Saturday, May 11, 2019

Teenage pregnancy: Helping your teen cope

Teenage pregnancy: Helping your teen cope

Teenage pregnancy can have a profound impact on a teen's life. Help your child understand the options, health risks and challenges ahead.
By Mayo Clinic Staff
Pregnancy can be one of the most difficult experiences a teenager faces. Understand how to help your teen address the challenges ahead.

Provide support

Teenage pregnancy can be a crisis for your teen and your family. Common reactions might include anger, guilt and denial. Your teen might also experience anxiety, fear, shock and depression. Ask what your teen is feeling and talk about what's ahead. Your teen needs your love, guidance and support now more than ever.

Discuss the options

A pregnant teen has a variety of options to consider:
  • Keep the baby. Many pregnant teens keep their babies. Some choose to marry their partners and raise the baby together. Others rely on family support to raise the baby. Although completing school and getting a good job can be challenging, it can be accomplished with hard work and help. If your teen plans to keep the baby, discuss the challenges and responsibilities involved.
  • Give the baby up for adoption. Some pregnant teens give their babies up for adoption. If your teen is considering adoption, explore the different types available. Also, discuss the emotional impact on everyone involved.
  • End the pregnancy. Some pregnant teens choose to end their pregnancies. If your teen is considering an elective abortion, discuss the risks and emotional impact. Be aware that some states require parental notification for an elective abortion.
In addition to talking to you, encourage your teen to discuss the options with your teen's partner, health care provider or a specialist in pregnancy counseling. Talking to a psychologist or social worker also might be helpful.

Promote proper prenatal care

Teens during pregnancy appear to be at increased risk of high blood pressure, anemia, premature birth, having low birth weight babies and experiencing postpartum depression. Encourage your teen to:
  • Seek prenatal care. During pregnancy, regular prenatal visits can help your teen's health care provider monitor your teen's health and the baby's health. Teens might need specialized prenatal care.
  • Get tested for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). If your teen has an STI, treatment is essential.
  • Eat a healthy diet. During pregnancy, your teen will need more folic acid, calcium, iron and other essential nutrients. A daily prenatal vitamin can help fill any gaps.
  • Stay physically active. Regular physical activity can help ease discomfort and boost your teen's energy level. Encourage your teen to get a health care provider's OK before starting or continuing an exercise program, especially if your teen has an underlying medical condition.
  • Gain weight wisely. Gaining the right amount of weight can support the baby's health — and make it easier for your teen to lose weight after delivery.
  • Avoid risky substances. Alcohol, tobacco and any illegal drugs are off-limits during pregnancy. Even use of supplements and prescription and over-the-counter medications deserve caution.
  • Take childbirth classes. These classes can help prepare your teen for pregnancy, childbirth, breast-feeding and being a parent.
If your teen lacks the money or transportation to obtain prenatal care — or needs help finishing school — a counselor or social worker might be able to help.

Prepare for the future

Teenage pregnancy often has a negative impact on a teen's future. Teen mothers are less likely to graduate from high school and to attend college, are more likely to live in poverty, and are at risk of domestic violence.
Children of teen parents also are more likely to have health and learning impairment conditions and are more likely to be neglected or abused. Girls born to teen parents are more likely to experience teenage pregnancy themselves.
If your teen decides to continue the pregnancy, address these challenges head-on. Discuss goals and how your teen might go about achieving them as a parent. Look for programs to help pregnant teens remain in school or complete coursework from home. Encourage your teen to take parenting classes and help your teen prepare to financially support and raise a child.
Remember, your love and support can help your teen deal with pregnancy and the challenges ahead.
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Teen Resources


Advocacy
Community Connections
Employment/Career
General Information/Resources
Helplines
  • Teen Lifeline  1 (800) 248-TEEN (8336)
  • Christian Teen Helpline 1 (800) 394-HOPE (4673)
  • National Runaway Switchboard 1 (800) 621-4000
  • Suicide Hotline 1 (800) SUICIDE (784-2433), 1-886-205-5229 (crisis line)
  • Sexual Assault Hotline 1 (800) 656-HOPE (4673)
  • ChildHelp USA(link is external) 1 (800) 422-4453 
Homeless
LGBTQ Helplines and Resources
Teen Health and Pregnancy Resources
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Parents’ Rights under Arizona Law

Center for Arizona Policy (CAP) supports the right of parents to guide their children’s lives and to be responsible for every aspect of their care, including all health-related decisions.

Parents’ Bill of Rights:

Recognizing the need to specifically protect parents’ rights in state law, CAP worked with the Arizona Legislature in 2010 to pass the Parents’ Bill of Rights. This statute sets forth the broad rule of parents’ rights: “The liberty of parents to direct the upbringing, education, health care and mental health of their children is a fundamental right.” A.R.S. 1-601(A). The government may not interfere with parental rights unless it demonstrates a compelling interest of the highest order that is narrowly tailored to meet that interest and that is not otherwise served by a less restrictive means. A.R.S. 1-601(B). This standard allows for children to be protected from abusive situations, while still ensuring that parents’ rights are not infringed by government officials who may simply believe they know better than a parent.
The Parents’ Bill of Rights recognizes a parent’s right to:
  • Direct the education of their child.
  • Direct the upbringing of their child.
  • Direct the moral or religious training of their child.
  • Make healthcare decisions for their child.
  • Access and review all medical records relating to their child.
  • Provide written permission before a biometric scan is performed on their child.
  • Provide written permission before any record of their child’s blood or DNA is created, stored, or shared.
  • Provide written permission before any videos or voice recordings are made of their child, with certain exceptions (for example, security or surveillance of school property).
  • Be notified promptly if there is suspicion that a criminal offense has been committed against their child.
  • Access information about a Department of Child Safety investigation involving the parent and their child.

Parental Rights and Education:

Arizona law protects the constitutional rights held by parents in directing the education of their children. This includes the right to select the type of education that the parent deems is best for the child, including district school, charter school, private school, homeschool, online or the empowerment scholarship account program. A.R.S. 15-802.
In district schools (A.R.S. 15-102), parents have the right to:
  • Opt out of any learning material or activity that the parent finds harmful to the student. This includes material that questions beliefs or practices related to sex, morality, or religion.
  • Opt in to sex education curriculum if one is provided by the school district. Without written parental permission, children cannot participate in sex education.
  • Notification in advance if content discussing sexuality is taught in other classes, such as history or literature, and the right to opt your child out of that instruction.
  • Opt in to any video, audio, or electronic materials that are inappropriate for the age of the student. This means the school cannot show a rated-R movie to students under 18 years old without signed, written permission from the child’s parent. A.R.S. 15-113(D).
  • Opt out of instruction on the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).
  • Excuse the student from school attendance for religious purposes.
  • Be informed about the nature and purpose of extracurricular student clubs and activities.
  • Access instructional materials.
  • Public review of courses of study and textbooks.
  • Refuse to provide information for the Student Accountability Information System that does not relate to the provision of educational services to the student. ARS 15-1042(D).
For additional rights in district schools see ARS 15-102(A)(7).
In charter schools (ARS 15-113), parents have more limited rights than in district schools, but they do have the right to:
  • Withdraw the student from any activity the parent deems objectionable because of sexual content, violent content, or profane or vulgar language.  The charter school may require parents to waive this requirement as a condition of enrollment if the school provides a complete list of books and materials to be used during the school year.
  • Opt in to any video, audio, or electronic materials that are inappropriate for the age of the student.  This means the school cannot show a rated-R movie to students under 18 years old without signed, written permission from the child’s parent.

Parental Rights and Medical Care:

Parents have important rights regarding the medical care of their children, although Arizona law does contain several provisions that undermine parents’ rights in this area.
In addition to the medical care provisions of the Parents’ Bill of Rights listed above, Arizona’s parents have specific rights found elsewhere in state law, including:
  • Requiring written permission before a mental health screening is performed on your child in a non-clinical setting (i.e., outside of a doctor’s office or clinic). ARS 36-2272.
  • Requiring written permission before any mental health treatment is performed on your child, unless it is an emergency. ARS 36-2272.
  • Requiring written parental consent before a physician or entity performs or seeks to perform a surgical procedure on a minor. ARS 36-2271.
  • Requiring parental consent before a pharmacist administers an immunization or vaccine to a minor. ARS 32-1974(M).
  • Requiring written parental consent before a minor donates blood. ARS 44-134.
  • Opting out of immunizations at the beginning of the school year due to personal beliefs. ARS 15-873(A)(1).
  • Requiring notarized parental consent before a minor can have an abortion, unless the minor obtains a judicial bypass. ARS 36-2152.
Unfortunately, parents’ rights are undermined by two state laws that allow minors to consent to medical treatment without parental consent. State law allows a minor to seek treatment for a sexually-transmitted disease (ARS 44-132.01) or for substance abuse (ARS 44-133.01) without parental consent or involvement. No Arizona law requires parental consent for prescription medications for minors, including contraceptives.
Parents have the solemn right and responsibility to raise their children according to their own sincerely held convictions. Government must always recognize this right and make every effort to support parents in the choices they make while raising children. In Arizona, citizens should be aware of the extensive parental rights in state law and their ability to freely exercise them.

Resource

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Thursday, May 9, 2019

Energy Shots and Positive For Drugs







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Thursday, April 11, 2019

Cutting and self-harm: Is your kid doing it?

Cutting, burning, carving—self-injury is big health concern in the US, with an estimated 15 to 20 percent of kids and teens intentionally inflicting pain on themselves.
It’s scary for any parent who suspects their kid might be self-harming, but the reasons behind it might surprise you.
Here, find out why kids self-harm, the signs you should look for, and what you can do to help your child.
Why kids self-harm.
The most common reason kids self-harm is to cope with their emotions, according to Janis Whitlock, a research scientist and the director of the Cornell Research Program on Self-Injury and Recovery in New York City.
Cutting and other self-harm behaviors can make a kid who is really upset feel calm quickly or restore a sense of equilibrium for a kid who feels disassociated or numb.
Behaviors vary but kids usually cut, burn, carve their skin or scratch themselves until they leave marks or bleed. Some kids may even embed objects underneath their skin. In boys, punching themselves or something else, with the intent to harm, is common.
“In the brain, it releases opioids, serotonin, and the endorphins that give a temporary feel good for that moment,” according to Ana Moreno, a psychotherapist and addiction specialist at Lucida Treatment Center in Miami, Fla.
Kids who self-harm experience emotions in an intense way, and may also have a lot of negative thoughts and self-criticism, emotions about a past trauma or hardship or be dealing with perceived rejection from their peers.
A way to self-medicate, self-harm becomes a metaphor for dealing with their emotions, according to Moreno.
“It’s easier for me to show you I have pain if I can show you I have a cut or a burn than to talk about my emotional pain,” she said.
However, most kids don’t want anyone to find out what they’re doing.
Who is at risk?
Self-injury is common in kids ages 12 to 17, but it can occur as young as age 7.
Kids who self-harm may also have depression, an anxiety or eating disorder, or a history of trauma. About 50 to 90 percent of girls who practice self-injury were also sexually abused, estimated Moreno.
It may not be a suicide attempt.
It might look like a suicide attempt, but kids who self-harm are looking for help, not a way out.
“If somebody’s actively injuring to cope with feelings, they want to feel better and that want is a good thing,” Whitlock said.
Yet since kids who self-harm are struggling to cope with their overwhelming emotions, they may be more likely to commit suicide later in life. Their feelings become so unmanageable that they feel that suicide becomes their only option.
In fact, according to a study in the Journal of Adolescent Health that Whitlock and her colleagues conducted, 20 percent of kids who had suicidal thoughts or behaviors had self-injured in the past.
“Having practiced self-injury can lower inhibition to the actual act of a suicide attempt,” Whitlock said.
Signs to look for.
Kids who self-harm are typically withdrawn, sad, depressed or become isolated.
“The cutting usually brings a lot of shame and guilt,” Moreno said.
They may spend long periods of time in their rooms or in the bathroom; they’ll likely have unexplained marks on their body, or wear clothing, jewelry or wristbands to conceal them.
Parents may find razor blades, knives or unexplained blood in the bathroom.
If you suspect your child has self-harm behavior, here’s what you can do.
Talk about it.
Approach any conversation with compassion. Although your first instinct may be to react with fear, shock, or anger, it can make the problem worse, Moreno said.
See a therapist.
It’s important to have your child evaluated by a mental health professional to make sure he’s not suicidal. Dialectical behavior therapy—which teaches kids how to be with their emotions without fighting against them and utilize coping skills—is one of the most effective forms of therapy.

Model healthy coping.
Your child might stop self-harm behaviors, but if he doesn’t know how to cope with his emotions, he’ll be worse off later on in life. So it’s important for you to teach and model healthy coping mechanisms now like talking about feelings, deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation and meditation, listening to music or exercise.
Get support.
As your child gets help, you’ll need support too from a counselor, a support group or friends.


https://www.foxnews.com/health/cutting-and-self-harm-is-your-kid-doing-it
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