Behavioral

Everyone is made unique. We like to help those with specific unique qualities cope and progress in a world that might not understand their unique challenges. Behavioral needs for each person will change for the needs they face. We like to use our knowledge and training to help those with behavioral needs find their “right path”.

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Teen Issues

In The Garden Counseling for Teen Issues

Teen / Children Issues

For a child, pre-teen, or teen with symptoms of a mental disorder, the earlier treatment is started, the more effective it can be. Early treatment can help prevent more severe, lasting problems as a child grows up.

Warning Signs

It can be tough to tell if troubling behavior in a child is just part of growing up or a problem that should be discussed with a health professional.  If there are signs and symptoms that last weeks or months; and if these issues cause impairment in daily functioning, not only at home but at school and with friends, you should contact a health professional.

Your child or teen might need help if he or she:

  • Often feels anxious or worried
  • Has very frequent tantrums or is intensely irritable much of the time
  • Has frequent stomachaches or headaches with no physical explanation
  • Is in constant motion, can’t sit quietly for any length of time
  • Has trouble sleeping, including frequent nightmares
  • Loses interest in things he or she used to enjoy
  • Avoids spending time with friends
  • Has trouble doing well in school, or grades decline
  • Fears gaining weight; exercises, diets obsessively
  • Has low or no energy
  • Has spells of intense, inexhaustible activity
  • Harms herself/himself, such as cutting or burning her/his skin
  • Engages in risky, destructive behavior
  • Harms self or others
  • Smokes, drinks, or uses drugs
  • Has thoughts of suicide
  • Thinks his or her mind is controlled or out of control, hears voices
    (Source: nimh.nih.gov)

According to the Population Reference Bureau (PRB)  Suicides have become the second-leading cause of death among teens in the United States, surpassing homicide deaths, which dropped to third on the list. The teenage suicide rate increased from 8 deaths per 100,000 in 1999 to 8.7 deaths per 100,000 in 2014. (prb.org)

It may be helpful for children and teens to save several emergency numbers to their cell phones. The ability to get immediate help for themselves or for a friend can make a difference.

  • The phone number for a trusted friend or relative
  • The non-emergency number for the local police department
  • The Crisis Text Line: 741741
  • The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988

If you or your child is thinking about harming yourself get help immediately. You can call 911 or the National Suicide Prevention Line at 988.

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Anxiety

Garden Counseling for Mental Health and Wellness

Get relief from symptoms of anxiety by developing coping skills and techniques through counseling.

Common anxiety signs and symptoms include: 

  • Feeling nervous, restless or tense
  • Having a sense of impending danger, panic or doom
  • Having an increased heart rate
  • Breathing rapidly (hyperventilation)
  • Sweating
  • Trembling
  • Feeling weak or tired
  • Trouble concentrating or thinking about anything other than the present worry
  • Having trouble sleeping
  • Experiencing gastrointestinal (GI) problems
  • Having difficulty controlling worry
  • Having the urge to avoid things that trigger anxiety 

Several types of anxiety disorders exist:

  • Agoraphobia (ag-uh-ruh-FOE-be-uh) is a type of anxiety disorder in which you fear and often avoid places or situations that might cause you to panic and make you feel trapped, helpless or embarrassed.
  • Anxiety disorder due to a medical condition includes symptoms of intense anxiety or panic that are directly caused by a physical health problem.
  • Generalized anxiety disorder includes persistent and excessive anxiety and worry about activities or events — even ordinary, routine issues. The worry is out of proportion to the actual circumstance, is difficult to control and affects how you feel physically. It often occurs along with other anxiety disorders or depression.
  • Panic disorder involves repeated episodes of sudden feelings of intense anxiety and fear or terror that reach a peak within minutes (panic attacks). You may have feelings of impending doom, shortness of breath, chest pain, or a rapid, fluttering or pounding heart (heart palpitations). These panic attacks may lead to worrying about them happening again or avoiding situations in which they’ve occurred.
  • Selective mutism is a consistent failure of children to speak in certain situations, such as school, even when they can speak in other situations, such as at home with close family members. This can interfere with school, work and social functioning.
  • Separation anxiety disorder is a childhood disorder characterized by anxiety that’s excessive for the child’s developmental level and related to separation from parents or others who have parental roles.
  • Social anxiety disorder (social phobia) involves high levels of anxiety, fear and avoidance of social situations due to feelings of embarrassment, self-consciousness and concern about being judged or viewed negatively by others.
  • Specific phobias are characterized by major anxiety when you’re exposed to a specific object or situation and a desire to avoid it. Phobias provoke panic attacks in some people.
  • Substance-induced anxiety disorder is characterized by symptoms of intense anxiety or panic that are a direct result of abusing drugs, taking medications, being exposed to a toxic substance or withdrawal from drugs.
  • Other specified anxiety disorder and unspecified anxiety disorder are terms for anxiety or phobias that don’t meet the exact criteria for any other anxiety disorders but are significant enough to be distressing and disruptive.
    (Source: mayoclinic.org)

Anxiety Counseling may help you so don’t go another day worrying. Call or message us to schedule your appointment so we can help get you on the path to calm.

Contact Us about your anxiety counseling needs.

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Autism Spectrum

Autism Spectrum Disorder Counseling Statesville NC

What is Autism?

  • Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that affects 1 in 68 children in the United States, but people all over the world are affected by it.
  • 1 in 42 boys and 1 in 189 girls are affected by autism within
    the United States.
  • Autism is not a disease. People are born with it so you can’t
    “catch” it and it is a lifelong disability.
  • Autism is a spectrum disorder. This means that the symptoms and characteristics of autism can present themselves in a wide variety of combinations, from mild to severe. Although autism is defined by a certain set of behaviors, children and adults can exhibit any combination of the behaviors in any degree of severity, the level of developmental delay is unique to the individual. Two children, both with the same diagnosis, can act very differently from one another and have varying skills.
  • In May 2013, the diagnostic criteria incurred several changes which included the new classification system. The new classification system “eliminated the previously separate subcategories on the autism spectrum, including Asperger syndrome, PDD-NOS, childhood disintegrative disorder and autistic disorder. These subcategories are now folded into the broad term autism spectrum disorder (ASD)” (“Answers to frequently asked questions,” n.d.).
  • Individuals with a previous diagnosis on the autism spectrum, including those with Asperger syndrome or PDD-NOS, did not lose their ASD diagnosis. Many individuals chose to maintain their label of Asperger’s syndrome as part of their identity, etc. (“Answers to frequently asked questions,” n.d.).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=5&v=Q2f22ek0Tvs

Additional Links and Resources:

http://autismspeaks.org

https://www.audible.com/pd/Self-Development/Ten-Things-Every-Child-with-Autism-Wishes-You-Knew-Audiobook/B01GUB03ZO?source_code=GPAGBSH0508140001&cvosrc=ppc%20cse.google%20shopping.197997180&cvo_crid=73342128660&cvo_pid=18461219700

https://www.audible.com/pd/Science-Technology/Uniquely-Human-Audiobook/B0127N5JB2?source_code=GPAGBSH0508140001&cvosrc=ppc%20cse.google%20shopping.1060799272&cvo_crid=251357068721&cvo_pid=60546028308

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ADHD

ADHD Counseling

Attention- Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Signs and Symptoms

It is normal for children to have trouble focusing and behaving at one time or another. However, children with ADHD do not just grow out of these behaviors. The symptoms continue and can cause difficulty at school, at home, or with friends.

A child with ADHD might:

  • daydream a lot
  • forget or lose things a lot
  • squirm or fidget
  • talk too much
  • make careless mistakes or take unnecessary risks
  • have a hard time resisting temptation
  • have trouble taking turns
  • have difficulty getting along with others

    Types of ADHD:

  • Predominantly Inattentive Presentation: It is hard for the individual to organize or finish a task, to pay attention to details, or to follow instructions or conversations. The person is easily distracted or forgets details of daily routines.
  • Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Presentation: The person fidgets and talks a lot. It is hard to sit still for long (e.g., for a meal or while doing homework). Smaller children may run, jump or climb constantly. The individual feels restless and has trouble with impulsivity. Someone who is impulsive may interrupt others a lot, grab things from people, or speak at inappropriate times. It is hard for the person to wait their turn or listen to directions. A person with impulsiveness may have more accidents and injuries than others.
  • Combined Presentation: Symptoms of the above two types are equally present in the person.Because symptoms can change over time, the presentation may change over time as well.

    Treatments

    In most cases, ADHD is best treated with a combination of behavior therapy and medication. For preschool-aged children (4-5 years of age) with ADHD, behavior therapy, particularly training for parents, is recommended as the first line of treatment. No single treatment is the answer for every child and good treatment plans will include close monitoring, follow-ups and any changes needed along the way.

    If you are concerned about a child’s behavior, it is important to discuss these concerns with the child’s healthcare provider.

    Checklist: Signs and Symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

    This checklist describes the types of symptoms that a healthcare provider will ask about in the process of deciding whether a child has ADHD. You can use this checklist to help you start the conversation.

    Deciding if a child has ADHD is a process with several steps. There is no single test to diagnose ADHD, and many other problems, like anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and certain types of learning disabilities, can have similar symptoms.

    The American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fifth edition (DSM-5) is used by mental health professionals to help diagnose ADHD. The criteria are presented here in modified form in order to make them more accessible to the general public. They are listed here for information purposes and should be used only by trained healthcare providers to diagnose or treat ADHD.

    Simply fill out the child’s name, age and today’s date and then check off the signs or symptoms the child has shown.  Print and take the completed checklist to your child’s healthcare provider.
    (Source: Center for Disease Control and Prevention/ www.cdc.gov)

    https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/documents/ADHD-symptom-checklist.pdf

COVID-19 NOTICE:

Now scheduling Telehealth online video/phone sessions. This is a simple process that complies with HIPAA requirements to ensure privacy & security. Contact In The Garden Counseling for more information.