Teens & Opioids

Helping hand for teen struggling with opioid addiction.

Conversation starters and strategies to guide young people toward treatment  If opioids hijack your teenager, keeping them safe while they use can be the buoy that saves them. Telling a teen in the throes of an opioid addiction to just stop or say no won’t work once cravings, withdrawal, and other elements of addiction have […]

When Teen Angst Turns to Pandemic Anxiety and Depression

teenage depression and anxiety

When kids grow into teens, they generally start separating from their parents and spend more time with their peers. But the isolation of Covid-19 has rewritten the script. Remote schooling, quarantine orders, and the cancellation of sports teams and other activities have caused young people to lose contact with their peers, as well as with […]

Using Nicotine to Puff Away Sadness

Smoking and Depression, Chicago Health Magazine Online

Ask a smoker what they get out of cigarettes and they are likely to talk about pleasure, contentment, and an overall good feeling. Nicotine, the active ingredient in cigarettes, is a stimulant. Used in low doses like those delivered by combustible cigarettes, stimulants activate the nervous system, resulting in enhanced arousal and alertness. Nicotine binding […]

What Parents Need to Know About a Vegan Diet

vegan, Chicago Health Magazine Online

A vegan diet is made up of only plant-based products — no meat, fish, dairy, or eggs (some people also exclude honey). While these diets are still relatively rare, they are becoming more common. Some families or teens choose them for health reasons, and it’s certainly true that plant-based diets are low in saturated fat […]

A Teen’s Death from COVID-19

COVID, Chicago Health Magazine Online

Above photo: The Guest family poses for a family photo. Front row from left: Ajene Guest and Abby Guest; second row from left: Dawn Guest, Andre Guest, Jessica Plunkitt, Zachary Guest, Elizabeth Guest, Laura Guest, Johnny Guest. (Courtesy of Amber Springer/Wildflower Photography) INDIANAPOLIS — It started as a normal day. Dawn Guest, 54, got up and […]

Challenges of Keeping Young Adults Safe During Pandemic

young adults, Chicago Health Magazine Online

Last month, after California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered most of the state’s residents to stay home, I found myself under virtual house arrest with an uncomfortably large number of Gen Zers. Somehow I had accumulated four of my children’s friends over the preceding months. I suppose some parents more hard-nosed than I would have sent […]

How COVID-19 Impacts Teens’ Mental Health

teens, Chicago Health Magazine Online

Since the end of January, Isa Sanchez, a senior at Whitney Young High School, had been working on her senior project: choreographing a dance to the song “Dreams” by The Cranberries. The dance involves more than a dozen performers, but Illinois canceled in-person school before her group had a chance to perform it. “I wanted […]

Teenage Breakdown

Teenage Depression

The rise in mental health issues and what parents can do Fifteen-year-old Evan Wilson likes to play video games, draw and listen to music, especially classic punk (think Sex Pistols and The Clash). He’s also dealing with mental health issues — in his case, depression with a mood component and ADHD. Many teens experience symptoms […]

Tattoos and Piercings for Teens?

Tattoos and Piercings for Teens?

Check safety first Tattoos and piercings are now more common among young people, but with commonality can come malady. Just ask Cynthia Mears, DO, an adolescent medicine specialist at Advocate Children’s Hospital in Oak Lawn. “One of my patients went to a birthday party, and she came in with an infected tattoo,” Mears says. The […]

Rapid and intense mood changes often a normal part of teens’ development

Portrait of sad teenage girl outdoor on moody autumn day.

Mayo Clinic Q & A DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My 13-year-old daughter has become very moody, which I realize is normal for this age. But, I’m concerned she may be depressed. What is the difference between typical teen behavior and depression in teenagers? Are there certain things I should watch for that could be signs of […]

Teen smoking on the rise as e-cigarettes become readily available

Teen boy in fedora sitting outside on steps with foot on skateboard and blowing smoke out from an e-cigarette

The Kid’s Doctor E-cigarettes, which were a relatively obscure curiosity only a few years ago, are now available at not only “vape shops” but are also easy found at gas stations and pharmacies. The e-cigarette market has exploded. Unfortunately, with the increased availability, there has been a steady rise in adolescent e-cigarette use (vaping). The […]

The Kid’s Doctor: Teens and headaches seem to go together

teen with headache

By Sue Hubbard, M.D., www.kidsdr.com A recent study revealed that about 1 percent to 2 percent of adolescents have chronic daily headaches, defined as more than 15 headache days per month for greater than three months. When school begins, teens’ stress levels increase with each week of classes, and with that come more complaints of […]

No Such Thing as TMI

Information is essential when discussing alcohol abuse with teens It’s no secret that today’s teens are bombarded with glamorized messages of alcohol. They see images of bikini-clad women and Abercrombie–ad-worthy men with drinks in hand. Images of friends and family members hoisting a drink fill their Instagram and Snapchat feeds, painting a picture of blissful […]