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How Do I know if a Child is Being Abused?

Every parent’s fear is that their child will be abused. There are four different types of abuse: Neglect, Emotional, Physical and Sexual. There are common physical and behavioral signs that may indicate any of these types of abuse. The presence of one of these signs does not necessarily mean abuse or neglect. When I am assessing for likelihood of abuse, I look for clusters of the signs. If I see many of the signs together, I begin to suspect abuse and I report to a Government body (Police or Welfare) who can investigate and protect the child. Although every family’s … Continue reading →

Teenage Drug Abuse Statistics

Although the use of many drugs have recently declined among teenagers there are still a significant number using illegal drugs. In the National Institute on Drug Abuse 2005 Monitoring the Future survey researchers found that 50% of high school seniors report some use of an illicit drug during their life. Many parents do not realize the signs of drug abuse or realize the prevalence among teenagers. Alcohol is the most common substance used, with 75% of seniors having at least tried alcohol and 23% within the last month. Few teenagers truly understand the risks associated with drinking alcohol and often … Continue reading →

Signs of Drug Abuse

Drug abuse is a problem that many teens face, especially if the teen has frequent feelings of not fitting in, low self-esteem or depression, or if there is a family history of drug use. As parents we often don’t know exactly what our teenagers are involved in and it isn’t always easy to tell. If you are concerned that your teen might be involved in illegal drugs you need to look for some common signs. The sooner you can intervene the better. Focus Adolescent Services lists five areas that parents can evaluate. Physical Warning Signs fatigue repeated health complaints red … Continue reading →

The Difference Between Drug Abuse and Addiction

Although the use of illegal drugs among teens is dropping in the United States, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse 50% of high-school graduates have tried illegal drugs, 23% will have used them within the thirty days before the survey, and anywhere from 0.5 to 7% are using drugs on an almost daily basis. Most teens that use drugs are not addicted, although those 0.5 to 7% who use on a daily basis most likely are. But many teens are involved in drug abuse. In fact a 2004 survey conducted by the Department of Health and Human Services … Continue reading →

Staying One Step Ahead of Your Teens

If there is one bit of advice I would give to every parent of a teenager, it is to stay one step ahead of your teen. That means you have to be knowledgeable of what teens are facing and going through. Keeping up on teen fads, fashions and trends will help. All you have to do is Google something like “dangerous teen trends” and you will find a wealth of information at your fingertips. I also suggest watching Dr. Phil who often has shows on the latest teen trends. It is very eye-opening. I recently read a Consumer Reports list … Continue reading →

President Obama’s Town Hall Meeting with Seniors

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President Obama has met a lot of opposition to his new health-care law, but today, he tried to win over senior citizens as many watched his live broadcast about changes in Medicare. Senior citizens may be one of the most concerned groups about health care. After all, as many people age, their health starts to fail or at least become more fragile. And most senior citizens are on a limited budget. With medical care and prescriptions rising, the cause for alarm is understandable. Under the new health-care law, seniors on Medicare will begin receiving $250 drug rebate checks in the … Continue reading →

Risk Factors for Addiction

I’ve talked a bit about alcoholism here at the Families.com Health Blog, and my own fears about addiction. There are some factors that can increase your risk of developing an addiction — but it is important to remember that a risk does not mean a guarantee. Still, it can be helpful to identify risk factors. Family history (or you can call it genetics if you like) is a big risk factor for addiction. If a family member has shown signs of trouble with addiction, you may want to be careful. My grandfather was an alcoholic, and I tend to avoid … Continue reading →

Book Review: Annie’s Baby

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Annie’s Baby is a book whose official author is Dr. Beatrice Sparks, an adolescent psychologist who also edited Go Ask Alice. But the book’s real author is “Annie”, an anonymous client of Dr. Sparks, who narrates her story to her diary. As the book begins, Annie is a fairly typical fourteen-year-old—she plays on a soccer team and enjoys rollerblading. She says she’s too much of a tomboy to be one of the “popular girls”, but she has several good friends with whom she likes to go to the movies or the mall. Annie lives with her mom, a teacher. The … Continue reading →

Cocaine: Tolerance, Dependence and Withdrawal

Cocaine is often taken in conjunction with other drugs to offset the negative side effects of the former. Hence tranquillizers, alcohol, marijuana, and heroin are often used to bring the user “down” and to help them sleep. This unfortunate situation means that the regular cocaine user who is dependent on the drug now finds him or herself dependent or a raft of other legal and illegal medications. Use of cocaine during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage, or if the baby is carried to full term, may result in a low birth weigh baby, premature delivery, and signs of cocaine … Continue reading →

One Student Dies, Another Student is Charged

Death of any kind is tragic. However when it is the death of a young person, of a child, it is even harder to cope with the reality. Westminster is a small college with about 330 undergraduates. It is so small that the students become close and tight knit with one another. That is why the death of one of its students filled the school with hurt and sadness. As if losing one of their classmates was not hard enough, the students also have to deal with the fact that another of their classmates is charged with the death. Justin … Continue reading →