Panic Book

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As a residential treatment center for troubled adolescents, here at Eagle Ranch Academy we see many young people whose lives have been ruined by depression. So many clinical disorders and destructive behaviors, such as drug and alcohol abuse, ADHD, bipolar disorder and anorexia, have depression as a component of the overall problem.

We take the necessary steps to adequately supply treatment to adolescents suffering from depression in our program. First of all, many of them come to us already on various medications that have been prescribed by their primary care physicians and others. Our program is not just a specific drug treatment course, therapy course, or a 12 step program. We include all of these and much more, including emotional growth and life skills training, intensive group and individual therapy, fitness and nutrition services, character building and self discovery, etc. We believe depression is a multi-faceted issue that requires a multi-faceted approach.

Since we are one of the most comprehensive residential treatment centers in the nation, we get many students who reside out of state. Thus, to treat their depression effectively and to make it easy on their parents, we have clinical staff on hand to be able to assess, prescribe and monitor their prescription treatment needs.

Many insurances make it extremely difficult to transfer prescriptions outside of your home state. It can be a nightmare if you know your adolescent needs his or her medication to function, but their primary care doctor’s office (or primary mental health practitioner’s office) is telling you they can’t transfer the meds, and your insurance is telling you that you will have to pick up the cost. In fact, if your child has been on a depression medication for some time and will need it ongoing, they might be required to periodically present in person for reassessments, even to get their refills written.

At Eagle Ranch Academy, we have an open-ended program. This means that your child’s graduation of the program depends on their individual progressa€”not a predetermined length of time. This is an incentive for troubled teens to really take the different treatment strategies to heart, and to truly make an internal change. Otherwise, we know that they will just “wait out” the program and return to self destructive behaviors when they get home. Our aim is to address their issues (be it depression, addiction, anger, avoidance, eating disorder, etc), and to get them to WANT to change their own behaviors. From our standpoint, this is the only way to achieve long term behavioral change.

As such, your adolescent might be with us for a few months. He or she will need their medications. As they detoxify in our natural environment with exercise and wholesome food, they will probably also need their medications to be adjusted.  That is why we have medical staff on hand in the form of a medical doctor (MD- general practitioner), psychiatrists and psychologists. Our medical doctor is involved in the initial physical evaluation and lab tests that we perform when teens first enter the program. He also makes regular scheduled visits and is on call 24 hours per day. Our Psychiatrists, psychologists and licensed therapists are here at Eagle Ranch Academy full time.

Eagle Ranch Academy helps adolescents suffering from depression not only with medication, but with a range of therapy options, including 1 on 1 talk sessions, group counseling, prescription drug treatment, embedded therapists as instructors, unique workshops, emotional growth seminars, physical fitness, and nutrition.  We have a staff comprised of state-licensed, highly qualified, well experienced experts who are able to supply multi-faceted treatment options to adolescents suffering with depression.

In all families where love is present, a certain level of separation anxiety is normal.  Children always miss a loved parent or caregiver when they are absent, and parents should not be alarmed by it.  However, when the level of anxiety is extreme – to the point of a panic attack – and a general inability to cope with normal routines in their life, then there may be the presence of an anxiety disorder called Separation Anxiety Disorder, or SAD. 

This is a condition which should never be taken lightly or confused with oversensitivity.  It should be treated immediately by qualified professionals or it may result in a panic attack and a worsening condition. 

Most parents are aware of changes in their child’s behavior and are quick to notice developments that reflect an increase in anxiety about their absence.  The question then becomes: How do you recognize a degree of severity of separation anxiety on the part of the child which is SAD?  

This is a question which requires some detail and explanation.  There is good evidence to suggest the presence of SAD if several of the following characteristics are present in the child’s behavior and they were absent in the recent past. We are not dealing here with levels or degrees of anxiety symptoms as much as the type of symptoms themselves.  It is common for children to cry and pout, even have minor tantrums at the news that Mom or Dad will be away for several days.

Early Symptoms of Separation Anxiety Disorder:

1.  Definite sleep problems, including the insomnia, nightmares and the like.

2.  A refusal to leave home even to attend school.  This may include an unwillingness to even play with close friends.

3.  A tendency to stay closer physically than normal to the parent or caregiver.

4.  Claims of sickness when the parent is about to leave.

5.  Endless questions about when you will return.

If your child has several of these examples of symptomatic reaction to the possibility that you are leaving, then they may be suffering from SAD.  You should take immediate action so as to prevent an Anxiety Attack and allowing the condition to worsen. Most cases of SAD can be dealt with adequately because the environment and its impact as well as the target of the anxiety – the parent – are all easily included in the solution regimen.  Most children respond well to a gentle but significant regimen of changes that are specifically designed to both reinforce your care and sensitivity but also to drive specific changes in the child’s reaction to your absence.

Separation anxiety is normal in all children who are reared by loving parents.   Children always miss a loved parent or caregiver when they are absent, and parents should not be alarmed by it.  When the degree of anxiety regarding the absence of a parent is extreme and negatively affects the child’s daily routines, then SAD or Separation Anxiety Disorder may exist.  

This is a condition which should never be taken lightly or confused with oversensitivity.  It should be treated immediately by qualified professionals or it may result in a panic attack and a worsening condition. 

Most parents are aware of changes in their child’s behavior and are quick to notice developments that reflect an increase in anxiety about their absence.  Many parents ask how they can tell if indeed their child is suffering with Separation Anxiety Disorder. 

This is a question which requires some detail and explanation.  There is good evidence to suggest the presence of SAD if several of the following characteristics are present in the child’s behavior and they were absent in the recent past. We are not dealing here with levels or degrees of anxiety symptoms as much as the type of symptoms themselves.  It is common for children to cry and pout, even have minor tantrums at the news that Mom or Dad will be away for several days.

Early Symptoms of Separation Anxiety Disorder:

1.  Definite sleep problems, including the insomnia, nightmares and the like.

2.  A refusal to leave home even to attend school.  This may include an unwillingness to even play with close friends.

3.  A tendency to stay closer physically than normal to the parent or caregiver.

4.  Claims of sickness when the parent is about to leave.

5.  Endless questions about when you will return.

If any of these symptoms exists and they were not present to any degree in the past, then the presence of SAD is a valid concern.   You should take immediate action so as to prevent an Anxiety Attack and allowing the condition to worsen. Most cases of SAD can be dealt with adequately because the environment and its impact as well as the target of the anxiety – the parent – are all easily included in the solution regimen.  Most children respond well to a gentle but significant regimen of changes that are specifically designed to both reinforce your care and sensitivity but also to drive specific changes in the child’s reaction to your absence.

Depression is experienced by every individual at one time or another. Being a teenager is probably the happiest phase in ones life but it is also the phase when a person goes through feelings of infatuation, confusion, pressure, and wrong decisions. A typical teenager would feel the pressures brought about by changes in his or her body during puberty, peer pressure, and questions about love, identity, and where they belong. Also, this is usually the time when children begin to develop conflicts with their parents as they begin to assert their independence. Here’s the common symptoms for depression teens go through and subsequently effective treatments.

Common symptoms of depression teens include:

Pulling away from the things that they used to love to do.

Not eating well. While they may eat normally, they may lose weight. Or, they may not be eating at all.

Not sleeping well. Waking up still tired is not okay.

Pulling away from friends and social situations. This is a key sign of teen depression. Teens are social creatures and need constant interaction. If they are not allowing it to happen, they may be depressed.

The blues that last. While everyone feels bad sometimes, teens with depression feel bad most of the time. You need to get them some help in these cases.

Effective Tips For Helping Depression Teens

The first thing to do is to converse with your teenager in a loving manner. Make him or her realize that you are there to show support. Make your teen open up to you about the phase he or she is going through and make him or her realize that you are always there when you are needed. If your teen does not budge, do not be tough. Instead, be gentle and caring. Once he or she starts to converse with you, just listen. Do not scold or reprimand him or her even if his or her source of depression is unreasonable. Acknowledge the pain your teen feels instead of forcing him to quit depression. Doing so will make him or her realize that you are serious about helping. You should always trust your instincts as well.

Make sure your child is active. Depression is no excuse for not making his bed or other chores or homework for that matter. Encourage them to be active, stay with them and try to bond more.

Don’t let them avoid responsibilities. Just because they are down, they still have to get on with schoolwork. Staying in bed is another no-no.

Encourage optimism and physical activities for depression teens. Being active is a great way to get endorphins (the happy chemicals) into the brain. Tell your struggling teen that people who do sports are much less likely to be depressed.

Psychotherapy should be a part of the treatment plan for depression teens. It can help your teen to learn different ways of solving problems and recognize and change negative thinking. It is important to find a psychiatrist and/or therapist that can develop a rapport with your child.

Natural Remedies For Depression Teens

Herbs for depression teens are most definitely an option for treatment. Many herbs are used as seasonings and others can be blended into supplements. Other herbs like Chamomile can be brewed into teas and others such as Dandelion Root can be used in salads as well. As with any change to a health plan you should consult with your child’s doctor to determine if herbs are acceptable in treating your teen’s depression and if there are any conflicts with prescriptions they may be taking. A high quality will have had the interactions of the ingredients studied.

St. John’s Wort is perhaps the most researched herb in the treatment of depression teens. In fact, many studies have results that show that the herb is very effective in its treatment of depression and that it is very likely that the herb has similar results as tricyclic antidepressants but fewer drawbacks or side effects. The side effects that were experienced from using St. John’s Wort were not too difficult to handle. They included oversensitivity to the sun, stomach problems, fatigue, and more. St. John’s Wort is great for depression although if mixed with other drugs it can be very dangerous. It should never be mixed with oral contraceptives, other antidepressants, warfarin, reserpine, theophyline, indinivir, as well as others.