Understanding the rules of dysfunctional families

• Rules

  • Denial

  • Silence

  • Rigidity

  • Isolation

• Changing the rules to create healthy families

  • Honesty

  • Communication

  • Flexibility

  • Intimacy

• Understanding systems

• Characteristics of healthy families

• Roles of dysfunctional families

  • The pink elephant

  • The enabler

  • The hero

  • The scapegoat

  • The lost child

  • The mascot

• Understanding the nature of suicide risks

  • Risk factors for suicide

  • Learn to recognize the warning signs

  • Recognize that suicidal thoughts are a symptom, not a solution

  • Tools to help protect you against suicidal thoughts

  • Suicide risks and teenagers

  • Helpful responses to distressed teenagers

  • Risk of suicide contagion

• Understanding the nature of depression

  • Common symptoms of depression

  • Causes of depression

  • Depression is a treatable condition

  • How to help someone who is depressed

• Understanding the nature of anxiety

  • Understanding the fight or flight reaction

  • How anxiety and fear differ

  • What causes anxiety

  • Disorders associated with anxiety

  • Common symptoms of anxiety

  • Understanding the anxiety loop

  • How to break the anxiety loop

  • Get back in the moment

  • Engage your mind and body

  • Use the stop and start technique

  • Ask yourself: “Is this a life or death issue?”

  • Learn deep breathing exercises

  • Break the cycle of the anxiety loop early and often

• Managing stress during uncertain times

  • Learn to listen to your body

  • Learn to relax

  • Exercise

  • Talk out your worries

  • Learn to accept what you cannot change

  • Avoid self-medication and maintain good nutrition

  • Balance work and play

  • Stop “awfulizing”

  • Understanding the nature of stress on the body

  • Physiological symptoms associated with stress

  • The 4 “D’s” of managing time and stress at work

  • Depend on others

  • Delegate the work

  • Delay the work

  • Just do it

  • Schedule stressful tasks during peak energy times

• How to know when your teenager needs help

  • Question authority vs. Defy authority

  • Seek independence vs. Avoid family

  • Sexually aware vs. Sexually Acting out

  • Testing limits vs. Ignore limits

  • Spontaneous vs. Impulsive

  • Socially involved vs. Drinking and drugging

  • Hopeful vs. Hopeless

  • Moody at times vs. Mood swings with intensity

  • Don’t be afraid to parent

  • Depression in teenagers

  • Drug and alcohol use in teenagers

  • Don’t slip into denial

  • Intervene early

  • Expect sobriety

  • Keep teenagers involved

  • Trust your instincts

• Mental Health Resources

  Bo’s Place
  713-942-8339
  For grief and bereavement

  Crime Victims Support
  (713) 274-9369
  Police or CPS involved in a crime

  Crisis Intervention of Houston
  (832) 416-1199 (Phone line for teens)
  (281) 201-4430 (Text line for teens)
  (832) 416-1177 (Phone line adults)

  Cypress Creek Hospital
  281-586-7600
  17750 Cali Dr. Houston, TX
  Insurance required

  FamilyTime Crisis and Counseling
  (281) 446-2615 (Hotline)
  (281) 4462615 (TTY/TTD)
  Partner violence & crisis counseling counseling
  Monday – Friday
  9:00 am – 5:00 pm

  Harris Center for Mental Health & IDD
  713-970-7000
  Most Insurances Accepted
  Insurance IS NOT required

  Harris County Psychiatric Center
  (713) 741-5000
  2800 South McGregor. Houston, TX 713-741-5000

  Kingwood Pines
  281-404-1001
  Free assessments but have to have insurance

  Memorial Hermann Crisis Clinic
  713-338-6422
  18838 Memorial South
  Suite 106
  Humble, TS. 77338
  Temporary treatment while waiting for appointment
  No insurance

  The Center for Children and Women
  832-828-1005

  Finding a Therapist
  Pyschologytoday.com
  Mentalhealthmatch.com

  Hotline Resources
  National Suicide Prevention Hotline
  988

  Mobile Crisis Outreach Team               (Harris County)
  713-970-7520

• Tips for Talking To Children About Violence

  • Reassure Children

  • Make Time To Talk

  • Review Safety

  • Monitor Your Child’s Emotional State

  • Keep Explanations Developmentally Appropriate

  • Points of Emphasis When Speaking With Your Child

• Talking To Children About Violence: School Safety

• What to say to your child when there is a death

• Your Child's Mental Health

  Children with:

  • Anxiety

  • Autism

  • Behavioral & Emotional Disorders

  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

  • Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)

  How Is Mental Illness Diagnosed & Treated

  Forms of Therapy

  • Behavioral

  • Cognitive

  • Family

  • Interpersonal