Trails Carolina Blog

Have you ever taken a 10 minutes to close your eyes, sit completely still, and really check in with yourself? Probably not. The benefits of practicing mindfulness in teens are considerable and immense, yet it’s hardly mentioned in daily life. It’s time that it started being mentioned, though. Photo credit: flickr user – Caleb Roenigk…

In this day and age, it is impossible to deny a simple truth: animals are taking over the world with cuteness. Be it cat videos or the Puppy Bowl, when animals enter the picture, everything else seems to fade away. But what if this adorable fuzziness could be used to heal various types of trauma?…

Perhaps the greatest misconception about missing school is that all cases are the same. In reality, there are many reasons why a child would not want to go to class – the two main offenders being school refusal and truancy in teens. School refusal and truancy are entirely different beasts; the first step to ensuring…

“A child’s mental health is just as important as their physical health and deserves the same quality of support. No one would feel embarrassed about seeking help for a child if they broke their arm — and we really should be equally ready to support a child coping with emotional difficulties” (). These words aren’t…

Marijuana. Weed. Hash. Regardless of what it is called, the mental associations created are the same: the telltale smell, its color and shape. What the mental images don’t produce are odorless drops, the color and shape of earwax, made of butane hash oil (BHO) – otherwise known as “dabs”. Thanks to their 80% THC content…

While it is easy to discount internet addiction as a minor issue compared to, for example, drug addiction, that would be a mistake – there are many ways to be addicted, and internet addiction is quickly becoming one of the major players. As a matter of fact, some 16% of young adults exhibit symptoms of…

Teens are overwhelmed daily by external pressure. The media portrays the ideal image of perfection; their friends tell them how to act; their teachers stress the importance of good grades. Everyone around them wants them to act, dress and look a certain way. There are many temptations each and every day, some positive, some negative…

For any student in school, mentioning the word exam conjures up uncomfortable, anxious feelings. Exams are the bane to any student’s existence. They have the power to make anyone feel unsure and frazzled. Exam stress is real, all students deal with it, but for some it can become overwhelming. Some think partying, self-medication, and neglect…

While mental illness is never easy, bipolar disorder in teens can hit especially hard. As if puberty alone isn’t enough, a child struggling with bipolar disorder must deal with the pressures of severe mood episodes, from depression one moment to mania the next. During such an important phase in your teen’s life, it is crucial…

While the death of a loved one is never easy, it hits teens especially hard. According to the National Institutes of Health, 2.5 million Americans pass away yearly, leaving an average of 4-5 grieving survivors. Unfortunately, there is no magic potion to wash away the pain completely, but there are several strategies to remember when…