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

Making the right choice takes time. Don't get scammed. As a victim of the WWASPS organization - I am often called or receive many emails about our (my daughter and I) experiences with them.  Obviously not pleasant.  Though I am happy to say the program she was at, Carolina Springs Academy, which attempted to go through a name change to Magnolia Christian Academy (or School) depending on the day you Googled it, is finally closed - it has been rumored some of the staff is now at their affiliate program - Red River Academy. Let me be clear for legal purposes - these are rumors - but if I were placing my child in program, I personally wouldn't take any chances - and furthermore, Red River Academy is clearly named in the current lawsuit which is extremely disturbing with allegations of fraud, abuse, neglect and much more - ( click here ) that is current. So when the "sales rep" tells you that " Sue Scheff " is a disgruntled parent - I say - YES, I was - y...

New data, from the Florida Department of Health, shows a decline in the prevalence of cigarette smoking among Florida’s middle school and high school students.The National Institutes of Health sent out a release about the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s (NIDA) 2011 Monitoring the Future Survey (MTF), which shows that cigarette and alcohol use by eighth, 10th and 12th-graders are at their lowest point since the MTF survey began polling teens in 1975. Release: http://www.nih.gov/news/ health/dec2011/nida-14.htm Below is a complete press release on the Florida youth data. The national 2011 results released last week showed that 18.7 percent of 12th-graders reported current (past-month) cigarette use. In Florida, that prevalence rate is below the national average at just 15.4 percent. Three weeks ago, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids ranked Florida Ranks 13th in " Protecting Kids from Tobacco. ” ( http://www.prnewswire.com/ news-releases/national-report- florida-r...

As a parent, YOU can make the right choices. Do you really need to pay someone up to $5000.00 to tell you that you need to send your child to the woods for a glorified camping trip aka Wilderness program then to a residential program or are you capable of doing this yourself?  Let's look at this..... Maybe you can save yourself some money...... Educational Consultants were originally designed to help parents with their teens to find the right colleges and with the application process. As the shift in teen help increased, they seemed to branch out into the residential treatment field. Most have not experienced what you are going through.  Most do not know what you are dealing with at home.  Only an experienced parent that has been there really knows that feeling of helplessness. What is the EC Shuffle ? Find out more and try not to get into the mix.  Parent Consultants do not employ this type of assistance for your needs.  " The EC I spoke with only...

Especially at the holidays, teenagers can feel blue just like some adults.  Know how your kids are feeling.  What are their Facebook status saying? "Forgive me." "When will this end?" "I hate my life" RED FLAGS and parenting.  Know them! Facebook is the social hangout of the internet for all ages, but it is particularly true of teenagers. Teenagers often are much more open about what they are thinking and feeling in this cyber environment than most older adults. Since teens experience many emotional ups and downs, it can be easy to dismiss most of their dramatic postings as nothing more than normal teenage drama. However, there have been too many instances in recent years when parents had wished they’d paid more attention to what their teenager had posted as their ‘current status’. Here a few status updates parents should watch for and investigate further. I can’t take it anymore. Although, this could mean anything from homework overl...

Especially during the holiday season, this can be one of the hardest decisions a parent can make. Sending a child to a residential program/school is a major decision. It is not one to be taken lightly or to be decided on overnight.  Usually a teen's behavior has been slowly escalating and a parent knows that deep down things are not getting better.  As much as you hope and pray that things will change, this is only typical teen behavior, sometimes it just isn't. With drug use and substance abuse rising - more dangerous and deadly ingredients being used, such as spice and inhalants, parents have reason to be concerned.  It isn't your marijuana of generations prior - it is so much worse and in many cases - addictive and deadly. If you have reached your wit's end and now surfing the Internet for help, remember, anyone can build a website.  Anyone can put up nice pictures and create great content.  You need to do your due diligence. Years ago I struggled w...

At first, "drunkorexia" may sound like kind of a funny word, jokingly made up to describe a situation in which college students and others forgo food in order to be able to afford more alcohol and feel higher effects of alcohol on an empty stomach. But what some may brush off as crazy college-kid behavior is actually a serious problem that can have highly damaging consequences both in long- and short-term health. Of course, that hasn't stopped college students from engaging in this unhealthy trend, and a study at the University of Missouri-Columbia indicated that one in six students had practiced drunkorexia within the last year. Typically, drunkorexia is done by women; the study showed that three out of four drunkorexia respondents were female. Students may not realize that drunkorexia is incredibly damaging to their health, but the fact remains that the practice puts them at risk for problems like sexually transmitted diseases, malnutrition, and even s...

NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse) has created an extremely informative and educational website to keep parents, teachers, teens and kids informed on substances and all forms or mind altering drugs that are being used today. Here is a snapshot to learn about the effects of drug abuse on the body and the brain. Anabolic Steroids – Anabolic steroids are artificial versions of a hormone that’s in all of us — testosterone. Some people take anabolic steroid pills or injections to try to build muscle faster. Cocaine – Cocaine is made from the leaf of the coca plant. It often comes in the form of a white powder that some people inhale through their nose. Another form of cocaine, known as crack, can be smoked. Hallucinogens – Hallucinogens cause people to experience – you guessed it – hallucinations, imagined experiences that seem real. Inhalants – Hair spray, gasoline, spray paint — they are all inhalants, and so are lots of other everyday products. Some people i...

Yes, your teen is making bad choices. Yes, your teen is failing. Yes, your teen is experimenting with drugs. Yes, your teen is hanging out with less than desirable kids. Yes, your teen may be having sex. Yes, your teen is disrespectful. Yes, your teen needs help !  They don't need to be harmed! If you feel you are at your wit's end and have exhausted all your local resources - therapy isn't working or your teen simply refuses to go, it may be time to start thinking about residential therapy. This doesn't mean you are a bad parent, quite the contrary, you are giving your teen a second opportunity at a bright future. Need more information? Visit www.HelpYourTeens.com .

The authorities all but tell you (or they do tell you) "typical teen" they will show up eventually.  In the meantime you are a nervous wreck. What do you do?  Here are some quick tips for you: Keep an updated phone list with the home and cell numbers of your teen's friends. Using the phone list, call every one of your teen's friends. Talk immediately with their parents, not their friends, as teenagers will often stick together and lie for each other. The parent will tell you anything they know, including the last time contact was made between their child and yours. They will also know to keep closer tabs on their own child. Keep an updated photo of your child on hands at all times. With this photo, create one-page flyers including all information about your teen and where they were last seen. Post these flyers everywhere your teen hangs out, as well as anywhere else teenagers in general hang out. Post anywhere they will allow you to. Immed...

Do you suspect your teen is using drugs?  Are you saying - it is only pot?  All kids experiment?  Really?  Sure, maybe in the sixty's - but do you know what is on the streets today?  Your denial could literally lead to the death of your child.  Don't have your head in the sand - be in the know. Daily Marijuana use increased among 8th, 10th, and 12th graders from 2009 to 2010. Among 12th graders it was at its highest point since the early 1980s at 6.1%. This year, perceived risk of regular marijuana use also declined among 10th and 12th graders suggesting future trends in use may continue upward. In addition, most measures of marijuana use increased among 8th graders between 2009 and 2010 (past year, past month, and daily), paralleling softening attitudes for the last 2 years about the risk of using marijuana.  Marijuana use is now ahead of cigarette smoking on some measures (due to decreases in smoking and recent increases in marijuana use)....

Do you suspect your teen is using drugs? Or it isn't your teen, it is their friends? Don't be a parent in denial, you aren't helping your child. Does it start with marijuana? Advance to pills? On to needles? There can be so many different paths your teen can take to the road to addiction, but the one path they need to realize is they don’t need to start to begin with.  Understanding the risks and dangers is the beginning of teaching prevention. October 31st through November 6th is National Drug Facts Week . This is an opportunity to shatter the myths about drug and substance abuse as well as become an educated parent and build a stronger drug-free community. What is ecstasy? “Ecstasy ” is a slang term for MDMA , short for 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, a name that’s nearly as long as the all-night parties where MDMA is often used. That’s why MDMA has been called a “club drug.” It has effects similar to those of other stimulants, and it often makes t...

Shatter the Myths! National Drug Facts Week is Monday, October 31st through Sunday, November 6th, 2011. Why do people and teens smoke when they know it is bad for them? Maybe they smoke because they can’t stop. People start smoking for different reasons,but most keep doing it because of one reason—they are addicted to nicotine. DID YOU KNOW? Research says that teens who see a lot of smoking in movies are more likely to start smoking themselves. Sometimes characters smoke to look edgy and rebellious; but sometimes it’s justabout “product placement” — the tobacco industry trying to get into your head and your pockets. Teen Drinking: FACT:  More than 4 in 10 people who begin drinking before age 15 eventually become alcoholics. Teen Prescription Drug Use: FACT:  In 2007, prescription pain medications like Vicodin and OxyContin were involved in more overdose deaths than heroin and cocaine combined. Want to learn more FACTS about teens and substance use?  Down...

Did you know: Children of parents who talk to their teens regularly about drugs are 42% less likely to use drugs than those who don't, yet only a quarter of teens report having these conversations.  Take the pledge: Take the Red Ribbon Pledge now and be a part of the creation of a drug free America. What's the Pledge about? As parents, we will talk to our children about the dangers of drug abuse. We will set clear rules for our children about not using drugs. We will set a good example for our children by not using illegal drugs or medicine without a prescription. We will monitor our children's behavior and enforce appropriate consequences, so that our rules are respected. We will encourage family and friends to follow the same guidelines to keep children safe from substance abuse. I pledge to set guidelines to help children grow up safe, healthy and drug-free. - Click here .

Teen peer pressure is a serious concern. If your teen has a choice of their childhood friend or a less desirable group of friends (in an effort to fit into a group that they believe are cool) - who would they choose?  Their BFF or EX? What path will your teen choose? National Drug Facts Week is Monday, October 31st through Sunday, November 6th, 2011. Sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Drug Facts Week is an annual official health observance designed to shatter the myths and spread the facts about drug abuse and addiction. National Drug Facts Week (NDFW) is a health observance week for teens that aims to shatter the myths about drugs and drug abuse. Through community-‐based events and activities on the Web, on TV, and through contests, NIDA is working to encourage teens to get factual answers from scientific experts about drugs and drug abuse. Download the NDFW Info Sheet ! PeerX : RX abuse is drug abuse. Over and over again pare...