Troubled Teens Resources

Teen age drug abuse, a huge issue in and of itself, is but a symptom of a general troubled teens’ emotional malaise that can manifest in other harmful practices besides just drug consumption. One group of teens dwell in the nether worlds of a sub-culture known as Emos. If you haven’t heard of Emos, you’ll perhaps have heard of “cutting” or self-harm, a practice that is at the heart of this sad, self-absorbed group of teens who choose darkness over light, tragedy over hope.

“One of the most annoying characteristics.. is their refusal to open their curtains. Their world is dark and airless.

If this environment is coupled with the psychological traits of self-pity, introspection, self-dramatisation and hormone imbalance, you have a fully-fledged Emo…”

More or less, Emo teens are the offspring of the Goth culture, participants of which are noted for their fixation on black, death and morbidity. The difference, however, is that Emo’s have as a centerpiece of their world a fixation with hurting themselves.

“The Emos - short for Emotional - regard themselves as a cool, young sub-set of the Goths.

Although the look is similar, the point of distinction, frightening for schools and parents, is a celebration of self harm.

Emos exchange competitive messages on their teenage websites about the scars on their wrists and how best to display them. Girls’ secondary schools have for some time been concerned about the increase in self harm.

One governor of a famous boarding school told me that it was as serious a problem as binge drinking, but rarely discussed for fear of encouraging more girls to do it.”
(source)

Related:

• Private Boarding Schools for Depressed Teen Girls
  

Teen help for anorexia usually includes treatment for yet another disorder that afflicts a number of troubled teenagers. Body Dysmorphic Disorder.(BDD) You’ll know it when you see it, however, you may not recognize the potential psychological problems that can accompany it.

A family member became alarmed last year when her daughter, Erin, took no interest in buying a summer wardrobe. As a child, Erin lived to swim at the club pool. Now she spent all her time inside the gym, in sweats, mercilessly pummeling a boxing bag or lifting weights.

Erin loathes her body. She spent an inordinate amount of time pre-occupied with studying her musculature in the mirror, looking for the first signs that her relentless weight lifting had begun to sculpt the dream body she desperately wanted to appear.

Erin was suffering from BDD. Left unattended, obsessions with physical appearance can precipitate teen age drug abuse via amphetamines - and more often in teen boys - steroids. Depression, self-harm and anger all can circle viciously around the troubled teenager unable to accept their appearance. What can parents do to help?

“There are several things parents can do to alleviate their child’s suffering. First, take the disorder seriously. Second, avoid reassuring your child that they look okay but instead encourage them to talk openly about their concerns. Third, encourage and support psychiatric treatment and discourage surgical treatment.”

(Source)

Follow the link above for more guidance.

Teens at risk for self destructive behavior, such as teen age drug abuse or indiscriminate sex, stand to benefit by a new test called the adolescent risk inventory (ARI). Experts purport that this verbal assessment will reveal indicators that the tested teen is vulnerable for, or tends to, risky behavior.

“Researchers studied 134 youth ages 12 to 19 with psychiatric disorders. Each study participant was given the adolescent risk inventory (ARI) (a paper and pencil measure). The ARI included questions about sexual history (have you ever been pregnant or been a dad?), self-harm (have you ever attempted suicide?), and attitudes towards acting out (do you break rules for no reason?).
“We found that the ARI is reliable and comprehensive and can be useful in quickly identifying a wide range of teen risk behaviors,” says Lescano.”
(source)

The intent is for the family doctor to administer these tests as part of the teens medical assessment so that if any concerns are raised that the teen can be referred to a program that could serve as a preemptive measure against trouble down the road.

It is something that will have to be closely watched. Do schools have access to these results? Though the questions seem straight forward, the answers still require an evaluative process. What criteria is used to judge responses? Can such materials be used against a teen in juvenile court? Just like any tool for possible good, the negative aspects have to be considered as well.

Parents will want to look at such an assessment in light of their possible misuse, misinterpretation or intrusion into a family’s privacy. If parents are satisfied that the assessment will be handled in a constructive way, parents can make requests for the test to their family physician, if available.