Teen Suicide up 18% Says Latest Research

According to a new study that came out earlier this month from the Pediatrics Journal of Medicine there has been a serious increase in suicides among teenagers in the last few years. Speculation is that the increase in suicides is connected to the recent media and FDA reports stating that certain antidepressant drugs can cause some teenagers to feel suicidal. However since those drugs are no longer being offered to teenagers suffering with depression, the suicide rate has increased by 18%. And that is totally unacceptable.

It is true that Prozac may have ill effects on some children, but there are so many new antidepressant drugs available now that it is bad medicine to throw the baby out with the bath water and refuse to offer any type of medicinal help for these suffering teens. Those who are now a part of that 18% statistic may have found help in other, safer drugs. If their family, friends, and doctors had been willing to start them on a drug that was safe for them, those children might still be alive today.

Today my soap box includes frustration at huge conglomerates like the FDA making life and death decisions based on insufficient studies and then globalizing their findings to include all available medications. They make policies and laws to prevent the public from getting the right help, the best help, for them.

I'm a parent first, and if my child needed a drug that might save his life, I would do whatever was in my power to get the right doctor and the best treatment avbailable. The FDA for all the good they do, have in my opinion really messed one up here.

Full article about the research is here.

A Parents Guide to Teen Dating

Let's face it, your teenager is going to be dating soon and you are going to have to deal with all that comes with that. Transitioning from parenting a child to parenting a teenager is hard enough without having to think about how they will conduct themselves on a date. But hopefully you have prepared them well enough and your worries will be minor ones. Here are 3 tips to help you through this next phase of parenting.

1. Teenagers do not know how to date.
A teen does not learn how to date in the classroom and most likely has only picked up on some of the basics, like respecting someone’s personal space, at home. But they haven’t learned the ins and outs of a give and take relationship yet. They will be learning this as they date, and ‘on the job’ type of training. You can reinforce the values that concern dating and relationships by discussing them with your teenager and modeling them with your spouse or significant other. Do not be afraid to bring up these issues. Do not feel that they are not important. Teens that are taught values are important will look for dates with similar good values. That is who you want your teen dating, right?

2. Teens whose parents talk to them about dating are better prepared and happier.
You want your teenager to grow up happy, so remember that happiness in life is found in the journey. While the topic of teens and dating can make the most confident parent nervous, you should do your best not to project those anxious feelings when discussing dating - and the rules and limits of dating - with your teen. Relax and have informative dating conversations that will strengthen your relationship with your teen and empower you both to enjoy this part of their life.

3. Your teen will need privacy.
As parents, we are not very comfortable not knowing what is going on in our child’s life. But as your teen starts to date, you will need to take a step back and not try to know ‘everything’. You may at first have a hard time and feel like something is wrong. That is normal – your parenting role is changing. Change always feels awkward at first. On the other hand, your teenager may want to chat about the experience. He/she may have some questions to ask. If so, make yourself available. But remember to try not to ‘read into’ any of the questions and begin prying.

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