4 Troubled Teens Blog

According to the Centers for Disease Control, suicide is the third leading cause of death among teenagers. While depression is often the first sign that a teenager may be suicidal, there are other important signs, too.

In a March 31 article on www.connectwithkids.com, Emily Halevy reported that anger and aggression -- as well as a family history of drug and alcohol abuse -- may also put a child at higher risk of suicide:

"So a child that's sad more days than not, that loses interest in their normal activities, that isolates themselves, whose outward behavior changes, who stops being able to function in school and with friends, those are some pretty obvious signs," says Dr. Shannon Croft, a child psychiatrist with the Emory University School of Medicine.

But, experts say, sadness isn't the only sign of suicidal thoughts.

"The majority of the time it only presents with anger and aggression," says adolescent psychiatrist Dr. Saaid Khojasteh with Washington University in St. Louis. "That by itself is a red flag."

Experts say other factors that put teens at risk are family history... and drug and alcohol use.

"If you suspect that your teenager is using alcohol or drugs," says Dr. Croft, "anything that effects somebody's ability to accurately think about themselves and their life and may change their mood- that's a real serious risk factor."

Labels: suicide, aggression, angry

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 0 Comments

A professor at Yeshiva University has put together a profile of the typical school shooter in his new book, Ceremonial Violence.

According to Dr. Jonathan Fast, the typical student who goes on a shooting rampage at a school is a male in a rural, evangelistic community who has a high-achieving brother or sister.

• The typical shooter suffers from "malignant narcissism," depression and paranoia, and has a severe learning disability.


• He spends part of his school day in a "resource room" with other disturbed children, and feels like "damaged goods."


• He appears impulsive and overly dramatic, and demonstrates little feeling toward others.


• He may have tried to date girls, but was always rejected.


• He has one or two friends at most.


• He is likely to dress in black and wear piercings.


• Part of his plan is to kill himself after the rampage.

Dr. Fast believes that while some parents are able to recognize danger signs of mental illness in their children and get them into therapy, most cases result in the child becoming sicker and sicker. Though he believes that reform schools and boot camps only teach teens to become adult criminals, he writes that therapeutic boarding schools can help many of these boys, even at the "eleventh hour."

Labels: violence, angry, juvenile_crime

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

Has your teenager become irritable and angry? Is he defiant, skipping school or getting into fights? Maybe she's withdrawn and sullen, or doesn't care about her grades anymore. If so, your teen could be struggling with depression.

"Although the majority of depressed teens do not suffer from major medical illness or become suicidal, every depressed teen experiences a barrier to effective living and learning. Unless this barrier is lifted, every teen is at risk for more serious problems that can result from chronic depression."

Depression in teens can be triggered by a variety of factors. In general, teenagers don't have the coping mechanisms that adults have. Thus, they may believe that the negative feelings they experience when a relationship ends, or when there's trouble at school, are going to last forever. Teens in this situation need the help of a professional, such as a therapist, school counselor, or family physician. Source: Statesman Journal (OR)

Labels: depression, angry, defiance

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments