Are you passing your anxieties onto your child? Dr. Murray Bowen in his book Family Therapy in Clinical Practice describes the idea of triangles within families. When one spouse brings anxiety into the home it can be passed on to the other parent and ultimately the child. No parent intends to pass worries, distress, or nervousness on to their children. … Read More
Are Secondary Benefits Fueling Drug Abuse
People become addicted to drugs for a myriad of reasons. Although many addicts do not start out to become addicted to drugs, they often underestimate the power the drugs can exert within and over the body. The drugs carry initial benefits of relief of pain and anxiety, and offer an escape from one’s problems. However, there are often secondary benefits … Read More
Help Your Kid Find a Passion
Kids that struggle in school, that have a difficult time understanding concepts like reading, writing, and arithmetic; kids that struggle with issues of low self-esteem or lack of confidence in their abilities are at an increased risk to engage in unhealthy activities, including substance abuse. Children with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) are also at risk to engage in drug … Read More
Do You Have a Permissive Family?
Is your family a permissive family? Do you see teen drug abuse as a phase that kids go through and will likely not experience any negative consequences from the drug use? Is underage drinking allowed in your home? Does your child know they can get away with using drugs because it will not be noticed by an inattentive parent? If … Read More
Are You a Fish?
In many childhood games, kids often take on the characteristic of a favorite animal. They may tell their parents they are a dog, a cat, a fish, or a bird. This animal association actually aids child development. As children are encouraged to take on different characteristics, they begin to learn about themselves, actualize their strengths, and develop self-confidence in their … Read More
The Power of Your Story
One way I promote and encourage communication between parents and children is to have the parents reveal themselves to their children. Reveal something about yourself that your child does not know about you. You want to make this age appropriate and give an example of something that will attract the attention of your son or daughter and perhaps allow them … Read More
Hiding in Plain Sight (III)
I am starting this blog post with a word of warning. Caution. I hope not to frighten anyone, but you should watch out for this if you buy cans of whipping cream. Always check to make sure the can you select has not been tampered with. Confirm that there are no foreign objects at the end of the nozzle and … Read More
Hiding in Plain Sight (II)
Some drug paraphernalia is so mundane and commonplace, you would not imagine that it is used for drugs. Finding kitchen items in your child’s bedroom should raise a red flag in your mind and make you question why your steel wool pad or Chore boy for scrubbing dishes is in your child’s bedroom. Why are there pieces of aluminum foil … Read More
Hiding in Plain Sight (Part I)
Believe it or not, your kids frequently advertise their drug use. They love to share this information with their friends. Some of it is in a code that is meant to throw parents and other adults off their trail. One easy way to spot it is to look at the pictures your child has up on the wall in their … Read More
The Existential Vacuum
Victor Frankl in his book “Man’s Search for Meaning” speaks of an existential vacuum which I believe is at play in the lives of many drug addicted individuals today. It is what drives their desire to numb themselves or fuels a feeling of connection through drugs. The word existential is huge and in the dictionary, it is defined as “concerned … Read More