Social media is part of our teens' everyday lives. Using it to connect with friends and see what other people are doing can be fun. There is a point where use and compulsion to check a social media feed become detrimental. For some teens this can even grow into an...
Social media is now part of adolescence. Photo credit: Stoonn and freedigitalphotos.net In 2017 20/20 did a piece about a young California girl who became obsessively addicted to her social media accounts. At 12 years old this girl got her first smart phone. Within...
Pornography addiction can lead to feelings of shame and loneliness. Former Attorney General John Ashcroft has estimated that nine in ten adolescents have seen pornographic material (focusonthefamily.org), and most of this is from the internet. The exact percentage of...
Seasonal Affective Disorder is no longer something the psychiatric community recognizes as a "real" diagnosis. In previous editions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual we had this diagnosis. It represented the portion of the population who feels depression in...
Earlier today news broke about the details in a rape case in Delaware. A young girl was lured from her bus stop by schoolmates. They took her cell phone and ran. She gave chase and ended up at a boy's house. There a group of 4 boys (ages 12, 13, 13 and 14) gang raped...
When your teenager becomes a drug addict, it is one of the most scary, tragic, overwhelming things that can happen. It breaks your heart into pieces. You feel like you can't get your head above water. Even when you're having fun with family or friends, you always...
Helping teens grow and families improve connection, Lauren Goodman, MS, MFT
For people who suffer from depression, anxiety, bipolar, OCD, etc., it can be hard to share this openly with family and friends. If your teenager has any of these diagnoses, the stigma is even more profound. As a rule, your teenager's peers are not the most...
There is a strong correlation between pain and depressed moods. If you find your teenager seems irritable and down, one thing that might be worth exploring is if they are in chronic pain. Not every kid will complain when they have something nagging in their body....
Dear Teens, You live in an era where it's easier to spend time in front of a screen than go do things out in the world. It's hard to go more than three minutes without some form of entertainment. If you look at what you're parents are doing, there's a good...
Hello, I’m Lauren! If you notice your teen struggling, you might be feeling helpless, hopeless, frustrated or concerned as a parent. Try to remember, there is hope. I want to help your adolescent feel better. My hope is for them to enjoy their life again. I want them to feel confident they can handle whatever situations arise.
