Eating Disorders And Teens: Los Angeles Teen Boys As Likely As Girls To Have An Eating Disorder, Is Pop Culture To Blame?

The Los Angeles Times reports that the eating disorder gender gap is closing pretty quickly among high school aged boys. Some experts believe social media and popular culture are to blame.

Survey data gathered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Los Angeles Unified School District found that high school aged boys in Los Angeles are two times more likely to resort to disordered eating to control their weight than the national average.

The survey, which was taken in 2011, found that 5.2 percent of boys said that they had recently vomited or used laxatives as a weight control measure. In addition, 6.2 percent of teen boys surveyed said they had recently used diet pills, powders, or liquids without advice from a doctor. But 6.1 percent of teen girls in the survey said they had done the same.

Could films like 'Magic Mike,' starring Channing Tatum, which show
stars with rock hard abs, be to blame for an increase in the number of
teen boys suffering from eating disorders? Experts think so.

According to the The Los Angeles Times, popular culture, increasingly sexualized images in commercials and advertisements, and the more widespread use of social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter may contribute to boys becoming more conscious about body image.

"Boys are growing up now with the billboard of the guy with perfect pecs and biceps," Roberto Olivardia, a clinical instructor in the Harvard Medical School psychiatry department, told the Times. "You just didn't see that years ago."

Experts have long considered eating disorders a disease of teen girls and young women. Statistically, that is pretty accurate. Eating disorders are more prevalent among women and girls than they are among men and boys. Conventional thinking posits that girls face different pressures and expectations than boys as they grow up. And, if males did happen to suffer from an eating disorder, it's hypothesized that there is something different about those males (perhaps upbringing, trauma, etc.) that made them resort to disordered eating. But neither theory seems to be true.

"One argument has been that because eating disorders are so rare in males, the nature of the illness must somehow be atypical in males," said researchers in a 2001 study. "The second line of discussion has suggested that there must be something different about males who develop an eating disorder. For example, it has been suggested that a higher proportion of males with eating disorders might be homosexual."

But what those researchers found was not dissimilar from the trend occurring in L.A. teens: how the disease occurs in women isn't much different from how it occurs in men.

"We found few differences between men and women with eating disorders on the available clinical variables. The similar ratios of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa in the two groups as well as the very similar patterns of age at onset and birth cohort effect add to the now substantial body of evidence suggesting that the illness is the same in nature for both sexes," researchers said.

The number of males hospitalized for eating disorders has risen 53 percent from 1999 to 2009. In addition, Chicago, Houston, and Charlotte also report seeing higher-than-average rates of boys resorting to disordered eating and diet pills to lose weight.

While the exact cause of the increase in eating disorders among men and boys is unknown, some boys say that a lot of it has to do with embarrassment and inability to discuss weight the way women do. "Men are pressured to have as little fat as possible," said 19-year old Andrew Shrout. "But you've got to pretend like you don't watch what you eat."

The Los Angeles Unified School District is taking these findings very seriously, saying that more lessons tailored to cover eating disorders may be necessary. "This is probably something we need to look at further," said Lori Vollandt, Los Angeles Unified health education programs coordinator.

Study Links Weight Talks With Eating Disorders in Teens

By Benita Matilda

A new finding reveals a strong association between the manner in which parents discuss weight with children and the likelihood of developing eating disorders.

In today's society where thinness is prized, it is common for teens to be self-conscious. At times it is difficult to talk to teens on certain issues, and one of these sensitive subjects is weight.

According to a new study conducted by researchers at the University of Minnesota Medical School, talking to children about weight and food could influence them in developing an eating disorder, reports Health Line.

This study says that when parents talk about body weight and size they increase the chances of their kid opting for unhealthy dietary choices like dieting, binging and other activities that lead to weight loss. On the other hand, when children were told to simply stick to healthy eating they were less likely to develop eating disorders.

To prove the hypothesis, the study lead Jerica M Berge, a researcher from the U of M, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, along with her colleagues examined a survey and assessment that was conducted between 2009-2010 on 2,793 teens of mean age 14.4 years and 3,709 parents of mean age 42.3 years. The teen sample was taken from Eating and Activity in Teens 2010 and parents were from Project Families and Eating and Activity in Teens.   

"Adolescence is a time when more youths engage in disordered eating behaviors, it is important for parents to understand what types of conversations may be helpful or harmful in regard to disordered eating behaviors and how to have these conversations with their adolescents,"  Berge was quoted in Health Line.

The researchers noticed that those children whose parents had weight related conversations were more likely to engage in unhealthy weight control behavior and take up binge eating. On the other hand, obese and overweight children whose parents spoke on healthy eating behavior were less likely to diet and indulge in weight control behavior.

The researchers conclude that weight related talks increase the risk of children developing eating disorders whereas talks on healthy eating avoid this.

The way parents present the topic is crucial. An example quoted in HNGN shows, rather than saying "You should stop eating chocolates because it will make you fat", it is better to say "Eating too much chocolate is bad for the body as it has too much sugar in it, you may get diabetes".

The study was published in the issue of JAMA Network.

Teen Abuse of Painkiller OxyContin on the Rise

by CHRIS ARNOLD

About 1 in 20 high school seniors now acknowledges taking OxyContin, a prescription drug for managing severe pain that, when abused, can be powerfully addictive.

Fast-Forming Addiction

Prescription drugs are the second-most used drugs among teens, behind marijuana. Teens are doing stimulants, barbiturates and painkillers. Many don't realize how highly addictive and dangerous some of these pills can be — OxyContin in particular.

"I was sick as a dog and I was in bed and I couldn't believe it. I was actually scared," recalls 17-year-old Ryan, a high school senior from Tewksbury, Mass.

Ryan, who asked that NPR use only his first name, is enrolled at a drug-treatment clinic at Children's Hospital in Boston. He says he first tried OxyContin at a party when he was 16. Kids crush up the 12-hour time release pills and snort them, so they get hit with all the opiate at once. Ryan says pot made him feel "weirded out." OxyContin just made him feel good — warm and relaxed. And it's easy to get.

"There's always someone who has it," he says. "There's kids selling it. I know alone, like, 10 kids selling it themselves."

But just a week after he started using OxyContin, Ryan realized that if he didn't get a pill every day or two, he'd start to feel sick. So he kept using it. He says he had no idea how bad he was hooked until the next time he tried to stop.

"It was like somebody was inside of your head with a hammer," Ryan recalls. "You feel like you're going to die. Just laying there in the bed, sweat pouring off of you... Then five minutes later, you're freezing… then you'd be throwing up."

A Pricey Habit

OxyContin is very expensive on the street: $80 for one pill. To pay for his habit, Ryan says he cashed $7,000 in savings bonds his aunts had given him on birthdays. He sold his PlayStation, leather jackets, cell phone — everything he had — just to stay high and keep from getting sick. He finally broke down and asked his parents for help.

Looking back on it, Ryan says he didn't think using OxyContin would be that dangerous because it was a prescription pill — that made it seem safe. Many different kids at his high school were playing around with it, he says: "People from every sort of group — the burnouts, athletic kids, the geniuses and, like, girls playing wicked-good softball [who were] offered scholarships to places — they would be using it."

That sentiment is echoed by 18-year-old Mike, a recovering OxyContin addict in Winthrop, Mass. Mike says he was always an athlete and played football. Until his sophomore year in high school, he attended a prep school with wealthier students; he later transferred to the local public school. He says that, if anything, he saw more OxyContin at the prep school.

"All the popular kids — that was the cool thing to do," Mike says. "It seemed like it was cool because it was so expensive, this big rich drug. And a lot of rich kids were doing it because the poor kids couldn't afford it."

OxyContin is so expensive that many teens turn to stealing to support their habit.

"I stole so much money from my parents," says Katie, 18, who is also a recovering OxyContin habit. She says she and a friend both stole their parents' ATM cards to support their habits. "I stole $5,000 from my parents in two months."

Katie also wrote checks from her mother's checkbook. Katie's parents say she and her friends stole cameras and jewelry from their house. Somebody stole her father's wedding ring out of his top drawer.

"It's like someone just punched you in the stomach," Katie's father said in an interview with NPR. "You know you're never going to get it back. And what did it get used for? The addiction."

Gateway to Heroin

Katie's parents say they feel lucky to still have their daughter. More than a year has passed since they enrolled her into a treatment program. She's relapsed twice. Doctors say OxyContin addiction can plague people for years.

And some users move on to heroin. It is much cheaper than OxyContin, and it satisfies the same craving. Instead of $80 a pill, heroin costs about $5 a bag around Boston. One night when Katie was getting sick and desperate, she called a women she'd used OxyContin with before whom she knew also used heroin.

"I didn't think if she had heroin I would do it," Katie recalls, "but then when I had that option — to be sick or do this — I did that."

Deadly Consequences

All the teens interviewed for this story said they knew at least one young person who had overdosed and died recently either on OxyContin or on heroin after first getting hooked on OxyContin.

Cheryl Oates of the middle-class suburb of Burlington, Mass., knows the deadly repercussions of OxyContin addiction all too well. Two months ago, her 19-year-old son, Christopher, died of a heroin overdose.

Oates says her son was not the kind of teen one would expect to become a drug addict. He was a captain of his football and wrestling teams at Burlington High School and popular among his teammates. He got good grades and didn't have behavior problems, Oates says.

"He was the kind of kid who would walk through the mall with me and hold my hand," Oates says. "He didn't care what other people thought and said. Christopher was just his own person."

But by his junior year, Christopher was experimenting with Percocet, another opioid painkiller. It had been prescribed to him for a football injury. By his senior year, he and some friends were using OxyContin; they got hooked. Soon after he graduated, he started using heroin, too.

"The night before Christopher overdosed, we sat in the kitchen and we talked until three in the morning," Oates says. "And he said he knew he needed help. He was such a good kid and he loved so much. And he got grabbed by something that was greater than him."

Oates says she'd tell other parents to keep all prescription medications in a locked cabinet, just to make it harder for teens to start experimenting with them. She says it is frightening that more than 5 percent of high school seniors nationally now report using OxyContin in the past year.

What Do I Do If My Teen Lies to Me?

From Denise Witmer

Teens lie for many different reasons, which can take you off the path of whatever the lie was about in the first place. So, your first best step is to take care of the problem at hand, then deal with the issue of your teen lying.

Don't freak out, talk to your teen and find out why they lied to you. Is there an issue that that you both can work out so as to prevent further lying? For instance, is your teen avoiding doing their homework because they want to go out with their friends after school and they aren't finding the time to get it all done? If so, handle that. Then give your teen a consequence for lying, nothing huge. Talk about trust and how much it means to you in your relationship with your teen. Give them a list of things that they benefit from because of that trust. Things like being able to go out with their friends or having a part time job. Express your hope that your teen will not find the need to lie to you again and that your always open to talk to them about anything.

Do not fall into the 'but what if my teen is not lying' trap. If you feel your teen is lying that is enough to follow through with your parenting responsibility ofdiscipline. Get past the guilt and realize that if you make a mistake here, it's okay. You are human! Parents make mistakes. You can fall back and regroup. But if you continue to allow your teen to lie because you do not have large neon signs pointing you to undeniable proof, your teen will learn that lying works, which is a character flaw that will follow them throughout their life. This is much harder to fix.

Here is an example of how you can handle your teen lying to you: Say your teen's teacher called and told you that there is a missing assignment that your teen needs to get turned in so that he can receive a grade this marking period. You ask your teen and he says he turned it in. You ask when and he gets defensive. You let your teen know that your teacher called and the teacher does not have the assignment. You tell your teen to take out what they need to get the assignment done, they can have their privileges back when the assignment is complete and you see it. Then offer to help with completing the assignment.

After the homework is complete, talk to your teen about the lying. If this is the first time, you can let it go at the talk. If this is a continual problem, assign a consequence that makes lying not their best option in the future, but is quick so that you will be able to use it again should you need to.

Now if your teen insists they turned in the homework, call the teacher back and ask them if it is a possibility. I have had it happen that the teacher rechecked their stack of papers and lo and behold there was the assignment from my teen. Teachers are human and make mistakes too. But if the teacher does not have it you teen will need to complete it, even if they did do it the first time.

WRAPPED UP IN THE WEB--The Dangers of Teen Internet Addiction

Introduction

In today's society, the Internet has made its way into almost every American home. It is a well-known fact that the web is a valuable asset for research and learning. Unfortunately, it can also be a very dangerous place for teens. With social networking sites like Myspace and Friendster, chat rooms, instant messaging, and online role-playing video games, our children are at access to almost anyone. Sue Scheff, along with Parent's Universal Resource Experts™, is tackling the dangers of the web.

Keeping tabs on our teens' online habits doesn't just keep them safe from online predators. More and more parents are becoming wary of the excessive hours their teens spend surfing the web, withdrawing from family, friends and activities they used to enjoy. Internet Addiction is a devastating problem facing far too many teens and their families. While medical professionals have done limited research on the topic, more and more are recognizing this destructive behavior and even more, the potential mental effects it can have.

Though the web is a great place for learning and can be safe for keeping in touch, it is important that families understand the potential risks and dangers to find a healthy balance between real and virtual life.

The Basics: The Dangers of Teen Internet Addiction

It’s clear that, for teenagers, spending too much time online can really deter social and educational development. The Internet world is such that there is always something new to do and to distract one from one’s responsibilities. We all do it- take ten minutes here or there to explore our favorite gossip or sports site. There is nothing wrong with using the Internet as a tool for research, news, and even entertainment. After all, the World Wide Web is the world’s most accurate, up to date resource for almost any type of information.

But as the Internet evolves and becomes more tailored to the individual, it grows increasingly easier to develop a dependency on it. This is especially true for teens- a group that tends to be susceptible to flashy graphics and easily enticed by the popularity of social networks. In a sense, the Internet is the new video game or TV show. It used to be that adolescents would sit in front of the TV for hours on end operating a remote, shooting people and racing cars. Now they surf the web. Teens are impressionable and can at times be improperly equipped to handle certain situations with a degree of reason and rationality. And although they may have good intentions, they might be at risk of coming across something inappropriate and even dangerous.

SEXUAL PREDATORS

We’ve all heard the stories about children entering chat rooms who end up talking to someone older than them who may be looking for something more than merely a chat. These tales may sound far-fetched, or to some, even mundane, because of the publicity they’ve received, but as a parent it would be rather foolish to dismiss them as hearsay or as something that could never actually happen to your child. The fact is, these accounts of sexual predation are all too true and have caused some families a great deal of strain and fear. Even pre-adolescents have been known to join chat rooms. The reality is that there is no real way of knowing who might be in one at any given time. An even scarier thought is that these forums are often sexual predators’ main source of contact with young children. In fact, the popular TV show, [To Catch a Predator (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10912603/)], employs someone to pose as a teen and entice these sex offenders. The show profiles the interactions between them all the way up until the actual meeting. Some of the situations portrayed are horrifying. If you’re the parent of a teen or pre-teen, make sure to monitor Internet activity with regards to chat rooms and educate your child on the potential dangers they present.

SENSITIVE SUBJECT MATTER

Human curiosity is perhaps at its peak during one’s teenage years. That curiosity is what aids teens in the growth and development process. It’s necessary for survival as an adolescent and can provide for some great discoveries and maturation. However, teen curiosity can also potentially lead a person into some questionable situations, and the Internet is a prime medium through which to quell one’s inquisitiveness. Let’s face it- teenagers are anxious to be knowledgeable about topics such as sex, drugs, and other dangerous subject matter.

Talking to your teen about these sensitive subjects before he or she has a chance to search online can be a great way to allay his or her need to surf the web for more information. The Internet might be an excellent tool for presenting interesting data, but it can also grossly misrepresent certain issues. If a teenager wants to learn about sex or drugs via the web, he or she might decide to do a search containing the words “sex” or, perhaps “marijuana.” The results your child might find may not necessarily be the type of educational, instructive material you’d hope they would receive. The Internet may be savvy, but one thing it’s not capable of doing is knowing who is using it at any given time and how to customize its settings. Talk to your children about subjects you feel are important before they have the chance to find out themselves. You never know what they might come across.

LIMITED SOCIAL GROWTH

There is no better time to experience new things and meet new people than during one’s teenage years. Getting outside, going to social gatherings, and just having a good time with friends are among some of the most productive and satisfying activities in which teenagers can engage. While the Internet can provide a degree of social interaction, online networks and connections cannot replace the benefits of in-person contact. Teen Internet Addiction is dangerous because it limits a person’s options when it comes to communication. Much of learning and growing as a teen comes from the lessons one learns through friendships, fights, disagreements, trends, popularity, etc.

The Internet has made it all too easy for teens to recoil from the pressures of adolescence and remain indoors. The lure of the web can often make it seem as though social networks and online gaming are acceptable substitutes for real life. Teens can find acceptance in chat rooms and message boards, while at school they might be complete outcasts. It’s easy for teenagers to rebuff the idea of interacting with their peers and risking rejection when the Internet can provide for a seemingly relaxed environment. Children need to know that Internet addiction and reliance on online forums will only stunt social growth and make life much more difficult in the future.

SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE

Internet dependency also inherently promotes a lifestyle that is not conducive to exercise and physical activity. Many teens tend to become so enthralled in games or chats that peeling them away from the computer can prove to be an ominous task. The entertainment the Internet can provide often trumps the option to leave the house and get exercise. Parents should encourage their teens to use the Internet for school projects and some degree of entertainment, but they should also limit the time that they are allowed to spend on the computer. Begin supporting your child’s involvement in sports teams at an early age and make outside activities fun and interesting. The earlier a child is introduced to the mental and physical benefits of outside activity, the more likely he or she is to avoid inside amusements such as the Internet, TV, and video games.

Nowadays it seems our whole lives can be conducted via the Internet. We can order, purchase, and have groceries delivered all with the click of a few buttons. We can play games, talk to people, find dates, and even attend AA meetings online. The Internet may have made our lives and their day-to-day processes exponentially easier to accomplish, but by the same token it has also increased our dependence on the advantages it can provide. The convenience it creates has been known to cause some people to recoil from outside situations, opting to conduct as much business as possible from home. We must be careful of this trend, especially with teenagers, for whom positive (and negative) social interaction help to form valuable personality and wisdom.

Teen Violence

Teen violence is real, and is a big part of a teenager’s life in the society we live in today. It can include things like dating someone who is violent, who slaps them around frequently, to other teens in school beating on them. Your child sees violence in their school everyday; many teens are using drugs and alcohol and become very depressed. This can be dangerous because they are not thinking clearly and may bring a gun or knife to school. If teen is in a bad enough state they could shoot other students or themselves, or maybe a teacher that they feel has been unfair to them. Depression can cause anyone to become violent especially a teenager. 
   Gang violence among teens is a growing concern; teens in this situation are subject to being shot at, stabbed, or beaten to death. Teens that are involved in gangs are more likely to commit a violent act towards another person, possibly even killing them. The longer a child lives in this type of environment, the more violent they may become. 

    Teens also see violence in their homes, they may see one parent beaten and abused by the other, and sometimes one of the parents may be guilty of beating their teen. Maybe the other parent is unaware of what is going on or is too afraid to do anything about it. This type of teen violence is not uncommon in today’s society. 

Teen violence prevention 

    The best way to help prevent teen violence is by not allowing it in your home, treat each other, including your teen with respect and courtesy. By doing this you set good examples for your teen, these examples will help teach your teen how to treat others with respect. Talk to your teenager; let them know you understand there is a lot of violence surrounding them. Let your teen know you will be there, and be supportive if they ever need you. Try and stay a part of your teen’s life, and if you notice any odd behavior, talk with your child letting them know you are there for them. 

Teen violence statistics 

     Fifty percent of men who abuse their spouse will abuse their children. As sad as it sounds, three million children are at risk of being assaulted by a parent each year. A teen growing up with their mother being abused will more likely be a violent teenager and adult, than a teen that grows up in a loving home. Forty per cent of teenage girls have friends that have been a victim of some violent act. One in five high school girls has been in a violent relationship with a boy. Teen violence has been a problem for a long time but statistic show that this problem is growing and getting more violent each year. Understand that it is a serious problem and we need to not take it lightly. 

Runaway Teens

There are a number of teens that are in desperate need of help; teens who are alone and don’t have anyone to turn to; teens who may not admit that they need help; teens that are runaways. An estimated 2.8 million runaway teens live on the streets of our country, many of them living hard lives full of violence, drugs, alcohol, and prostitution. Authorities estimate that 1 out of every 7 children will run away from home before they are 18. These are some pretty sad statistics, and they suggest that something needs to be done to help both troubled teens and their parents deal with the issues they face.

Reasons Teen Run Away

Many kids that run away do so because they lack a positive support system at home. Parents may be neglectful or preoccupied with work, relationships, or their own lives. Other kids run away because the rules are too strict at home. They may want their freedom and don’t feel they can get anywhere by staying at home with the rules, so they run away. Other teens run away to escape something bad that is happening in the home. It might be physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, or fighting between parents, or an alcoholic parent that the child tries to run away from.

Still other kids run away from home because they are afraid of what their parents will do when they find out what the child has been up to. Teen pregnancy, failing grades, and substance abuse may be reasons for teens to run away. Teens that are addicted to drugs may leave home in search of more drugs and the freedom to do the drugs when and where they want.

Problems Runaways Face

Once a child leaves home, they become very vulnerable. Prostitution is a huge problem among homeless teens, often at the hands of predators. Hunger is a problem, as well as lack of shelter. These kids will usually turn to stealing things just to live. Drug abuse is also a common problem among runaway kids. Drugs are readily available on the streets, and many runaways are faced with the opportunity to do drugs, even if they have never used drugs before.

Many parents whose teen ran away from home were shocked to find their child gone. Looking back, there are often warning signs, and more parents should be aware of these.  A poor relationship between parents and the teen is the first warning. Teens may also become withdrawn, out of control, extremely emotional, and they may be involved with drugs and alcohol, or with a bad group of friends.

Parents who are concerned that their child might run away should get help as soon as possible. Seeing a counselor is a good place to start. Get help fixing your relationship with your child, to keep them from feeling desperate, or acting in a desperate way.

Teenagers and Bipolar Disorder--What All Parents Need to Know

 By Julie A. Fast

If you’re reading this page you likely have a teenager with bipolar disorder. If your teen has been newly diagnosed, you may be frightened. They may have ended up in the hospital due to a manic episode, or they may have threatened or even attempted suicide. The behaviors of teenagers with bipolar disorder can be extremely challenging for everyone in a family. Help, however, does exist. There are excellentmedications that help keep symptoms in check, and with parental assistance and a good management program, teenagers with bipolar disorder can live healthy, normal lives. Here are the most important facts parents need to know:

• Bipolar disorder is a biological illness having nothing to do with parenting style.
• Bipolar disorder is a lifelong illness. There is no known “cure.”
• Medication is essential, but is not enough. A comprehensive management program is necessary. There are no magic pills.
• With proper management, people with bipolar disorder can live happy, productive lives.
• Teenagers are capable of managing the illness, but they absolutely need the help of parents and health care professionals.

Having an early diagnosis is a tremendous help. Teens who are diagnosed with bipolar disorder at an early age are more likely to manage their illness successfully during the rest of their lives. A proper diagnosis also allows parents to better understand their teenager’s behaviors so they can help when symptomatic behaviors occur. The main goal for parents of a bipolar teen is to learn the difference between typical teenage behavior and bipolar-influenced behavior. Once they do, they can recognize the signs that a mood swing is starting, and learn the best ways to communicate with and ultimately help their teen successfully manage the illness.

Typical vs. Bipolar Teenage Behavior

There is a huge difference between typical teenage behavior and behavior that is symptomatic of bipolar disorder. A bipolar teenager will display both, and it may be difficult at first for parents to tell the difference. As a rule, it is usually a matter of extremes. For example, it is normal for teenagers to feel sadness and heartbreak after a break-up. They may cry, call their friends and perhaps even believe for a while that they may never be happy again. Yet they bounce back in a reasonable amount of time. A teenager with bipolar disorder, on the other hand, might fall into a deep depression, isolating themselves and crying for weeks or even months on end. They might turn their unhappiness on themselves and say things like, “I’m worthless and unlovable” or “I would be better off dead.” They may even try to commit suicide.

The same is true for irritation and anger. During an argument it is normal for teenagers to yell, slam their door and even tell their parents, “I hate you!” But they will usually come out for dinner a few hours later feeling better. A teenager experiencing a bipolar disorder mood swing, however, might not be able to calm themselves down for a very long time, and their response can be much more extreme. They may become paranoid or psychotic, think their parents are out to get them, or even end up in the hospital.

The beginnings of mania are often missed in teenagers, as manic symptoms can be confused with typical teenage behavior. Dating, drinking, staying up all night studying, talking back to parents, getting excited about a project, etc., are all typical teenage behaviors. But when a child is manic, these behaviors always go too far. Once again, it is the extreme nature of the emotions and behaviors that spell the difference. A mania treatment plan is essential for anyone with bipolar disorder—especially teenagers—as it can come on quickly and spiral out of control in a matter of days.

Teenagers and the “Bipolar Conversation”

Bipolar disorder is a compulsive illness, and until a teenager with bipolar disorder learns to recognize their symptoms and differentiate between when they are experiencing a mood swing and when they are healthy, they can and often will make decisions that have dangerous consequences. These include decisions around sex, relationships, school choices, drugs and alcohol, etc. A parent can help their teenager learn to recognize their symptoms, but they must first learn how to communicate effectively with a teenager with bipolar disorder. The first step is to understand that when a teenager is in the midst of a bipolar disorder mood swing—whether it’s psychosis, mania, depression, anxiety, etc.—they will often say things they don’t mean, don’t believe and would never say when healthy. It’s important during these times not to react as though they were healthy, and get caught up in what I call the “bipolar conversation.”

The bipolar conversation happens when the person you care about is sick and the bipolar disorder is doing the talking, but you react to what they’re saying as though everything is normal. This leads to a lot of problems, as the conversation typically becomes circular—the ill person keeps saying what bipolar disorder is making them say and you keep reacting by trying to get them to see that they’re making no sense. For example, a typical response by a parent to hearing their teenager say they are a failure and want to die might be, “You’re not a failure! Why are you so unhappy? So many people love you.” Etc., Talking this way simply doesn’t work, as it doesn’t address the real problem, which is the illness itself. Rather, a more appropriate response might be, “I hear you and I know you’re depressed. You have bipolar disorder and this is normal. I’ve seen you like this before. Let’s do X, which we know helps you when you are feeling this way.” This response addresses the real issue and leads to great progress in communicating with your child and managing the illness successfully.

Teenagers, Bipolar Disorder and School

Besides relationships, school is the main problem for teenagers with bipolar disorder. School is basically a microcosm of work. It has a very rigid schedule. There is a lot of pressure to perform, and there are many social requirements. The pressures can be enormous during exams and for those who miss school due to a mood swing or hospitalization. There can be shame and embarrassment after an episode. It’s hard enough to talk when you’re a teen, and having to explain bipolar disorder at school may feel impossible. Many teens have their first episode in high school, or when they go off to college. As a parent, you may worry that your child will not be able to get a degree and a good job, or that they will have to miss school if they have a serious mood swing. This is not necessarily true. A strong management plan makes it very likely that a teen can finish high school and move on to work or college. The goal should be to find stability before taking on a new college or job.

High school is actually a great time for teenagers to learn what they can and can’t do regarding bipolar disorder. They must understand that things will not get better just because they are out of school. The illness remains and will respond to other, new triggers.

My Health Cards System teaches parents how to work with their teenager to identify specific symptoms and know when a mood swing is present. It also provides step-by-step instructions for creating effective plans to deal with each symptom as it arises. I promise you there is no better system for parents and teenagers available anywhere else.

A Final Note

Teenagers with bipolar disorder can get better, but they absolutely need help from others. As a parent, teacher or anyone who cares about a bipolar teenager, you will first need to learn as much as you can about the illness, including the various bipolar medications and how they work. You will also need to learn to distinguish between the teenager’s natural behaviors and those that can be attributed to bipolar disorder. And you will need to learn effective ways to communicate with them, especially when they are in a mood swing. The goal is to help them learn how to talk about bipolar disorder in order to better understand themselves and what they need to stay healthy.

Teen Marijuana Use at All-Time High

A new survey shows marijuana use by teens remains high, and officials say it will probably increase as a result of Washington and Colorado decriminalizing the drug last month.

“Based on what we know ... we are predicting that it’s going to go up,” says Nora Volkow, MD, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. “Just the fact that there are some states that have made it legal ... will send a message” to teens throughout the country.

Already, the proportion of teens who consider marijuana to be harmful is the lowest it’s been in decades, according to the 2012 “Monitoring the Future” survey of eighth, 10th, and 12th graders. The annual survey of teen drug use is conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan.

The survey's silver lining is that it shows the use of illicit drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes is declining.

Still, about 70% of eighth graders said they thought regular use of marijuana was harmful, while about 42% said they considered occasional use harmful. Those rates are the lowest since the survey began asking eighth graders that question in 1991.

Among 12th graders, the proportion who said regular use was harmful was about 44%, occasional use, about 21%. Those are the lowest rates since 1979 and 1983, respectively.

The survey shows that 6.5% of high school seniors said they smoke marijuana daily, which is about the same as last year but up from 5.1% five years ago.

Use of synthetic marijuana, known as K-2 or Spice, was stable in 2012, with slightly more than 11% of high school seniors reporting they had used it in the past year, the survey shows.

This Is Your Brain on Marijuana

Teens who think marijuana is safe to use are mistaken, Volkow says. “I think that the data are quite clear that smoking marijuana during adolescence is harmful to your brain.”

A National Institutes of Health-funded study, published in August in theProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found a significant drop in IQ -- an average of eight points -- between the ages of 13 and 38 in people who had been heavy marijuana users since their teens. Even those who quit using the drug showed impaired mental abilities if they had started smoking marijuana in their teens.

“Findings are suggestive of a neurotoxic effect of cannabis on the adolescent brain and highlight the importance of prevention and policy efforts targeting adolescents,” the researchers concluded.

Washington and Colorado voters approved measures legalizing possession of up to an ounce of marijuana by people 21 and older. Washington’s law went into effect Dec. 6, while Colorado’s is set to become effective Jan. 5. Medical use of marijuana is legal in 18 states and the District of Columbia.

Although marijuana is illegal under federal law, President Obama told ABC’s Barbara Walters in a Dec. 11 interview that going after recreational users in states where marijuana is legal should not be a “top priority” of federal law enforcement officials.

Illegal Drug Use Overall Fell

Use of other illegal drugs declined among teens, the survey shows. The proportion who said they’d used an illegal drug other than marijuana in the past year was at its lowest level for all three grades: 5.5% for eighth graders, 10.8% for 10th graders, and 17% for 12th graders.

The 2012 survey was the first to ask about “bath salts,” stimulant-like drugs that can be addictive. Less than 1% of eighth and 10th graders, and only 1.3% of high school seniors said they had used bath salts in the previous year.

At a press conference about the findings, Lloyd Johnston, PhD, who has led the survey since its inception in 1975, speculated that use of bath salts might have been higher previously.

Prescription Drugs, Alcohol, and Tobacco

Nonmedical use of Vicodin, a prescription narcotic painkiller, in the past year by 12th graders was 7.5%, down from 10% in 2010. But nonmedical past-year use of the stimulant Adderall, prescribed to treat ADHD, rose from 5.4% in 2009 to 7.6% in 2012 among 12th graders.

“We do not know if they are abusing it because they think it is going to make them smarter or if they think it is going to make them high,” Volkow says.

Alcohol use has been declining steadily, with reported use in 2012 the lowest it’s been since the survey began measuring rates. Cigarette smoking continued to decline among students in all three grades. Still, nearly 1 in 5 high school seniors said they’d smoked cigarettes in the previous month. Teens also are turning to other forms of tobacco, such as small candy-flavored cigars and products that dissolve like mints, Howard Koh, MD, MPH, assistant secretary for health at the Department of Health and Human Services, said at the press conference.

“We should remember that of all these agents, tobacco remains the leading cause of preventable illness and death in the United States,” Koh said.