Alpha Connection

It might be upsetting and difficult for you if your child declines to go to a behavioral disorders examination. How can you get around the denial and enroll your kid in the evaluation?

Your youngster will become more obstinate if you react violently to their resistance or outbursts. Keep your cool and speak in a supportive, rather than judging or critical, manner. Keep your cool and follow these instructions to get your child to comply.

Overcome Unawareness

Your youngster might not be cooperating because they don’t understand the issue. Children may not initially be aware that their behavior is a problem. Give your child specific examples of their conduct in response to this. Describe how these behaviors point to the demand for an evaluation.

Fighting Denial

Both adults and kids frequently react in denial. Even when they are aware of the problem, your child could dismiss it as unimportant. Your child may acknowledge the problem but insist that it will resolve itself.

Get support from close friends and family members your child respects and trusts to counter this. Have them reiterate the same point you are trying to make to your youngster. They might begin to understand that there’s a bigger problem when they hear it from multiple sources.

Push Through Resistance

Your youngster has overcome denial, thanks to you. Despite admitting there is a problem, they are adamant that they can solve it on their own. As a way to overcome opposition, an analogy might be effective. Remind your child that in order to treat an ear infection, an antibiotic prescription from a doctor is required. Then describe how getting an assessment is similar to getting a prescription. It’s a critical first step in starting to deal with the current problem.

Talk about how the ear infection would heal much more slowly if there were no medication. In addition, avoiding antibiotics may increase the likelihood that a person would become worse and experience more pain. Ask your child if the best way to deal with a problem is to use all the remedies available, in language that is appropriate for their age. Stress that receiving an evaluation expedites the healing process.

Promoting Acceptance

Even when your child consents to the assessment, they can still be apprehensive. A powerful tool is information. By explaining how an assessment operates, you may reassure your child.

Inform them that an assessment merely entails meeting with a counselor who will probe them about their feelings and thoughts. Mention that a physical examination may also be required. Tell your child that you will be present for some of the assessment and that other sections will take place one-on-one with the counselor.

Contact the Alpha Connection staff if you’re still having trouble getting your kid to try counseling. We might be able to offer suggestions to make things simpler.

For young individuals, adolescence is a stressful and perplexing time. Their bodies start to transform. They experience intense, chaotic emotions, yet they frequently are unable to articulate them effectively. Peer pressure to start drinking or using drugs may increase when peer groups become more significant than ever. It might be time to think about a residential program if your child is displaying symptoms of mental illness or drug usage.

Reasons Your Child Might Need a Residential Program

They Don’t Respond to Parental Instruction

After you’ve criticized their behavior, if your child continues to misbehave, they might need specialist counseling services. Teenagers who act out even after receiving discipline that are frequently effective, like being grounded or losing privileges, are demonstrating that their actions will not change. Such conduct might indicate that conventional punishment is no longer effective. This is particularly true if your child has been persistently detained or suspended from school due to their disruptive behavior or if they have run into legal issues.

A residential program for teenagers is a powerful tool for altering your child’s viewpoint, emphasizing the importance of behavioral consequences, and reinforcing good behavior. If things just appear to be getting worse at home and at school, take this strategy into consideration.

They Are Ignorant of the Effects of Their Actions

Teenagers are known for having poor vision and living in the present. Because of this, it is uncommon for persons who have started abusing alcohol or drugs to fully comprehend the effects of their choices. Even if you repeatedly explain to your child the consequences of their decisions, you might not be able to convince them. They probably care more about being accepted by their peers than the long-term implications of substance addiction on their health.

You should take into account a short-term residential program if your youngster consistently causes problems for the family with no remorse. They will be able to learn everything there is to know about the risks associated with addiction in such a setting. Adolescents are better prepared to make future decisions about substance use thanks to this information.

They Have Difficulty in Other Areas

Abuse of drugs rarely happens by accident. Usually, it’s connected to pressures like peer pressure or emotional upheaval. It could be time to enroll your child in a residential program if they have shown signs of deteriorating mental health, are struggling academically, or have suddenly started hanging out with a new crowd.

By removing your child from their current setting, you can avoid the numerous distractions that could jeopardize their recuperation. They can devote their entire attention to their mental health in a recognized addiction treatment center. Licensed counselors can assist children in changing their perspective, carefully considering the people they want to be around, and placing importance on their academic performance.

You Experience Cynicism or Feel Overwhelmed

Finding out that your child is abusing alcohol and other drugs can be terrifying. You probably feel like you’ve done all possible as a parent to communicate with your children. You could be unsure of what to do next if punishment, enabling, positive reinforcement, or harsher regulations don’t appear to work.

If you recognize this, don’t let it discourage you. Teenage substance misuse is a diagnosable disorder that frequently requires clinical care; it cannot always be treated at home. We advise going to a residential facility for teenagers for primary therapy if your child has resisted all of your attempts to intervene.

You may wonder if your child needs counseling due to personality changes. These alterations can appear suddenly or after a severe event. These changes, regardless of the cause, can help you decide if your child needs counseling. Read on for six indicators your child may need counseling.

Combative Behavior

Behavior issues within and outside the house are a common sign that your child needs counseling. Your child may quarrel, protest, and get defensive at the tiniest request or conversation. If these responses occur regularly, pay attention. Your youngster may be begging for aid without realizing it.

Stay in touch with teachers and other parents at school and other activities. Let them know you’re worried and to let you know if your youngster is acting out.

Unexpected Changes in Interests

Changes in your child’s daily hobbies and behaviors can also indicate that they need counseling. Changes in eating, sleeping, and interests are usually the most noticeable and indicative. If these changes persist after two weeks, consult your child’s doctor. If emotional stressors are the source, they may be able to guide you.

Anxiety and Depression

The most obvious symptom that your child needs treatment is excessive stress and despair. While concern and grief can be acceptable, especially through life transitions and changes, when these emotions become excessive and begin to absorb your child and their thoughts, that is when you should take a closer look.

Regressions in Behavior

A new sibling, divorce, or other big life events in the home might cause regressions. However, when regressions seem unrelated, investigate. Common regressions that suggest your child needs counseling include:

• Bedwetting
• Frequent temper tantrums
• Clinginess and separation anxiety
• Language regression

Frequent Loneliness

If your child withdraws socially, this may indicate an emotional issue. When depressed or anxious, children often isolate themselves. When this continues to happen on a regular basis, and starts to take away from their interpersonal relationships, that is when it comes time to think that it may be more than just a sad day. This is especially true if shyness and introverted inclinations are not prevalent personality features for your child.

Unsure of child social isolation? Disturbed children socially separate in these ways:

• Eating lunch alone
• Avoiding social events
• Lack of motivation to leave the house

Discussing Self-harm

Finally, if your child expresses thoughts of self-harm, seek help immediately. This can appear softly as hopelessness and loneliness. Sometimes suicidal thoughts and cutting are more obvious.

Suicidal thoughts and cutting may seem excessive for younger children, yet self-harm can be communicated in many ways. Young children self-harm by hitting themselves, bashing their heads, and scratching. Note any self-harming behaviors and get your child aid.

Get Your Child The Help They Deserve

Getting treatment for your child should not be an emotionally draining and lengthy effort. Alpha Connections offers many youth counseling programs. Alpha Connections goes above and beyond by giving mental health treatments tailored to each kid in disadvantaged neighborhoods.

The sooner you pinpoint the symptoms your child needs counseling, the quicker you can get them the care that they need. With the indicators given above, you can be sure that you will know what to look out for when it comes to your child’s mental health and emotional well being.

Suicide is something that touches us all. From those who have had suicidal ideation to those who have lost friends or family members, it’s hard not to see ways in which the phenomenon has become a significant part of modern life. That’s why it is so important to take the time to talk about Suicide Prevention Month and the steps that can be taken to protect those who are the most vulnerable, not just now, but year-round.

Take Steps to Understand Suicide Prevention

Suicide Prevention Month is designed to shine a spotlight not just on the ongoing suicide epidemic, but on the resources and methods that can help prevent it from taking lives. From workshops and books to counseling and residential treatment programs, these resources are invaluable for saving lives. But, unfortunately, many of those who are at their lowest and feel like they have nowhere left to turn simply might not be aware of the resources that are available to them.

It’s vital that even those who have not had their lives impacted by a suicide or suicide attempt take the time to understand what can be done to help those who feel like they have nowhere to which they can turn. Knowing the numbers to call or resources to tap can help many get the help they need. Rather than trying to villainize those who take their own lives or to somehow insist that individuals can power through suicidal ideation on their own, realizing that suicide is a societal issue that requires a societal approach really is the way forward that can make the most change for the most significant number of people.

Whether you have struggled with suicidal thoughts or you simply want to ensure that you know what to do if someone in your life is considering committing suicide, the programs spotlighted this month and the outreach performed can give you the knowledge that you need to offer an alternative. Sometimes simply knowing that there is help out there can be the necessary first step in helping an individual in crisis find a way to stay safe during a trying time.

As a parent or guardian, it can be difficult to determine exactly how to start the conversation about treatment options with a teen. Not only do you broach a subject that’s difficult at best, but you may be looking at a situation that will generate a significant amount of pushback from the person who needs help the most. Learning how to start the conversation is often the best way to gain the confidence you need to move forward.

The Steps to Effective Interventions

It’s important to start by doing your research. There are necessarily going to be questions about what intervention looks like, how long your teen might need to be in a program, and other related factors. The more you know, the more you will be able to answer honestly. With that said, you also need to admit that you don’t have all of the answers so that you can honestly tell your teen what you know and what you do not.

From there, you need to think about the conversation itself. You’re doing this out of a concern for your teen, after all, and the conversation needs to center around him or her. A dialog is best, of course, but it’s not always a guarantee in these situations. Instead, you need to be able to calmly and honestly set out your concerns and your reasoning for choosing this particular intervention for the teen in your life. Centering things on your care for him or her may not make the conversation easier, but it may help you to avoid a more heated confrontation.

Finally, you’ll want to do what you can to get buy-in from the teen if possible. While it’s not a given in every situation, teens that go into intervention with the right mindset will usually have an easier time accepting the necessity of any program. If you can talk to your teen out of a place of love and concern while making sure to answer any of his or her questions as honestly as you can, you may be able to take the next steps as a team rather than in an adversarial relationship.

Counseling can be an incredibly useful experience for those who are in the process of recovering from trauma or addiction. It can also be a useful process for anyone who is looking to sort through personal issues or who simply feels like they need help moving forward in their lives. With that said, it can be difficult to speak to a counselor for the first time, especially if you’re going in without outside supports. That’s why it’s vital to have a plan to prepare for your first counseling session.

Steps Toward Counseling

The first step to take is to think about the reason why you are attending counseling. For some, those reasons will be crystal clear from the first moment. For others, though, it will take a bit of digging to figure out why you are looking for help. It’s entirely appropriate to go to counseling simply because you’re not sure what else to do because you want to get your life on track, but it never hurts to spend a bit of time interrogating your reasoning for speaking with a counselor.

The next step is to prepare yourself for what an actual counseling session is like. While there are many depictions of counseling in media, most of them are quite inaccurate. It might be useful for you to call the counseling office to find out what to expect for your first session. In some cases, you’ll simply complete some minor intake paperwork and spend a bit of time on introductions. In other cases, you might get right to work. Knowing what comes next can calm your nerves and better prepare you for what comes next.

No matter what you do, you should also remember that meeting with a counselor is ultimately your choice. You have the power in this situation, so you are taking a positive step to improve your own life. If you are ready to speak with someone about the problems that you are encountering, you should give yourself credit for taking an action that will ultimately give you more options as to how you will move forward to a better future.