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Hurt people hurt people.

There has been an explosion in the prescribing of medication for very young children, particularly preschool and kindergarten boys (Juli Zito , Univ. of Maryland)

Parenting style matters - a lot!

You cannot reason with someone who is being unreasonable.

We should not medicate the boys so they fit the school; we should change the school to fit the boy. (Leonard Sax, M.D. Ph.D)

"Moody" and "unpredictable" are adjectives parents will often use when referring to their teenagers.

Being a parent of a teenager can cure a person of narcissism.

Whining and crying are employed by kids for the purpose of getting something. If it works, then it was worth the effort and will be repeated.

The mistake that Sharon and I both made is we never set any boundaries.  (Ozzy Osbourne)

Children mimic well. They catch what they see better than they follow what they hear.

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Types of Depression

TYPES OF DEPRESSION
DIAGNOSED IN YOUNG PEOPLE
(the Oxford Psychiatric Dictionary lists 25 different types of depression)
 
a) MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER (MDD)
                  – serious depression lasts an average of 7-9  months
                  – similar to adult depression in some ways
                                                                        – sadness
                                                                        – pessimism
                                                                        – sleep & appetite disturbance
                                                                        – decrease in concentration
                  – dissimilar in some ways
                                                                        – anxiety
                                                                        – irritability
                                                                        – overly sensitive
                                                                        – eating & sleeping too much
 
b) DYSTHYMIC DISORDER
                                    – milder but more chronic
                                    – low level depression
                                    – usually able to carry out daily routines but requires major effort
                                    – continues for years
                                    – often progresses into major depression
 
 
c) DOUBLE DEPRESSION
                                    – combination of above
                                    – serious and chronic
 
 
d) BIPOLAR  (manic depressive)
                  – unusual & extreme swings in mood and energy
                  – may cycle each day or several times per year
                  – frequently begins with depressive episode in youth
                  – runs in families
                  – research suggests 20-40% of adolescents with MDD develop bipolar within 5 years
                  – usually starts in adolescence or early adulthood and continues throughout life
                  – equal male & female
 
 
e) REACTIVE DEPRESSION
                  – most common form of mood problem
                  – brought on by disturbing experience
                  – lasts anywhere from a few hours and a few weeks
                  – least serious
                  – not considered a  mental disorder
 

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Workshops

+ Behaviour Management (now available online)

This full day or 2 evening workshop will introduce you […]

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+ A Parent’s Guide to the Teenage Brain

  A teenager’s brain is not just an adult brain […]

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+ Reading Rescue

A program for children with reading problems

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+ A Guided Tour of ADHD (now available online)

This workshop will present the facts, myths, misconceptions, controversy and […]

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Contact

2720 Rath Street, Putnam, Ontario
NOL 2BO

Phone: (519) 485-4678
Fax: (519) 485-0281

Email: info@rickharper.ca

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Parents' Comments

“Implementing Rick’s techniques and adhering to them is exhausting, but it is a healthy exhaustion rather than the detrimental exhaustion I used to experience.”

(B.F. – Woodstock)