Boys ranch and therapeutic boarding school for struggling teen boys with behavioral therapy. Arivaca Boys Ranch in Arizona serves families from Arizona, Nevada, California and throughout America.

Help for Troubled Teenagers at Arivaca

Social Adjustment to Adolescence Sometimes Takes More than Parents Can Offer

Help for troubled teens becomes necessary when defiant teens continually disrupt the home, school and social environments. For many troubled youth, their minds are so full of anger, frustration, self-loathing and fear, their development is arrested and their behavior becomes unacceptable. Help for troubled teenagers sometimes cannot come from their parents. A troubled teen camp may be the best source of help in getting your teenage son back.

Help for troubled teenagersSome Adjustments Are Normal; Others Are Not

Any help for troubled teenagers to assist them in adjusting socially is always welcome, even by the most defiant teen. Out of control teens move into a different reality where “adjusting to social needs” means something parents could never dream of. That’s where troubled teen schools can offer a lot of help.

3 Major Causes Inhibiting Social Adjustment

  • Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) is a condition affecting one in ten teenagers and is far more prevalent in boys than girls. It is characterized by:
  • Defiant and aggressive behavior that is disruptive to family and/or school.
  • Persistence in the aggressive behavior lasting longer than 6 months.

A qualified mental health professional needs to make the diagnosis, but parents must realize that they are not equipped to handle this condition using normal parenting techniques. Boys ranches, like Arivaca, have mental health care professionals who know the underlying condition must be treated before behavior modification can be ong-lasting. Through troubled teen programs, the staff helps train troubled boys to cope with their feelings as well as teach parents the proper responses to outbursts.

  • Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder (ADD or ADHD) is actually two presentations of a similar condition. It can occur with our without the hyperactivity component. Hyperactivity is far more common in teenage boys. ADD or ADHD is a frustratingly difficult and emotionally-taxing condition for parents to cope with. Again, a qualified mental health professional should make the diagnosis and initiate the treatment, but the hallmark symptoms are not difficult to indentify. They can drastically affect behavior in a negative way. Primarily, they are:
  • Inattentiveness
  • Impulsivity
  • Compulsion to inappropriate activities at inappropriate times.

ADD and ADHD are so common that, on average, every classroom will have at least two sufferers in it. Therefore, the odds you may be dealing with it are actually higher than 1 in 15. The equine therapy school coupled with individual counseling by Arivaca Boys Ranch counselors makes a particularly good combination to help build coping strategies in troubled teens. They can identify and suggest possible medical solutions as well.

Because ADD and ADHD are so common that similar conditions can be misdiagnosed. To diagnose and classify it accurately, the condition must contain:

  • At least 6 attention symptoms or 6 activity/impulsivity symptoms beyond the normal range for age and sex.
  • Symptoms observable in 2 or more settings where they could not be caused by something else.
  • Some symptoms must be present before age 7.
  • Chemical Abuse: Drug and Alcohol Issues are listed here because parents are often not aware of these issues and because it can affect so many young teens. In fact, it can affect any of them. The overall effect is disruptive to behavior, development and maturity. Many of the signs to parents are counter-intuitive. For example, addicted teens who are sneaking out to drink or use drugs may be overly punctual so they don’t attract attention to themselves. Look for other signs such as red or dilated eyes, erratic, overly-tired and/or overly-active behavior extending over long periods of time. Be aware of any drug use paraphernalia that might be stowed away. Teens will usually tell you that anything you find belongs to something else.

Both drug and alcohol issues have deep claws in them; they drag down the user and don’t want to let go. Some drugs are worse than others for that and recovery has very low success rates when a teen or his parents tries to deal with it alone. This takes expert help for troubled teens. The staff at Arivaca Boys Ranch has had to deal with a lot of these teens and knows just what to do.

Help Is Here When You Need It

Teenagers and parents alike both need help when real communication has stopped, yelling has started, and adjustments to a productive life have ceased. Whether the base of the problem is an emotional condition, a negative environmental influence, or a psychological disorder, Arivaca Boys Ranch can help you address the issues so you can get your son back on track and back into your lives. Equine therapy has proven to be very effective at treating these conditions and is one of our specialties. Our counselors are available to talk to you about the options.

Give us a call at our toll-free number, (877) 88-MYSON or (877) 886-9766 to explore what you can do to re-establish a solid positive relationship with your son.

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