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The study’s author looked at this and past recessions in collecting data about employment for pregnant women in times of economic hard ship. During difficult times, pregnant women may be seen as a ‘weak link’ or easily fired. Sometimes … Continue reading →

Lifetime Movie about Foster Care airs Saturday

Tomorrow night (Saturday February 28), the cable channel Lifetime will air an original movie about the foster care system, and more specifically about the dilemma of one teen, raised in foster care (and sometimes abused there), about to turn 18 and “age out” of the system. The teen’s name is America, which is also the title of the movie. I have written a past blog, detailing how teens in foster care are usually literally turned out on the streets on their 18th birthday. Often still in high school, it is a nearly insurmountable task to pay for an apartment, work, … Continue reading →

Parent Role Reversal

Reading about a parent punishing a child for doing drugs is nothing out of the ordinary, but when a teen calls the cops on her own mother for smoking pot, it makes front-page news. At least it did in Waverly, Nebraska. That’s where a 15-year-old girl turned in her mom for allegedly smoking marijuana in front of her. According to police reports, the high school freshman called the sheriff’s office after she got fed up with her mom’s pot habit. Authorities executed a search warrant of the girl’s home last week and took the teen’s mom into custody. The 32-year-old … Continue reading →

When Did You Start Appreciating Your Parents?

Think about your answer as you read this blog, especially if you are currently an under appreciated parent of a teenager. According to a new survey, children don’t start to appreciate their parents until they reach the age of 22. Hmm… my daughter is 4… 22 minus 4 equals… a long, long time. A British research firm recently surveyed 5,000 families and found that it is uncommon for children under the age of 22 to appreciate all the hard work their parents do for them. What’s more, survey respondents noted that of everyone in the family teens are among the … Continue reading →

Dealing with Limits in the Economy

Most of us are facing limits these days. From food prices that have soared, to layoffs, to declining stock prices, we are being forced to take a look at limiting the things we can have and the things we can do. Dealing with limits can be difficult, especially if the concept is new to you. But it is important to take stock of your resources as soon as possible, so you know exactly where you stand. if you don’t do that, you may continue to live within the limits you used to have and not the ones that really apply … Continue reading →

Surviving the Economy: Expect the Unexpected

I know that we are all tired of hearing about how awful the economy is and how things will probably get worse before they get better. While this may all be true, it doesn’t help us much in terms of our own financial situations. So I thought I would share some practical advice about what we can do now to ensure that our families survive the current economy. One big thing that we can all do right now is to watch ahead for the unexpected in terms of major expenses that might really do us in. With unemployment due to … Continue reading →