Getting Teens Talking
According to a survey of 6,500 teens by the Partnership for a Drug Free America, 73 percent said the number one reason they turn to drugs and alcohol is to relieve stress at school. As the new school year begins, how can you help your teen adjust -- and to open up about what's going on?
"You can push too much and that'll shut the child down. So it's a fine balance: Be available, be a good listener, and also know when you do need to push in case they're into some things that they shouldn't be," says Gloria Meaux, Ph.D., a psychologist.
Between a parent and a teenager, this might be the typical conversation: "How was school today?" "Fine." "Anything special happen?" "No." "What are you doing tomorrow?" "Nothing." Mumbles, a shrug, single word answers … how can you get your children to talk openly and honestly?
How much do teenagers tell their parents?
I hardly share anything with my parents," says 16-year-old Derek.
"I share very little with my parents," says 18-year-old Tyler.
And Jessie gives an example of a question she hates: "How was your day?"
"When you've had a horrible day, you just feel like people at school are mad at you," she says. "Your classes went horribly, you failed a test. It can almost be an insult without them knowing it, because it just seems insensitive."
Experts say parents are better served asking about something specific: school projects coming up, weekend plans with a friend, or a test that the child may be worried about.
"The specific questions, you'll get more bang for your buck if you want them to communicate back to you than some general question that you could ask a stranger on the street," says Dr. Meaux.
"Sometimes she'll be like 'so how is that situation going with this person' and I'll just burst out crying," says Jessie.
Experts say it starts by being easy to talk to. "You're sort of the approachable parent, that you listen more than you talk, and listening is the hard thing," says Dr. Meaux. And once they truly believe you're listening, experts say they'll open up more.
"The more talking they'll do because they'll be open," says Licensed Clinical Social Worker Freddie Wilson. "[They'll be more open if they feel] you're open to hearing what I'm saying rather than talking and giving them solutions and solving their problems for them. They want someone to hear them."
And knowing when your child really needs your ear comes from getting to know your child.
"I’ll look at her and I’ll say 'You look like you’re down, did something happen?' Yea. Was it so and so? Yea," explains Jessie’s mom.
"It helps to know that she cares and that she’s actually wanting to know about things," says Jessie.
Click here to watch this Connect with Kids news story online.
Bath Salts Cause Concern in Some Communities
Officials in 25 states are growing concerned about alarming numbers of adolescents and others ending up in emergency rooms and mental hospitals after intentionally snorting, injecting or smoking "fake cocaine," a powder legally sold as "bath salts," and are proposing bans.
Sold under such names as Ivory Wave, Red Dove, Bliss and Vanilla Sky, law enforcement officials and poison control center staff say the effects of the stimulants the powders often contain (mephedrone and methylenedioxypyrovalerone, also known as MDPV) are a central nervous system stimulant that is not approved for medical purposes in the United States, and provide for users a cocaine-like high.
The chemicals in these bath salts can cause hallucinations, paranoia, rapid and irregular heartbeats and suicidal thoughts, authorities say. The chemicals are in products sold legally at convenience stores and on the internet as bath salts and even plant foods. A small packet of the chemicals typically costs around $20.
Mississippi lawmakers this week began considering a proposal to ban the sale of the powders, and a similar step is being sought in Kentucky. In Louisiana, the bath salts were outlawed this month by an emergency order after the state's poison center received more than 125 calls in the last three months of 2010 involving exposure to the chemicals. Dr. Mark Ryan, director of Louisiana's poison control center, told The Huffington Post that calls about the chemicals have dropped sharply since Louisiana’s ban.
Two other states have also taken steps. North Dakota's Board of Pharmacy banned MPDV and related chemicals, and legislation has already been put forward in Kentucky to outlaw MPDV. Abroad, the Great Britain banned these so-called bath salts last April when several people died after ingesting it.
The stimulants aren't regulated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, but they are studying it as a "drug of concern."
ARC Manor serves Clarion County!
If you are in need of treatment services and you live in Clarion County- please call toll free 1-800-323-1333 to talk to our Admissions Department! We would be glad to help! We are located at 214 S. 7th Ave 2nd floor (the old hospital).
Use of Synthetic Cannabinoid Products by Teens and Young Adults Increasing
Law enforcement officials in many areas of the country are reporting increasing use of synthetic cannabinoid products by teens and young adults as these products are widely available. Often hyped as a legal alternative to marijuana, individuals subject to scheduled or random drug screening tests allegedly also have used synthetic cannabinoid products to avoid a positive test for cannabis and the resulting consequences. Many synthetic cannabinoid users also abuse marijuana.
Synthetic cannabinoid products typically include olive-colored herbs, combination of herbs, or plant materials enhanced with a delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) synthetic analog. When smoked, synthetic cannabinoid products mimic the hallucinogenic effects of marijuana. However, they have many adverse effects, including panic attacks, agitation, tachycardia (in the range of 110 to 150 beats per minute), elevated blood pressure (in the 140-160/100-110 range), anxiety, pallor, numbness and tingling, vomiting (which can be severe and may require sedation), hallucinations (which can be intense), and, in some cases, tremors, and seizures. Users report effects last between 30 minutes and 2 hours. Common brand names for synthetic cannabinoids include K2, Spice, Spice Gold, Spice Diamond, Yucatan Fire, Solar Flare, K2 Summit, Genie, PEP Spice, and Fire n’ Ice.
Synthetic cannabinoid products are produced primarily internationally, but also produced domestically. Synthetic cannabinoid products are generally sold on Internet websites; however, they are becoming increasingly available at “headshops” and similar locations. The products often are marketed as "natural herbal incense" and include warnings that they "are not for human consumption."
Local Children Experience Educational Puppet Show
http://www.kittanningpaper.com/2010/08/11/local-children-experience-educational-puppet-show/9712
Kids Get Treated Like Suspects On Drug Reality Tour
Kittanning Police Take Teenagers Through Experience Of Being Arrested
http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/24583937/detail.html
SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION
Scholarships for both high school and college/graduate school students are available with these criteria:
- Be accepted by, or currently enrolled at, an accredited college, university, or other post-secondary institution in the United States.
- (If applicant is a high school senior) enroll with a major in a social/human services field. Preference will be given to a student pursuing a degree in the drug & alcohol field.
- (If applicant is NOT a high school senior) be enrolled in a bachelor's or post-graduate degree program in the drug & alcohol field.
If interested, apply at www.accfound.org/grants-scholarships/scholarships/scholarship-funds/kay-detrick-owen/.