Skip to main content

Are the Holidays a good time for a family intervention?

By Stephen C. Schultz


As we enter this Holiday Season, I hope the Holidays bring meaningful time spent with family and the joy associated with renewed relationships.

It is sad, but true…every year RedCliff Ascent has an increase in inquiries around the Holidays. Teens that tend to be struggling anyway seem to escalate their behavior around the Holidays for some reason. If you are a parent and find yourself in this situation, please know that you are not alone.



Adolescents who are struggling with depression, anxiety, peer relationships or trauma typically tend to view the world in a very narrow and rigid manner. This really is not a judgment as much as it is simply stating a fact. It is difficult for them to move beyond the very ego-centric orientation that they have adopted around their environment and their relationships. Some would say this is “normal” adolescence complicated with emotional concerns.

Some adolescents, those struggling in school or those who tend to act out with anger, maintain a very guarded view of their relationship with their parents.  It is not uncommon for an out-of-control teen to view his or her parents more as contemporaries rather than acknowledge the parents have achieved a higher level of experience and wisdom throughout their lives.  Some adolescents blatantly demand that they be the ones in control of the family dynamic and not their parents.  They conceitedly see themselves as peers to their parents.


We have found that adolescents tend to be much more receptive to information, instruction and feedback from adults when they are in a neutral environment and there is no immediate concern about dominating the interaction with their parents. They will however, try to maintain control of their situation, often through immature and impulsive means.



You can read more about how teens will try to exert influence over their surroundings when they really have limited life perception here.

An Open Letter to Parents Researching RedCliff Ascent


It is interesting to see how they use the same techniques and manipulative skills that got them in trouble in the first place.

The term “out-of-control” conjures up visions of disrespectful, substance abusing, belligerent, angry adolescents. However, it is equally applicable to depressed, anxiety ridden teens that may be suffering from ADHD, NLD or Autism Spectrum Disorder. When teenagers struggle with these clinically complicated issues, their life does feel out of control in a very real sense.

There is hope for treatment resistant teens!
The above link is a personal experience I had with RedCliff Ascent a few years ago. I hope you find it helpful. This article discusses the clinical efforts used to reinsert the adolescent into the appropriate developmental stage with the family. 
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Young Boy and the Rattlesnake

By Stephen C. Schultz (Editors note: This is a story used in a Wilderness Treatment Program for Young Adults . Many come to this program having struggled with substance abuse and interacting with unsavory friends.)   Many years ago there was a young Native American who lived in the very land you are residing in. He decided to seek wisdom by journeying to the top of Indian Peak. As he approached the base of the mountain he came across a rattlesnake that slithered beside him. The snake coiled as if to strike and the young boy moved back quickly in fear of being struck by the snake’s deadly venom. At that instant the snake spoke to the boy saying, “Don’t be afraid of me, I mean you no harm. I come to you to ask a favor. I see that you are about to traverse to the top of Indian Peak and was hoping that you may be willing to place me in your satchel so that I don’t have to make the long journey alone.” The young boy surprised by the snake’s request quickly responded b
Post a Comment
Read more

Video Games, Anxiety and ADHD - Free Family Resources

 By Stephen C. Schultz Video Games, Anxiety and ADHD - Is there a common theme? Aloft Transitions Home for Young Adults This is simply a complimentary resource guide for parents of teens and young adults who struggle with ADHD, Anxiety and Gaming. ADHD:   • Russell Barkley,  Taking Charge of ADHD • Hallowell & Ratey,  Delivered from Distraction • Harvey Parker,  The ADD Hyperactivity Workbook for Parents, Teachers, & Kids • Bradley & Giedd,  Yes, Your Teen Is Crazy!: Loving Your Kid Without Losing Your  Mind  • Gurian, Michael,  The Minds of Boys Saving Our Sons from Falling Behind in School and  Life, 2005. • Hanna, Mohab,  Making the Connection: A Parents’ Guide to Medication in AD/HD • www.CHADD.org  (Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) • www.help4adhd.org • www.aap.org (American Academy of Pediatrics) • www.aacap.org (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) Young Adult caring for new baby calf Anxiety: The following websites
4 comments
Read more

An Open Letter to Parents Researching RedCliff Ascent

By Stephen C. Schultz "We will be known forever by the tracks we leave." Having been raised in Oregon, I spent the majority of my childhood and teenage year’s steelhead fishing the coastal waters, climbing the Middle Sister in the Cascade Mountain Range, drifting the McKenzie River and hiking the Pacific Crest Trail.  I have mentioned to friends, family and colleagues on many occasions;   “From a therapeutic standpoint, there is no better place to have a student’s issues manifested quickly than in a wilderness setting.” The question then becomes, “Why do therapeutic issues rise to the surface in an Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare program like RedCliff Ascent ?” Throughout the years of teenage development, most teens spend a lot of time with friends. These friends think the same, dress the same, act the same, listen to the same music and sometimes get into the same types of trouble. Some teens also develop patterns of communication and manipulation
9 comments
Read more