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

HELP! My teen needs help, but will they hate me if I send them away? Your teen will likely be scared of the new situation and may also promise to “ do better at home” if you've discussed the possibility of going to a therapeutic boarding school or residential treatment center . We never recommend parents threaten their child with this option, since choosing residential therapy is such an amazing opportunity for your teen to develop coping skills they may be lacking, improve self-esteem to make better choices, learn anger and stress management skills and most of all - improve their overall mental wellness .  Most of these programs' strengths are targeted at emotional growth and wellness - academics are typically secondary, but  are important. Keep in mind, without emotional wellness - nothing will work in life. In our experience, your child will likely grow from fear and anger they already have -- to love and understanding that this decision was made with their best inter...

If you were struggling with your teen prior March of 2020 with mental health issues, chances are your concerns have doubled if not tripled. More and more parents are worried about their teen's emotional wellbeing since COVID-19 shutdown our country. From remote learning to social distancing and even wearing masks -- the new normal of everyday life is taking a toll not only on young people but on adults too. New research shares that over half, 55% of teens are now experiencing anxiety, 45% are struggling with excessive stress and 43% are depressed. Key findings: 81% of teens say mental health is a significant issue for young people in the U.S., and 64% of teens believe that the experience of COVID-19 will have a lasting impact on their generation’s mental health. In this stressful climate, 7 in 10 teens have experienced struggles with mental health. 61% of teens said that COVID-19 pandemic has increased their feeling of loneliness . Teens today report spending 75% of their waking h...

Warning signs your teen might be using drugs or drinking This is a difficult question that many parents have to face on a daily basis.   Parents who spend a great deal of time with their teenagers are often tuned into what is normal behavior and what is not.   However, even parents who are actively involved in the daily activities of their teenagers may overlook – or subconsciously deny – the earliest signs of a substance abuse problem.   Some of the clues that your teenager may exhibit when using drugs or alcohol are fairly subtle, but others are rather obvious:  Many hours spent alone, especially in their room; persistent isolation from the rest of the family.   This is particular suspicious in a youngster who had not been a loner until now.  Resistance to taking with or confiding in parents, secretiveness, especially in a teenager who had previously been open.   Be sure that your teenager is not being secretive because every time he tries to c...

 Is Your Smart Teen Stuck in Anxiety? It’s no secret, 2020 has been tough to get through. The pressures that the ongoing pandemic have placed on all of us have been challenging, especially for students who have had to adapt to online learning overnight. If you’re a student in this strange time, it can be extremely difficult to find the motivation to get up and tune in to class while the world is in a moment of crisis. While the pandemic continues, it’s important to prioritize your mental health in tandem with your daily tasks. And even when school does return to an in-person setting, you want to maintain a robust practice of keeping your psychological and emotional wellbeing in check. So how can you stay on top of your anxiety when studies are too demanding or overwhelming? We’ve got some tips to help you get through this difficult time with a list of activities and practices to check in with yourself. Here’s some ways students can mitigate the effects of anxiety: 1. Normalize Chec...

  Why Parents Should Listen to Paris Hilton’s Story   I get it, it’s Paris Hilton, socialite, reality star and entitled child that seemed to have it all.  Why would anyone take advice from or even want to listen to her? Well, I’ll speak for myself, as a mother – Paris is not someone I would consider a role-model or even someone I ever thought I could learn from as a parent, but I was wrong.   In the weeks leading up to the “ This Is Paris ” documentary, I was initially frustrated at why anyone needed to hear from her in the middle of a pandemic when many are struggling with unemployment and just trying to make ends meet – not to mention back-to-school and all the difficulties online learning brings.   Then on a Sunday morning, there she was on a reputable morning show I always watch, being interviewed by a respectable journalist about “This Is Paris”. I was taken aback when I realized this wasn’t a spoiled brat wanting more airtime (or should we say fac...

 Are you searching for teen help? No doubt, many parents are experiencing new challenges with their anxious teenagers during these uncertain times. In a recent survey by  Common Sense Media , the spread of the coronavirus has upended school for teens, with  95%  of 13- to 17-year-olds in the U.S. reporting the cancellation of  in-person  classes at their schools at least temporarily. Teens are worried - the average youth is facing stress , anxiety and some are feeling loneliness (according to the survey). For those that were already experiencing risky behaviors, this can be more troubling. Quarantine life could be a time of relaxation for some, but for some parents of teens, it's anything but relaxing. Whether your teen is stressed out from not being able to mingle with their friends, or spending way too much time online (especially since they had to finish school virtually) -- maybe your teen is feeling isolated or lonely, are they sinking into a depre...

Teen Help for Internet Addiction Cell-phone obsession Hooked-on social media or video games? Is your teen consumed by their digital life? Hooked on gaming? Are they spending too much time alone and isolating themselves? Have their grades started to drop? Becoming withdrawn, and even depressed? According to a survey, even teens are worried they spend too much time on screens and fear they are addicted . When used excessively, technology can affect the emotional and physical wellness of young people of many young people . Symptoms of internet addiction: -An obsession with being online -Frustration, anxiety, and irritability when not able to get online. -Abandoning friends or hobbies in order to stay digitally connected. -Continuing to spend time online even after negative repercussions (such as failing grades, deteriorating relationships, and even health issues). How can we help? Parent Universal Resource Experts has been educating parents...

By Jane Parent Susan was in her 16-year-old son’s room recently. She discovered a weird looking sort of pen on his dresser. She didn’t know what it was, but she did a little digging and discovered it was a vape pen. “I was shocked to learn that my son could be using this pen to smoke any number of substances, says Susan.” “There was no smell or smoke in his bedroom while I was in the next room. I had no idea.” Electronic cigarettes in the form of  vape  pens and cartridges are more popular than ever, especially among high school students. E-cigarette use among teenagers has been  rapidly increasing  nationally, with more than 32% of 10th graders reporting vaping in the past year, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. “The good news is that middle and high school kids understand the health risks of smoking cigarettes,” says Dr. Laura Offutt, founder of online teen health resource  Real Talk with Dr. Offutt . “Unfortunately, they’ve also abs...