Family and Friend Support

What I Wish I’d Known as a Teenager

I worried about grades as a teenager. I mean, I really worried. Today, I know this was not typical anxiety about school. Looking back, I struggled with obsessive-compulsive disorder and perfectionism. Among other things, I was obsessive-compulsive about never wasting time. Not. One. Second. Further, I was laser-focused on… Read More

When Parents Have a Distorted Sense of Boundaries

Excerpted from the book Changing Course by Claudia Black, Ph.D., Senior Fellow at The Meadows Many times abandonment issues are fused with distorted, confused, or undefined personal boundaries. We experience abandonment when parents have a distorted sense of boundaries, their boundaries and ours. They want us to like what they like, dress like they dress, and feel as they do. If we in any way express differences from our parents, or make different choices than they would, we know we run the risk of rejection. Read More

Becoming Fearless with the Help of Al-Anon

By the Mother of a Past Claudia Black Young Adult Center Patient As my daughter does her recovery work from drug and alcohol addiction and anxiety, I too work my recovery through Al-Anon. I won’t go into details of how my daughter and I both came to this point because I’m guessing many of you are already familiar with the scenario— failing grades, arrests, court appearances, isolation, detachment, and on and on. Read More

11 Signs Your Young Adult May Need Help

By Ashley Chesky, MA, LAC and Patricia Plum, MSW, LMSW Do you sometimes feel that you no longer recognize the child that you raised? When you look at your young adult, do you find yourself asking, "Who is this person?" Do you feel "crazy," "lost," or “at your wits end?” Have you lost all hope? Maybe this is where hope begins. Read More