The Rabbit Hole of Teen Angst

Alice in Wonderland directed by Tim Burton was released this month to movie theaters across the nation, and as I was watching it, I realized that this story is really about "teen angst". The protagonist Alice falls into the rabbit hole after running away from a gentleman and a crowd waiting to hear her answer to an unwanted marriage proposal. Being that this was set in the Victorian Age, a proposal during adolescence was not that unusual. She is shocked, scared, and appalled by the surprise proposal from someone she finds repulsive and is even more confused that everyone including her family expected her to say "yes". The gentleman after all was a Lord from an upstanding, aristocratic family. She runs away chasing a rabbit in a waistcoat and crawls into the rabbit hole discovering this exotic land called Wonderland. In Wonderland, she makes many friends and enemies and is told her duty is to slay the Jabberwocky so the good White Queen may rule again. During her journey, she is often asked and told that she is not the "right Alice "and keeps debating this while finally coming into the realization that she is Alice- beautifully unique, smart, independent Alice that can and will slay the Jabberwoky. Due to her realization and confidence, she succeeds in slaying him, and thus, the White Queen rules again. She becomes Wonderland's hero! More importantly, she become her own hero.


How does this Victorian story relate to today's teen angst we hear so much about? Consider this- Alice seeing things and imagining things that are not really there or may be there is the adolescent mind. Adults seem as bizarre and confusing as talking flowers. The White Rabbit is what makes a teen want to run away from everything. The hookah smoking caterpillar is the existential voice inside constantly asking "who are you, and are you really who you say you are?" The Mad Hatter is the best friend that they grow to love, depend on, and care for, and the Red Queen is the bully, which could even be a destructive inner voice, that dominates and all it wants to do is behead. Finally, the Jabberwocky is the ultimate test which the teen must face and defeat to finally prove their independence and sense of self. Thus, the White Queen of inner peace and acceptance prevails.


For parents and friends dealing with teen angst, there are some productive, easy techniques you can apply for your peace of mind and for your teenager. Never fear there are solutions!

1. Communication- Keep the lines of communication open. Even though your teen might moan and groan when you try to talk to them or say they are not listening when you are talking- they really are. Find good times to talk to your teen. A great time is in the car because they cannot go anywhere. Ask them questions from a non-judgmental and non-accusatory point of view. Listen actively by parroting back to them or para-phrasing to them what they just said. Always tell them that you are there to listen.


2. Family dinners- I cannot express enough the importance of this. Sitting down every night or as many nights as possible eating diner without the TV, computer, phone, or i-pod on has proven empirically to be effective in being a positive influence for teens and the family system. Sometimes that last thing you want to do when you come home from work is to make dinner; therefore plan weekly dinners ahead of time. Get a slow cooker and a rice and vegetable cooker, which is a great, nutritious, economical way of having dinner cooking while you are at work so it will be ready when you get home. Have everyone in the family take turns making dinner. Have a rule to turn off all electronics during dinner except maybe background music. Talk at the table! Do not eat in silence! Have a ritual conversation such as "wins" for that day or funny stuff that happened! Some of the most special times in my adolescence were on random week nights when I listened to my mom and dad tell stories of their high school and college days. I remember all of those stories to this day and would love to write them as short stories.


3. Turn it off! Have a scheduled time during the week that everyone in the house stops using all electronics for an hour or so. Teens need to be alone and this means getting off of chat lines or social websites and the telephone. They need to just be with themselves and like it or not so do parents. Just be.


4. Curfew. Have a curfew. Have an established curfew of when your teen needs to be at home,and do not budge on this. If they break curfew, dock time from it the next time they go out. Also, find out what their friend's curfew is if they go and spend the night by talking to their friend's parents. Remember your teen craves structure and discipline.


5. Friends. Pay attention to their friends. If you do not like a group they are socializing with, do not approve outings with them. Get to know their friend's parents too. Really know who your teen is socializing with. Remember for a teen, social life is the most important thing for them and the most influential aspect. Also, it is okay to eavesdrop on your teen's conversations with their friends.


6. Counseling. If you are worried about your teen, seek family counseling or have them go to counseling. Remember that having your teen go to counseling is not a reflection of bad parenting. Sometimes it is easier for your teen to talk to someone outside the family and not a peer in school. A lot of times, they will resist going to counseling, but once they go, the flood gates open. As a therapist, I have seen it many times.


7. Educate yourself about teen positive and negative pop culture regarding sex, drugs, and social habits. Lets face it, the drugs that were on the scene when you were a teen are not the same as now, and the US has the 2nd highest teenage pregnancy rate of any industrialized nation. Do this by reading teen websites, teen magazines, and parent publications.


If you would like to add to suggestions, please do so. I hope that this is beneficial for you. Thank you for reading, and thank you for your support. Please pass along.

Many Blessings,
Kathryn A. R. James, MFT

www.kjamesmft.com
415.244.5590

What's Love Got to do With It?

Now that we are in Valentine's Season, I find it most appropriate to write about love and different types of love. First let us look at the basics of love. There are three different kinds of love- agape, altruistic, and erotic. Agape is Greek for brotherly love or how one might feel for a friend, parent, or sibling. Altruistic love is love for humankind- think of Mother Theresa. Finally, erotic love is romantic love or how we feel for our spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend.

In romantic or erotic relationships, humans experience 3 different subcategories of love- which include passionate love, intimate love, and commitment love. All of three of these loves combined together is called Consummate Love. Passionate love is infatuation. Remember how when you were in high school and your crush was like a demi- god or goddess to you? He/she could absolutely do no wrong and the most mundane action he/she did was simply the most attractive thing you ever saw? That is passionate love. MRI studies have confirmed that during passionate love our brain chemistry is the same as it is when someone is under the influence of narcotics such as cocaine and ecstasy. Physically, we get a huge dopamine rush, and it feels euphoric! It feels so, so great! Wouldn't it be great if it could last like that all the time? However, passionate love is the first to peak and the first to decline.

Intimate love in a relationship is generally the second to peak. Intimate love forms when you and your partner become friends and have a deeper bonding and understanding. The relationship hopefully is growing stronger, or you are finding out that this person is not really compatible with you, which is fine. I remember when I was about 10 years old, I asked my mother who her best friend was. She said my father. and then I asked my dad- he said "your mother". As a 10 year old, I was so confused and perplexed by their answers. I did not understand how they could like each other romantically and be friends. What they were describing to me was their intimate love they had for one another. Ideally, intimate love will be on a continuous, steady increase in your relationship.

Commitment love is the last to develop and the slowest to grow typically. As important as commitment love is, without the other two types love it looks like this: "we stayed married for the children even though we are not happy".

Therefore, passionate love plus intimate love, plus commitment love equals consummate love which is ideally what every couple should develop and work towards especially when considering a long term partnership. Studies have confirmed that consummate love is the most difficult to achieve and the most fulfilling!

Now that you know this information, hopefully you will be more aware of yourself and your partner. Take an inventory of these loves if you are in a relationship or in the next relationship you enter. Be aware of the trickiness and the fast peak and decline of passionate love. Nurture and create intimate bonding through experiences with someone but not too fast. Ask questions about your date's personal life! Really get to know the person, but take your time with it. As a therapist my opinion is that people don't ask their date's enough important questions prior to jumping into a commitment or marriage! You must always know who you are dating! As far as commitment love is concerned, test your the compatibility and be sure you are on the same life path with the other person. Then consummate love will hopefully be coming your way.


So "what does love got to do with it"? Well, a lot and a little. Brain chemistry with dopamine rushes and endorphins are at work, teachings and beliefs from society and culture are at work, and individual life time goals are at work! So love? Who knows?


Blessings,
Kathryn James, LMFT
www.kjamesmft.com
Thank you for reading. Please let me know of any questions or requests you have.

February Postings

February's month's postings will be on love, sex, and marriage and teenage angst! Please stay tuned. Submit any questions you may have prior to postings.

Thank You!
Blessings, Kathryn James

Haiti Donations

I encourage you all to donate just $10 to the American Red Cross for the Haiti disaster. You can do it via text message. You can text “HAITI” to 90999 to donate $10 to American Red Cross relief for Haiti. Thank You!

Blessings,
Kathryn A. R. James, MFT

Panic Attacks and Coping Skills

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope that you had a nice holiday and are looking forward to a great 2010! Some of you requested that I blog about Panic Attacks. Therefore, this blog will focus on that. We often hear "oh, I had a panic attack, and I didn't know what to do". My goal here is to first describe the criteria for panic attacks and to provide some skills on how to de-escalate yourself if you do have one. Being prepared with tools if you have panic attacks and panic disorder is key to a cure!

Criteria for a Panic Attack cited from the DSM IV-R (2000):

A discrete period of intense fear or discomfort, in which 4 or more of the following symptoms developed abruptly and reached a peak within 10 minutes:
1) palpitations, pounding heart, or accelerated heart rate
2) sweating
3) trembling or shaking
4) sensations of shortness of breath or smothering
5) feeling of choking
6) chest pain or discomfort
7) nausea or abdominal distress
8) feeling dizzy, unsteady, lightheaded, or faint
9) derealization (feelings of unreality) or depersonalization (being detached from oneself)
10) fear of losing control or going crazy
11) fear of dying
12) numbness or tingling sensations
13) chills or hot flashes

Another disorder that is associated with Panic Attacks is Panic Disorder. Panic Disorder' s essential feature is "the presence of recurrent, unexpected Panic Attacks followed by at least one month of persistent concern about having another Panic Attack, worry about the possible implications or consequences of the Panic Attacks or a significant behavioral change related to the attacks" (DSM, 2000). Panic Attacks and Panic Disorder can be very frightening, and the good news is that they can be managed or prevented effectively. However, if you continue to have them, please seek professional help either from a psychotherapist or psychiatrist. Medication can be prescribed to alleviate them also. If medication is necessary, remember to always accompany it with therapy.

Skills to help prevent and/or manage Panic Attacks:

1. Seek Safety immediately when you feel one coming on (ie go to a safe environment with "safe people" or familiar surroundings.

2. Breathe deeply and slowly. The majority of people breath incorrectly at all times. So by all means breath correctly when having a P.A. Here is the ratio for proper breathing at all times: 2 counts exhaled for ever 1 count inhaled. If you breathe in for 5 counts, exhale 10 counts. Do not breathe too fast, or you will hyperventilate. Know that this time will pass.

3. Call someone who can be of help like a therapist, a friend, a mentor, or family member. Talk with them before to ask them if they would mind being your safety call. That way they will be prepared and not be caught off guard. Remember we live in a tribal culture! The worst thing is to feel and be isolated.

4. Carry a grounding object with you. This can be a smooth stone that you keep in your pocket or a piece of jewelry. It can even be something s simple as a tube of chap stick that you hold on to in your pocket! Grounding objects need to be in reach and always with you that you touch and are able to rub or fidget it. Think of how Linus from Peanuts always had his blanket. His blanket was a safe grounding object.

5. Know your triggers for panic attacks. Pay attention and become more aware of people, places, and things that trigger you to having a P.A. and AVOID THEM! If this is impossible, plan ahead of grounding techniques and coping skills to begin BEFORE you encounter the triggers. And ALWAYS have an exit strategy. If big parties or crowds cause you to have panic attacks but you can't avoid one, plan your way to get in then get out and stick to the plan. Stay away from caffeine and stimulants and exercise regularly to burn off anxious energy. You might want to cut down on aerobic exercise and do something more anaerobic such as weight lifting or yoga instead.

I hope that this information is beneficial to you. If you have any comments or questions, please let me know. I have posted a book list too. My next blog will be on "teenage angst"! If you would like to make an appointment, please contact me at 415.244.5590 or www.kjamesmft.com.

Be Well and Many Blessings!,
Kathryn A R. James, MFT

My blog that I am creating is intended communicate my thoughts and reflections as a psychotherapist and to provide mental health information that you request. I will also provide good wellness tips for living a balanced, positive, healthy life! If you have any questions or suggestions, please let me know. Overall, this blog is for you. We are in the holiday season now, which can be a very happy time for some but also a very sad or stressful time. With that in mind, I challenge you to reflect on giving and being compassionate.

Regarding giving, ask yourself "what am I giving, and when I give, am I expecting anything in return? What is the intention and motivation behind the giving and am I truly thankful?" I had a client say to me this week in session that even though she is frustrated she can't find a job, she is keeping everything in perspective because she has a home, plenty of food, and nice things. I thought that that was profound especially regarding her high skill level. Be a cheerful giver.

With regards to compassion, extend more patience for those who try your patience, perform a random act of kindness to someone, and most of all forgive yourself for your shortcomings. Compassion is contagious and healing.

We Americans are being consumed with commercialism and consumerism right now, and it has become apparent that we have lost perspective between needs, wants, and should haves. Since when did having 10 pairs of shoes become the norm when we walk past people on the street who are barefoot? Not to say that you should not enjoy your success but when is enough, enough?! Therefore, now that we are approaching Christmas and Hannukah, I challenge you to take a personal inventory of all of your things and your "emotional things" and deglut what you don't need or want! Keep the things that bring you meaning. I think of a handkerchief that belonged to one of my mother's childhood friends, Aunt Elsie. She passed a year ago suddenly. I carry it in my purse everywhere I go. I have many sweet memories of Aunt Elsie and love to smell the handkerchief for it smells of her. I will pass along books that I have finished and clothes that I no longer wear. I am thankful for my beautiful living space and the treasures I have collected over the years from around the world. I am thankful for my health and the knowledge I won't go hungry or unclothed. Mostly, I am thankful for the faces that are etched in my memory- my belated father, my mother, my nephew and nieces, my clients past and present, Baby Grace, my friends, and my family.
Those etchings are infinite and indespensible.

Many Blessings to you,
Kathryn James, LMFT
www.kjamesmft.com