Category: For Teenagers

Children of Alcoholics Screening Test (CAST)

Children of Alcoholics Screening Test (CAST) 

This screening test was developed by two social workers, Jones and Pilat. Please check the answer below that best describes your feelings, behavior and experiences related to a parent’s alcohol use. Take your time and be as accurate as possible.

Have you ever thought that one of your parents had a drinking problem?

Have you ever lost sleep because of a parent’s drinking?

Did you ever encourage one of your parents to quit drinking?

Did you ever feel alone, scared, nervous, angry or frustrated because a parent was not able to stop drinking?

Did you ever argue or fight was a parent when he or she was drinking?

Did you ever threaten to run away from home because of a parent’s drinking?

Has a parent ever yelled at or hit you or other family members when drinking?

Have you ever heard your parents fight when one of them was drunk?

Did you ever protect another family member from a parent who was drinking?

Did you ever feel like hiding or emptying a parent’s bottle of liquor?

Do many of your thoughts revolve around a problem drinking parent or difficulties that arise because of his or her drinking?

Did you ever wish that a parent would stop drinking?

Did you ever feel responsible for or guilty about a parent’s drinking?

Did you ever fear that your parents would get divorced due to alcohol misuse?

Have you ever withdrawn from and avoided outside activities and friends because of embarrassment and shame over a parent’s drinking problem?

Did you ever feel caught in the middle of an argument or fight between a problem drinking parent and your other parent?

Did you ever feel that you made a parent drink alcohol?

Have you ever that a problem drinking parent did not really love you?

Did you ever resent a parent’s drinking?

Have you ever worried about a parent’s health because of his or her alcohol use?

Have you ever been blamed for a parent’s drinking?  Did you ever think your father was an alcoholic?

Did you ever wish you home could be more like the homes of your friends who did not have a parent with a drinking problem?

Did a parent ever make promises to you that he or she did not keep because of drinking?

Did you ever think your mother was an alcoholic?

Did you ever wish that you could talk to someone who could understand and help the alcohol-related problems in your family?

Did you ever fight with your brothers and sisters about a parent’s drinking?

Did you ever stay away from home to avoid the drinking parent or your other parent’s reaction to the drinking?

Have you ever felt sick, cried, or had a “knot” in your stomach after worrying about a parent’s drinking?

Did you ever take over any chores and duties at home that were usually done by a parent before he or she developed a drinking problem?

 

Score: Total Number of Yes Answers

0-1 Most likely parent is not alcoholic. A score of 1 might suggest problem drinking.

2-5 Has had problems due to at least one parent’s drinking behavior. This is a child of a drinker or possibly an alcoholic.

6+ More than likely the child of an alcoholic. Stage of alcoholism needs to be determined.

————————————————————————————

(Modified CAST) CAST-6

These questions are a subsample of questions appearing on the Children of Alcoholics Screening Test, developed by Jones and Pilat, and have also been rigorously tested.

Have you ever thought that one of your parents had a drinking problem?

Did you ever encourage one of your parents to quit drinking?

Did you ever argue or fight with a parent when he or she was drinking?

Have you ever heard your parents fight when one of them was drunk?

Did you ever feel like hiding or emptying a parent’s bottle of liquor?

Did you ever wish that a parent would stop drinking?

Scoring:

3 or more yes answers – probably a COA

Source: The Center on Addiction and the Family (COAF) retrieved from http://www.coaf.org/professionals/screenCAST.htm

The Panic Workbook for Teens

The Panic Workbook for Teens: Breaking the Cycle of Fear, Worry, and Panic Attacks, by Debra Kissen, PhD, MHSA, Bari Goldman Cohen, PhD, & Kathi Fine Abitbol, PhD. (2015)

Panic attacks are scary, and can make you feel like you’ve lost control—leading to more anxiety, stress, fear, and even depression. This easy-to-use workbook provides step-by-step instructions to help you identify anxiety-inducing thoughts, mindfully observe them, and stop the cycle of panic, once and for all.

If you’re like many other teens with a panic disorder, you may sometimes feel like walls are closing in on you, or that something dreadful is about to happen. The most frustrating thing about panic attacks is that they can happen anytime, anywhere—sometimes when you least expect them—and you may go through your day fearing another attack. So, how can you start managing your panic before it gets in the way of school, friends, and your life?

In The Panic Workbook for Teens, three anxiety specialists will show you how to identify anxiety-causing thoughts and behaviors, mindfully observe your panic attacks instead of struggling against them, and experience sensations associated with panic until you discover that these sensations may be uncomfortable—but not dangerous.

No matter what situation you find yourself in, by learning how to objectively monitor your panic attacks, you’ll gain a sense of control and learn to work through even the toughest moments of extreme anxiety—whether you’re taking a test, on a first date, or at a job interview.

Teenager’s Guide to Depression

Tips and Tools for Helping Yourself or a Friend

The teenage years can be tough, and it’s perfectly normal to feel sad or irritable every now and then. But if these feelings don’t go away or become so intense that you can’t handle them, you may be suffering from depression. The good news is that you don’t have to feel this way. Help is available and you have more power than you think. There are many things you can do to help yourself or a friend start feeling better.

At Help Guide.org

Dealing with Teen Depression

The truth about teen depression

The truth about teen depression

By Megan Shinnick

TEDxYouth@BeaconStreet

 TEDx Talks

Published on Feb 6, 2015

This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences.
Through her own story, social activist Megan Shinnick points out the misconceptions and actual importance of depression, as well as the societal flaws responsible for the increase in the illness among teens. Perhaps the increased pressures put on students create the situation, while the majority of schools don’t have the necessary resources to aid students who suffer depression or anxiety. Megan asks each of us to make a difference in the way society both views and deals with depression.