NOTE• Because I’m not sure if my laptop will be able

to hook up to the WiFi at Tan-Tar-A, this is the BASIC version of this presentation. I will send the BETTER version later on if I am able to hook up to the WiFi at Tan-Tar-A.

This Workshop is based on this

video teaching by Dr. Patrick

Friman.

This workshop is in NO WAY trying to make fun or mocking true cases of

Adolescent Mental Illness.

Who is this quote attributed to?

Who is this quote attributed to?

Socrates: 5th Century BC

1. RATIONALITY IN ABSENTIA DISORDER: RAD

• RATIONALITY IN ABSENTIA DISORDER: RAD– Adolescents do things for NO understandable reason– Parent/Teacher administers the Diagnostic Test for RAD

• Two Questions:– Why did you do it? (Because I felt like it.)– What were you thinking? (Umm...I don’t know.)

– PROBLEM: Teen answers are normally less than Satisfactory for an Adult

– We do not suffer from RAD and want sensible, rational explanations

– If you Press them for a reason…they can usually make one up!

2. SITUATIONAL MUTISM• SITUATIONAL MUTISM– Kids just don’t want to speak at times– Monosyllabic answers – May be an inconvenient time for them– The topic isn’t necessarily interesting to them

(“How was school.” YAY!)– May be in a Limbically Dominated moment and

want Fun and not Talk

3. SENSORY INTERUPTITIS– Sight and Hearing otherwise known as Selective

Hearing/Sight– May have been trained to Not respond to first

command or tone of voice– They don’t see what’s not meaningful to them

4. WOE-IS-MENIA– Sigh-ers– Chronically Board– Ruled by Limbic and Limbic doesn’t like to follow

your Dumb Rules– I Need to be Special: A two sided sword as they

want attention from the people who are Dumb as a Bag of Hammers

– Conflicting Needs: I hate you but can you give me $10 for the Mall?

– PUBERTY is the Head of this Evil Beast!

5. TRUTH RELATIVITIS• TRUTH RELATIVITIS– Teens think if they follow all the rules they won’t

have ANY fun!– Limbically Dominated: the need for FUN It controls

the basic emotions (fear, pleasure, anger) and drives (hunger, sex, dominance, care of offspring).

– They are not Moral Degenerates! They understand right and wrong with Friends’ rules

CUT-ITIS: • CUT-ITIS: – When is cutting true self-harm?– Is it part of their chosen tribe or a maladaptive cry

for help?– May cut in strategic place to be noticed– Used as an escape and to find relief

7. SEXMANIA• SEXMANIA

– Fewer than 2% of adolescents have had sex by the time they reach their 12th birthday. But adolescence is a time of rapid change. Only 16% of teens have had sex by age 15, compared with one-third of those aged 16, nearly half (48%) of those aged 17, 61% of 18-year-olds and 71% of 19-year-olds. http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/FB-ATSRH.html

– Overly Prepared by nature– Overstimulated by Madison Avenue and the Entertainment

Industry– Under Prepared emotionally and cognitively– Many feel Unloved– Unsupervised– Unfilled Time

PHARMACITIS• PHARMACITIS– “Why do kids take drugs?” THEY WORK!– Can add to Cool Factor– Looking for Acceptance– Looking to Get Away from Pain

US!• US!– Public Criticism– Why-Zenheimers– We Force them to Create Reasons– Arguing = Gets the Juices Flowing!

The following tips are intended to help deal with

the many forms of Adolescent Temporary

Insanity.

1. Be a Dispassionate Cop• Be a Dispassionate Cop– Traffic Cops stay pretty calm and polite– They explain what you did wrong and give a ticket

as your consequence– Clarification of Expected Behavior, Penalty.– If it doesn’t work, Make Expectation Clear, Bigger

Penalty– Pay Off: Right Behavior leads to NO Penalty

2. Aim for Caution, not Total Prevention or Elimination

• Aim for Caution, not Total Prevention or Elimination– Don’t aim for Perfection– Let them know the consequences and Follow

Through– If kids think you’ll find out, they are more likely to

caution

3. Allow Pain and Suffering

• Allow Pain and Suffering– Don’t Bubble Wrap your children!– Dr. Tim Elmore “3 Huge Mistakes We Make

Leading Kids”– Lower test scores, lower college attendance,

higher phobia as adults– We need pain and suffering to l earn to do things

and to manage life

4. Negotiation is NOT Bribery

• Negotiation is NOT Bribery– Bribery is illegal– When I work, they give me piles of cash

(ALTERNATE REALITY!)

5. Remember, adolescents need Fences to feel Secure and to Rebel Against

• Remember, adolescents need Fences to feel Secure and to Rebel Against– Fence is made by the Parent or Teacher– They are going to Push the fence and look for

weak spots

6. If you Throw a glove in the mud, the Mud does NOT become “glovey”

• If you Throw a glove in the mud, the Mud does NOT become “glovey”– You are the byproduct of the people you spend

the most time with– The ability to influence all those around you is less

than you’d hope

7. Never get Physical• Never get Physical– Adults can go Limbic and then…disaster!

8. Don’t acquiesce to Terrorism

• Don’t acquiesce to Terrorism– Kids will try playing these Aces:

• Threatening to Run Away• Running Away• Threatening to Drop Out of School• Dropping Out of School• Threatening Violence• Violence• Threatening Self-Harm• Self-Harm

– Don’t Give In– Deal with the Issue and take them at their word– Hospitalization may be in Order

9. Honor Their Identity

• Honor Their Identity– Let them be themselves– Honor their right to try newer things– Kids will often come back…– Unless you fight them on it

10. Remember the Tincture of Time…Nothing Lasts

• Remember the Tincture of Time…Nothing Lasts– There is strong evidence to suggest that in our

quest for a “quick fix”, we actually increase our emotional suffering, decrease our resilience, and unnecessarily drive up health care costs without gaining meaningful improvements in personal or societal health (http://www.bodydynamicsinc.com/the-tincture-of-time-the-virtue-of-patience-the-wisdom-of-happines/)

Adolescence

It’s ONLY

Temporary!