Yearly Archives: 2016

The holidays are traditionally a time for families and friends to come together for quality time and celebration, however it can be a time of family discord and challenge for parents caring for a child struggling with a behavioral or emotional disorder. A sudden angry outburst, mood swings, unexpected aggression toward another, or defiance can…

Continuing our series on adolescent behavioral and emotional disorders treated at Red River Youth Academy, this week our focus is on disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD). It is common for youth to have temper tantrums and be angry, irritable, moody, and upset on occasion. However, when these behaviors are severe, persistent, and unusual for the…

Today and every day, we are thankful for the amazing staff at Red River Youth Academy who make a difference in young men’s lives every day. It takes a special kind of person to work in residential adolescent behavioral health. You need to have patience, flexibility, empathy, compassion, a calm demeanor, good listening skills, resilience…

November is National Adoption Month and Red River Youth Academy salutes parents who have welcomed children into their families through adoption and the child welfare professionals who work to find loving homes for children who need families. This year’s theme, “We Never Outgrow the Need for Family” spotlights the important need to provide permanent family…

Many people of all ages look forward to the fun of Halloween each year with wearing costumes, attending parties, visiting haunted houses, and trick-or-treating. However, for those with a mental health condition, Halloween may be a time of heightened anxiety. While some people enjoy gory scenes, bloody costumes and make-up, and the adrenaline rush associated…

This week, we look at another behavioral and emotional disorder experienced by adolescents: intermittent explosive disorder. IED is characterized by unpredictable and explosive outbursts of uncontrollable aggression, usually lasting fewer than 30 minutes, that occur frequently, often along with periods of less severe outbursts. The aggression may be physical and/or verbal and targeted at another person, property,…

Did you know that 20 percent of Oklahoma public school students have been bullied on school property and 14 percent have been victims of cyber-bullying (via email, chat rooms, instant messaging, a website, text message, or social media)? Bullying can leave physical and emotional scars that may negatively impact a young person’s well-being into adulthood. October is…

The first full week of October is designated Mental Illness Awareness Week. It is an opportunity to raise awareness of mental illness, fight stigma, and advocate for equal care. One in five adults and youth experience a diagnosable mental illness every year and half of chronic mental illnesses appear early in life, in many cases…