Troubled Teens Resources

Troubled teenagers are often diagnosed with ADHD or ODD. Parents are then set with the task of reviewing that diagnosis and accepting or rejecting it’s conclusions. They then may opt for a program of prescribed medication or one of the many emerging behavioral programs designed to assist the at risk teen with the symptoms of ADHD or ODD.

Like every issue there are two sides and there is a very large group of mental health professionals, as well as parents, who have problems with such diagnosis and challenge the conclusions that dictate that ADD/ODD symptoms represent behavioral problems or that such behavior requires psychiatric care.

“Over six million children in the US are on drugs that control the symptoms of so-called Attention Deficit Disorder - ADD. There are millions of kids on anti-depressant and anti-psychotic drugs. Despite the clinical hype surrounding these drugs, the actual clinical methods employed for diagnosis are bogus to non-existent. For the most part the average psychiatrist bases his/her clinical assessments on guidelines that support the preconceptions and prejudices of the profession.

There is absolutely no basis for describing ADD or ADHD as “a disease”, because psychiatry cannot establish any clinical data that offers a clear biological cause for this behavior across-the- board. Clinical jargon to justify their efforts to render non-conformist behavior “pathological”, is a long way from proving ADD is a disease.”

(Source)

Specialty schools and schools for troubled teens often have behavioral programs that address what some call simple rebellion. They concentrate on teaching the teen how to manage conflicting emotions, criticism and failure. They train the teen in the disciplines necessary to live a productive life.

Parents simply must study both sides of the issue and then see which school of thought best addresses the behavioral problems that their troubled teenagers are exhibiting.