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What Parents Should Consider If Their Teen Is Diagnosed With Depression or Bipolar Disorder With Dr. Charles Hodges [Podcast]

06/04/18 • 28 min

Who or what should parents turn to for help and hope if their child is diagnosed with depression or bipolar disorder or another similar disorder? Do our children really need even a fraction of the medications being prescribed to them today? Could it be that postmodern stimuli and the “new morality” that are systemic to today’s American culture are actually affecting our kids moods and behaviors far more than we realize? Dr. Charles Hodges is a family physician practicing in Indianapolis, IN. He is the Executive Director of Vision of Hope, a residential treatment facility for young women with emotional struggles. Dr. Hodges is a Fellow in the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors, an instructor and counselor with Faith Biblical Counseling Ministry in Lafayette, IN, and the author of Good Mood Bad Mood: Help and Hope for Depression and Bipolar Disorder. Dr Hodges has been married to his wife Helen Kay for 46 years and has four children and 13 grandchildren. How Shepherds Hill Academy Equips Teens Who Are Diagnosed With Depression or Bipolar Disorder Teens come to Shepherds Hill Academy (SHA) with various diagnoses. Of these, two disorders that we see consistently are bipolar disorder and depression. Why do these various struggles and disorders, particularly depression and bipolar disorder, seem to be diagnosed so often in young people today? Shepherds Hill Academy is known for providing help for teens who come to us with a wide range of diagnoses. We work with teens who are diagnosed with bipolar disorder and depression all the time. However, in some cases, I am a little skeptical of the diagnoses that our students bring with them when they come to SHA—specifically when it comes to bipolar disorder and depression. Why? Because 70% of the teens who enter our program diagnosed with a disorder and taking prescription medication complete our year-long program without the need for a prescription. These results do not come about because we are anti-medication or because we want to boost our stats with impressive results. These results come about because our students begin to realize that they are able to regulate their mental and emotional health by controlling what they expose themselves to, interact with, and obsess about. They learn that they can have some control over their responses to difficulty in their lives. At SHA, it is our conviction that there is a paramount spiritual component to emotional and mental health. The sad truth is that many teens today are not being raised in a cultural climate that nurtures spiritual growth and maturity, particularly growth facilitated by the Holy Spirit. Today, Dr. Charles Hodges and I discuss young people, parenting, and mental health as we cover the following topics: Why did Dr. Hodges write this particular book? What is the DSM? What is the difference between bipolar and depression? Does sleep deprivation contribute to a possible misdiagnosis? Why would teens be misdiagnosed with depression if they are not depressed? Picture provided by: Nick Youngson

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Why Parents Should Seek to Understand the Culture Of Teens Today with Ron Hutchcraft [Podcast]

How much of the “mass youth exodus” we’re seeing in churches today is the result of adults simply not understanding the culture of teens today? Like many failed missionary endeavors, have adults failed to adequately communicate our kids’ language? Have we failed to understand and the worldview and issues that concern today’s American youth? Ron Hutchcraft is a passionate, contemporary evangelist, speaker, author, and radio host. As president of Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Ron and his team specialize in developing authentic, relevant, and creative tools to, as Ron says, “Bring the lost to the Cross.” Ron is committed to communicating the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the lost in their language and to motivating and equipping believers to communicate Christ to the lost in their world. Ron has hosted two international youth radio broadcasts and has authored seven books. His latest book, A Life That Matters: Making the Greatest Possible Difference with the Rest of Your Life (Moody Press), is designed to equip everyday believers to become spiritual rescuers. For over 25 years, Ron has been a part of people’s daily lives through his popular radio program, A Word With You, heard across the country and broadcast internationally in the four most-spoken languages in the world. How the Culture of Teens Today Is Shaped by Digital Technology It seems that every new generation has to deal with a different mindset from that of the previous generation. We called this the “generation gap” back in the day. Because this seems to be such a common occurance, do we really need to be all that concerned about our kids processing thought differently than we do? I would say in some ways, “no,” and in other ways, “absolutely!” In fact, I would say, in many ways, today’s “generation gap” is arguably much more serious than in any time in history. When you look back, it seems that these “generation gaps” occur with whatever new technology comes along the pike. The telegraph, the phonograph, the flannelgraph (in church circles), movies, the automobile, radio, TV, and, now, the internet. But today’s digital technology, generally speaking, has had a much bigger influence on how our kids process thought and prioritize their lives than anyone realizes. Nothing in the past rewired our kids’ brains like today’s digital technology. I think this has created an atmosphere that makes it difficult for parents and their kids to understand one another because, according to a lot of today’s new science, this new 24/7 “inform-me and entertain-me into imbecility” world we’re living in is changing the way our kids’ brains are being wired from early on in their lives. I think this is often a largely self-inflicted wound. Though kids still actually want their parents to be their major influencers, it appears that Siri, Alexa, YouTube and hundreds of social media friends—among myriad other things—might be training and influencing our kids in ways that have yet to understand—but we certainly need to start. Today Ron Hutchcraft joins me to discuss teen culture today. Our conversations covers the following topics: Why understanding your teen’s culture is vital in saving your teen. Why the changes in the 60s were not more radical than today’s changes. How to help your teen buy into the fact that he/she can make a difference. How can you help your teen become more passionate about Jesus? A crucial prayer you should be praying. Can we truly disciple our kids? Picture provided by: http://autoestimayamistad.blogspot.com

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Why Medication Is Not Always Necessary When Seeking Mental Health For a Troubled Teen With Dr. Charles Hodges (Part 2) [Podcast]

Some statistics indicate that as many as 8 million kids growing up in America today will be prescribed some kind of psychotropic drug by the time they reach adulthood. Right now, Americans are spending $1,100 per second on mood altering medication, and we consume 80% of the world’s Ritalin supply. But here’s the challenge: Some believe these medications may cause more mental and physical problems than the behaviors they are designed to treat. What choices to we have? Are there safer, more effective alternatives? Dr. Charles Hodges is a family physician practicing in Indianapolis, IN. He is the Executive Director of Vision of Hope, a residential treatment facility for young women with emotional struggles. Dr. Hodges is a Fellow with the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors, an instructor and counselor with Faith Biblical Counseling Ministry in Lafayette, IN, and the author of Good Mood Bad Mood: Help and Hope for Depression and Bipolar Disorder. Dr Hodges has been married to his wife Helen Kay for 46 years and has four children and 13 grandchildren. How There Are Spiritual and Environmental Elements to Mental Health As I’ve mentioned before, many of the students that come to Shepherds Hill Academy have been diagnosed with a mental disorder of some sort, and we often serve students who have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder or depression. So how does SHA deal with these types of conditions? Well, I will save the clinical jargon for today’s guest, but I can say that most of the kids who come to SHA enter our program on boat loads of meds. Seventy percent of those kids are leaving medication-free. There’s a reason for that. I think it is important to note that there is a moral and spiritual component in the mix at SHA and in the real world that, I think, a lot of secular mental health professionals tend to overlook. We believe that outside stimuli and our general environments have a lot more to do with our mental and spiritual well-being than people realize. Though we get the science behind this, mental health is not always an exact science. In fact, many mental health professionals themselves would tell you that it is not science at all, but more of an ideology. Whatever side of the debate you are on, I think we have to conclude that there is still a lot more that we have yet to know about mental health. We just don’t know everything, and not all truth can be empirically proved. It doesn’t make it less true, it just means that it can’t be proved in the way we’re familiar with in science. I don’t think we can paint with a broad brush, nor do I think that we can look at one independently of the other. What I do know is that kids and families are being healed here at SHA, and the common denominator is Jesus Christ. Today, Dr. Charles Hodges and I discuss mental health and wise parenting as we cover the following topics: Why does it seem that depression is more frequently diagnosed today? If my child is diagnosed, should I get a second opinion? How can you develop an appropriate daily routine for your child? What role does a mother at home play in the success of teens? How is television and social media hindering relational development? Is it possible to choose your moods? The role of consequences. The role of worship. Picture provided by: Amanda Mills