The Blog of P.U.R.E. and Sue Scheff

Teen depression and anxiety is on the rise. Sadly, we are seeing suicide as the second leading cause of death for young people ages 10-24. With today's digital lives there could be so many reasons. Are they missing the routine of a real-life social life?  Are they being harassed online ?  Or are they watching their friends on social media have a blast while they believe their life is boring or they are simply missing out? What was true a generation ago is still true today, teens are unpredictable and still difficult to figure out. However depression is a very real emotion. Adolescence can be a very turbulent and difficult time, even for the most well-adjusted child. Depression strikes teenagers and adults alike, and can have far-reaching implications when kids suffer from emotional difficulties that they aren’t sure how to manage. After noticing the signs of depression in your teen and helping him to get the treatment he needs, understanding the root of his depre...

Good teens making bad choices. It can be very common. “Does my teen need residential therapy? Isn’t this a drastic step? How will I know if we are at the point of placing our child at a therapeutic boarding school or residential treatment center?” – Anonymous parent As I share with parents,  residential therapy  is a major decision not to be taken lightly.  It’s not about teaching your child a lesson, it’s not about punishing your teen or scaring them straight — residential therapy is a huge financial and emotional decision that is made after you have exhausted all your  local  resources. Residential therapy is a choice made out of love to give your child a second chance at a bright future. Usually a parent has reached their  wit’s end ; they have been to local therapy, some have even tried having their teen stay with a relative.  Some have been through extensive out-patient programs but it isn’t until you remove (residential therapy) t...

DOES your teen, always seem angry? have anger that turns into rage? show signs of depression, i.e., withdrawal, slipping grades? show disrespect to you or disrespect people in authority? self-protect by keeping people at a distance? lie, manipulate and steal? ever talk about his/her biological parents? want to find his/her biological parents? DO you, feel comfortable about your teen's behavior? recognize signs of RAD (Reactive Attachment Disorder)? believe you must be adopted to show signs of RAD? understand what is meant by the Primal Wound? think it makes a difference at what age a child is adopted? understand bonding and how it can be disrupted? understand the fear and pain of an adoptee? understand adoptee' difficulty in trusting and showing love It can be difficult to know if your adopted teen's anger is normal and within the range of typical teenage behavior. Most teenagers get angry, especially during the years when their ...

Everytime I re-print (re-blog) this article, I am amazed at the response. Many parents are not familiar with some of the struggles parents endure with adopted children. This author considers her daughter a blessing, however recognizes the challenges that she didn't expect. The Ballad of the Adopted Child By Jeanne Drouillard DOES your teen, •always seem angry? •have anger that turns into rage? •show signs of depression, i.e., withdrawal, slipping grades? •show disrespect to you or disrespect people in authority? •self-protect by keeping people at a distance? •lie, manipulate and steal? •ever talk about his/her biological parents? •want to find his/her biological parents? DO you, •feel comfortable about your teen's behavior? •recognize signs of RAD (Reactive Attachment Disorder)? •believe you must be adopted to show signs of RAD? •understand what is meant by the Primal Wound? •think it makes a difference at what age a child is adopted? •understand bonding and how it can be dis...

DOES your teen, always seem angry? have anger that turns into rage? show signs of depression, i.e., withdrawal, slipping grades? show disrespect to you or disrespect people in authority? self-protect by keeping people at a distance? lie, manipulate and steal? ever talk about his/her biological parents? want to find his/her biological parents? DO you, feel comfortable about your teen's behavior? recognize signs of RAD (Reactive Attachment Disorder)? believe you must be adopted to show signs of RAD? understand what is meant by the Primal Wound? think it makes a difference at what age a child is adopted? understand bonding and how it can be disrupted? understand the fear and pain of an adoptee? understand adoptee' difficulty in trusting and showing love It can be difficult to know if your adopted teen's anger is normal and within the range of typical teenage behavior. Most teenagers get angry, especially during the years when their bodies are changing and the hormones can brin...