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What is the biggest challenge faced by teens today? It is not puberty, acne, or worrying about grades in high school. Most of the teens today are suffering severe mental illnesses that lead them to substance use and addiction. In fact, experts say that more and more teens are turning to drugs and medications to get high.

In a recently completed study, it was learned that about 19% of the 12th graders that it surveyed were addicted to marijuana and 45% were addicted to alcohol. Moreover, about 10% of the 12th graders were addicted to Vicodin, a narcotic pain reliever, while 6% were addicted to cough medicines. The substance use in teens is sourced to severe mental problems that force them to turn to drugs to restore some sense of sanity to their world.

Teens are especially susceptible to mental disease and substance use. During adolescence, peer pressure and hormones collide to create the spark that forces them to act out in troubling ways. For some teens, the pressures become too much to handle that results in the formation of mental illness and abuse.

Kinds of Teen Mental Illnesses

According to American Academy of Pediatrics at least one in 20 children suffer from mental problems of one kind or another. Some of the mental illnesses that affects teen today include:

• Bipolar Disease
• Anxiety Disorder
• Schizophrenia
• Depression
• Eating Disorder

Each of the above mental illnesses has their own symptoms and signs. In the past, parents considered changes in teens’ behavior to be a normal part of adolescence. They simply allowed the teen to sort out their problems and deal with it on their own.

But parents should realize that today teens are struggling with different kind of mental problems. If they are not provided with the right guidance and help, it will lead them to drug addiction and substance use that would completely devastate and ruin their life.

Mental Health Facility for Teens in Florida

The good news is that certain mental health facilities provide juvenile assessment and intervention programs in the state of Florida. The teen mental health programs allow early identification, prevention, intervention, and mental health and substance use assessments of teens aged 12-17.

The assessment programs include review of youth’s social behavior, mental development, physical health, and family mental health history. Using this information, the mental health facility devises a program to address mental health issues of the teens. Treatment programs offer education on six content areas that target:

• Thoughts, Feelings, and Behavior
• Goal Setting
• Spirituality
• Life Management
• Relapse Prevention

Group therapy is used to address certain mental health and substance use problems in teens. The therapy programs aim at breaking the chain of negative thought processes that fuel mental problems leading to substance use and other behavioral anomalies. Recovery connection provides immediate intervention, treatment, and structure in the lives of teens to help them lead a substance and crime free life.

David Lawrence Center: Offering Mental Health Programs for Teens

We take the mental health of teens in our community very seriously. At the David Lawrence Centers, we provide an array of mental health services to teens. A few of these services include:

• Teen mental health assessment
• Teen crisis stabilization services
• Teen walk-in urgent care services
• Outpatient therapy
• Case management

If you’d like to learn more about our teen mental health programs, contact us today. Or, call us 24/7 at (239) 491-7602.