BOLD Parenting Adolescent ADHD, Anxiety & Depression

“Hope without direction can too easily turn into despair.” -B. Willingham (for both young people and parents)

Join us for an evening designed to give parents hope and direction. Sponsored by Mercy and Truth Healthcare Ministry, The Anxiety Center at Renew Counseling presents an experiential, interactive, tool providing introduction to parenting a young person dealing with mental health struggles from Jason Bohn, Clinical Director of the Adolescent Intensive Outpatient Program that has served 650+ adolescents struggling with ADHD, anxiety and depression over the last 6 years.

Along with an engaging presentation The Anxiety Center has invited many community partners (see list below) to set up tables, share resources and help parents access some of the best treatment and parent support organizations in the area.

Objectives

• Examine the strenths and struggles of ADHD.
• Walk through the dangers of the “Avoidance Cycle” that ADHD, Anxiety & Depression all feed into, including how they can lead to self-harm urges; lack of motivation; and self-abusive intrusive thoughts, including suicidal ideation.
• Overview the BOLD process for making “Wise Mind” decisions that allows both parents and young people to move toward the things that matter most to them, including: identity formation, emotion regulation and motivation.
• Provide concrete next steps as many of the community partners will be offering parent support classes starting within weeks of the event.

Topics that will be touched upon:

• Typical vs. Problem behaviors
• Emotional & Cognitive Struggling
• Avoidance Cycles
• Defense Mechanisms

• Inappropriate actions or emotions under normal circumstances.
• Difficulty with interpersonal relationships, including relationships with teachers and peers
• A general feeling of unhappiness or depression
• Feelings of fear and anxiety related to personal or school matters
• Inattention, defiance, blaming others or isolation
• Learning difficulties that are not caused by another health factor
• Many adolescents struggling with anxiety (especially when comorbid with depression) have little passion for long-term goals and perseverance. Sadly, anxiety and depressive disorders affect 25-30% of US adolescents.
• Anxiety, defiance, inattention, blaming others, isolation or physical aggression

Host or Publisher The Anxiety Center @ Renew