Adolescence is a time of experimentation and tasting the boundaries, but sometimes teens can end up winding up with a substance abuse problem. Amy Exum, Psychotherapist at Baptist Health Care & Counseling, says a lot of the warning signs of depression, anxiety and suicide are similar warning signs to substance use, such as change in […]
It is important to control in some way that teenagers do not overuse some of the applications and websites. Nicole Rodriguez, Psychotherapist at Baptist Health Care & Counseling, says cellphones are a privilege, and not a right. “Parents have the control over their teens’ cellphone, and it is okay to invade their privacy. They need […]
There are some signs to make sure if teens are hurting themselves. Amy Exum, Psychotherapist at Baptist Health Care & Counseling, says running always and rapid change in moods may be engaging in some high-risk behaviors like substance use. “They can also be talking about death or dying but not just in a joking way, […]
For teens maybe it is difficult to speak out about other teenagers with adults, but it they are worried about their friends and their behavior on social media, they should tell their parents. “The biggest fear I always hear is ‘what if they get mad at me and they no longer talk to me’. I […]
Diet, physical activity, whether they use food to respond to stress, physiologic and genetic make-up, age, and health status are some of the factors that affect teenagers’ weight. Terry Ochoa, Registered Dietitian with Baptist Health South Florida, says age is important, because young adults think they are invincible and can just lose the few pounds, […]
Creating a good relationship between the therapist and the teenager is necessary to understand a possible teen depression and how to help overcome it. Finding what’s going on is possible when the therapist asks parents and teens in order to know what is really bothering them. “I’m just going to ask them about what’s going […]
Teenagers are more susceptible to irritability, which can be associated with depression and bad mood. As a result, they tend to be isolated, are not communicative and have long periods of sadness. Psycotherapist Graciela Jimenez explains the differences between irritability, depression and moodiness. She describes that when there is irritability in somebody who is depressed, […]
One of the most important concerns of social media is how much teens are getting a lot of their self-worth from apps, because they are paying attention to how many followers, responses, friends or likes they have and compare them with others. Marta Martinez-Hasty, LCSW, Director of Project Gold at Kristi House, affirms those apps […]
The best advice Dr. Francisco Medina, Director of Pediatric Emergency Services and Chief of Pediatrics at Homestead Hospital, can give parents is that they be aware of what their children are doing and, if it’s necessary help them quickly. “Watch if your child of your teenager is moving out of the scene, not talking or […]
