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

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...