How to Help Your Teen Pick a College With Mental Health Resources Articles>Mental HealthBy The Ranch TNAugust 14, 2015Adjusting to college life is difficult under the best of circumstances, but for young adults prone to mental or emotional disorders, navigating college can be overwhelming. If your child has struggled with mental health issues in the past, it’s important to select a school that offers accessible, affordable mental health support and to have a…
Smartphone Addiction Can Lead to Edgy, Overweight Teens Articles>Addiction ResearchBy The Ranch TNAugust 3, 2013Kat is an entrepreneur; she opened a bakery on her own and is working hard to get the business off the ground. She spends nights baking pastries and breads for the next morning, and though she does this from her home kitchen, she’s often preoccupied. She and her children are together, but somehow not together.
Outdoor Therapy Can Help Troubled Teens Break Vicious Cycle Articles>Addiction TreatmentBy The Ranch TNAugust 1, 2013Outdoor therapy, also known as wilderness or adventure therapy, is a form of psychotherapy that’s used to treat individuals who suffer from mental or emotional issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and drug addiction. In some cases, the term also refers to a form of physical therapy that uses the outdoors to promote…
Vigorous Exercise, Team Sports Can Guard Teens Against Suicide Articles>Mental HealthBy The Ranch TNJuly 21, 2013Suicide is one of the leading causes of death among teenagers in the U.S., ranking only behind accidental death and homicide. While any teenager can develop suicidal tendencies, certain individuals have higher risks than others. Current evidence indicates that regular participation in exercise or organized sports can significantly reduce an adolescent’s chances of thinking about…
Impulsive Young Teens More Likely to Drink Heavily as Adults Articles>Addiction ResearchBy The Ranch TNJuly 20, 2013Impulsivity is the term mental health professionals use to describe a personality trait that centers on a habit of acting without giving due consideration to the consequences of one’s choices. Current research links unusually high levels of this trait to increased risks for a number of serious problems, including suicidal behavior and morbid obesity. In…
Signs That Your Child Has an Eating Disorder Articles>Eating DisordersBy The Ranch TNJuly 5, 2013Experts do not have a definitive answer regarding precisely what causes eating disorders in children. They do, however, agree that there are things parents can do to catch the problem early. Informed parents know how to spot the signs of distress and can act early to intervene before an eating disorder has time to take…
Increased Brain Activity Predicts Who Will Fall Prey to Substance Abuse Articles>Addiction ResearchBy The Ranch TNJuly 4, 2013Identifying which teens might be at the highest risk for developing a substance use disorder is dependent on a combination of genetic and environmental factors. However, if such a strategy could be implemented, high risk teens could be targeted for specialized education and early intervention programs.
Cyberbullying Can Lead to Substance Abuse, Mental Health Issues Articles>Addiction ResearchBy The Ranch TNJuly 1, 2013Cyberbullying is a term used to describe bullying behaviors that take place through various types of modern communications technologies rather than in person. While these behaviors largely mimic face-to-face bullying behaviors, they can potentially have a much broader reach and involve harsher bullying tactics. According to the results of a study published in 2010 in…
Millennials More Stressed Than the Rest of Us, Survey Finds Articles>Mental HealthBy The Ranch TNJune 30, 2013In a country still getting over the shock of terror blasts in Boston, people might be surprised to learn that our national stress level has actually been going down in recent years. Stress levels are lower for most of us with a single exception – young people ages 18 to 33 years. This age demographic…
Talking to Your Kids About Marijuana Articles>Drug AddictionBy The Ranch TNJune 29, 2013Marijuana is in the news a lot these days, and it seems to be undergoing a social and cultural transformation. With more states legalizing medical marijuana, and now in unprecedented moves, two states completely decriminalizing it, pot has become a mainstay of public discourse. What has not changed is the fact that this is a…