By Holly Mook, LAC, MSW Intern What’s in your medicine cabinet? Over-the-counter (OTC) medications that are intended to be helpful can be harmful when misused. It’s important that you know the trends, the facts, and be aware of the dangers. Some OTC medications can be psychoactive, meaning mind-altering, which makes them an appealing way to …
By Staff Alcopops describes alcoholic beverages that are similar to sweet drinks like soda pop, sweetened tea, or lemonade. The sweetness appeals to younger drinkers and may be a contributing factor in underage binge drinking. Binge drinking is defined as five or more drinks in a sitting by a male and four or more for …
By Holly Mook, LAC, MSW Intern Caution! Fifty to a hundred times more potent than an average pain killer, fentanyl is a synthetic pain killer known as an opioid. Like morphine, fentanyl is a prescription drug that may be prescribed for pain. Fentanyl can also be manmade and used illegally and is often laced with …
By John Greig Underwood, Human Performance Project Without any question, the brain and central nervous system (CNS) play the most significant role in all peak mental or physical performance. Unfortunately the CNS is either ready or it is not… The ability to perform at one’s best in the classroom, on stage, in the big game, …
By staff This article is a continuation of our series addressing risk and protective factors. Risk factors increase the likelihood of youth getting involved in risky behaviors, like drug or alcohol use. Protective factors wrap a youth in protection and lessen their chances of getting involved in risky activities. Does a parent’s attitude towards …
By Len lantz, md ABOVE ALL, KEEP COMMUNICATION WITH KIDS SIMPLE If there is one habit I’ve seen backfire most often for parents, it is trying to do too much in a single conversation with their child. I’m not blaming parents. It seems like all parents are faced with more to do and less time …
By Dr. Tim Elmore It all started when April, Christine’s youngest daughter, was five years old. Christine knew April would be their family’s last baby and wanted to document each milestone and comical moment of her childhood. By the time she was ten, April was avoiding photo ops, shying away from the camera. By 13, …
The Benefits of Getting Involved By Youth Connections Staff This article is part of our series about risk and protective factors. Risk factors increase the chances of a youth starting to use substances. Protective factors help insulate youth from influences that encourage substance use. We know that if kids are involved in positive things, …
The Hidden Hardships of Back to School By Emily C.T. Hankins Most students—and parents—are excited for school to start again. But for others, heading back to the classroom is not a joyous, long-anticipated event. For some school-age families, the idea of going back to school is overwhelming or even fills them with dread. What kinds …
How to be Happy By Katie Gerten, Youth Dynamics What does it mean to be happy? It’s a loaded question, right? A recent poll taken by the University of Chicago shows only 14% of us are. Really, that’s a staggeringly low number, even given the events transpiring over the past couple of years. So, what’s …
