Crazy-Stressed: Saving Today's Overwhelmed Teens with Love, Laughter, and the Science of Resilience

VOYA Voice of Youth Advocates: Essential Books for Professionals Who Serve Teens A little resilience goes a long way.... Peel back the cheerful facade that parents present, and you'll find that many are worried about their teens. Mood swings, impulsiveness, poor judgment, and other problems peak in these years. Add stressors such as screen addiction, cyberbullying, increasing academic demands, and time-consuming athletic commitments . . . and it's no surprise that today's teenagers rank as the most anxious in 50 years. Parents long to help, but how? Based on a career counseling kids and their parents, psychologist Michael Bradley locates the most powerful protective trait: resilience. Teens with this crucial quality know how to handle difficulty, overcome obstacles, and bounce back from setbacks. Packed with insights from neuroscience and psychology, real-life case studies, and a dose of humor, Crazy-Stressed sheds light on the teen brain and offers a wealth of resiliency-boosting strategies. In it, Dr. Bradley reveals: What kids these days are really going through * Ways to strengthen the seven skills every teen needs to survive and thrive * What-to-do-when suggestions for common behavior, school, and social issues * Tactics for coping with conflict, teaching consequences, improving communication, staying connected, and more It's not easy being a teen-and it's certainly not easy parenting one. Always frank and often funny, Crazy-Stressed will become your go-to guide . . . and your kids may even thank you for it.

New research tells us our kids are not all right. Too many are struggling with excessive academic loads, extracurricular demands, sleep deprivation, and 24/7 connectivity, causing epidemic rates of anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and suicide. While teen brains are hardwired for risk-taking and overactive emotions, their coping abilities are at all-time lows.

In response, Dr. Michael J. Bradley first explains what drives adolescent anger, depression, and negative behaviors, with insights into their unprecedented world today and into the latest teen brain science. Then, with proven strategies from his three decades of practice and his own years as a father, Dr. Bradley explains how to connect with your teen to build their life-saving resiliency. Resilience-focused parenting helps kids regain their footing, overcome obstacles, and successfully cope with the challenges ahead.

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