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Image by ATENCION: via Flickr By Steven Sawyer, MSW, LCSW, Vista Treatment CentersShare | When adolescents come to residential treatment, they are pervasive liars -- without exception. Lying is the partner of mental illness. Frankness and truthfulness promote emotional and psychological growth. Honesty is critical for healthy relationships. Struggling teens cannot see how their needs will be met if they tell the truth. They may be involved in behavior they don’t want others to know about, like drinking or cutting. They hide their secrets from others by lying and covering up. They fear that if the truth were known, others will be disappointed. They risk being seen in ways they do not want to be seen. They are afraid they will be abandoned. No one will love them. These are powerful obstacles to honesty.
Submitted by scargle on Wed, 07/14/2010 - 11:36
 by Cathy Gilson, 7/16/2010Share | I have a dear friend with three troubled kids -- young adults really. The eldest is a young man who is struggling with a vicodin addiction that he won't admit to. The middle child is a single mother who is not capable of providing a good home for her four year old son and the youngest is 21 and struggling to find himself. She was a fully-involved mom -- worked with the school to address each child’s individual needs, attended all their activities, and engaged a large extended family in their upbringing. Why are they struggling so? Why is she suffering the regret of all parents with tough kids? That question is posed by Dr. Richard Friedman in the New York Times in his article Accepting That Good Parents May Plant Bad Seeds.
For years, mental health professionals were trained to see children as mere products of their environment who were intrinsically good until influenced otherwise; where there is chronic bad behavior, there must be a bad parent behind it. More...
by Matt Checketts, PhD, LCSW, Vista Treatment Center
Share | A couple of years ago, a client came to me and flopped on the ground. She proceeded to tell me how fat she was, how her head hurt, how her hair was limp and its split ends frazzled. I complimented her on the creative use of words and drama. Then I asked why she felt so upset and frustrated. Her response was that she was “stressed.” When I asked her what that meant she described feeling overwhelmed, stuck, and afraid of not succeeding. More... by Lon Woodbury, Parents Empowerment Blog
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owever, staff are proud to explain that this is a city primarily devoted to helping the children. There are about 600 children in the program, supported by over 700 staff. This includes the police force, fire fighters and other administrative positions typical to any incorporated town, and all consciously play their role in helping provide a healthy environment for the children. 
