How ‘Mind Over Body’ Can Be Taught To Teens With Placebos, Meditation, And Virtual Reality

How 'Mind Over Body' Can Be Taught To Teens With Placebos, Meditation, And Virtual Reality

The adolescent years can come with a lot of issues like depression, anxiety and anger. While there seems to be a drug to treat everything today, some parents prefer to try methods that are more holistic before creating any kind of chemical dependence in their teen. While many of these medications are valuable for the most extreme cases, there is a lot of information to back up the theories that identical or similar results can come from placebos, meditation and virtual reality. While the most conscientious parents will do whatever it takes to help their teen be healthy, utilizing these methods may be the best place to start.

  • Meditation – Worry and stress factors very highly in the teen experience, which is why meditation can be a valuable habit to get into. The idea of living mindfully and in the moment is a very effective way to not only reduce anxiety and stress, but also help issues like chronic pain, fatigue and depression. Teach your teen how to take deep breaths in order to force the body to slow down and enter a more relaxed state. Remind her that while meditation and mindfulness can always help immediately during times of stress, such practices are also contributing to an positive change in their brain over time.
  • Placebos – A placebo is a treatment or medication that is intended to trick the brain into producing a specific action. The idea that the body is conditioned to respond to familiar stimuli with a positive reaction is more than just a theory. For instance, patients with actual diseases, such a Parkinson’s, were found to have identical reactions (a release of dopamine in the brain) as those who were given actual medication, simply because they thought that was what they were getting. While the conclusion is not to simply rely on fake pills or treatments, knowing that the body can have overwhelmingly positive responses when it feels as though it is being taken care of is worth exploring and understanding. Helping teens understand the control that they potentially have over their own bodies is an empowering concept.
  • Virtual Reality – Through various studies, researchers have concluded that the brain only has a certain capacity for attention. Pain, whether emotional or physical, often brings itself directly to the forefront keeping individuals from focusing on anything else. Experiments with immersing patients in a virtual reality situation during painful treatments has shown that such distraction can be very beneficial and reduces discomfort. While some teens cope with stress and pain during the adolescent years by playing video games or becoming fixated on a certain book or tv show, too much of this can keep them from experiencing healthy levels of human experiences, such as socializing, risk taking and even learning from rejection. However, when used correctly, virtual reality can help teens take a mental break from things that are causing them pain.

Request Free Admissions Information

Step 1 of 3 - Your Contact Info

Written by Natalie

11 Feb, 2016

Recent Posts

Why We Are Seeing an Increase in Teen Anxiety

Why We Are Seeing an Increase in Teen Anxiety

Anxiety is a natural response to stress and fear. For years teens have been facing increasing pressure from school, sports commitments, family concerns, and even peer issues. With everything they’re struggling with, it makes sense that they would have increased...

Let’s Get Creative! How to Spark Your Teens Creative Side.

Let’s Get Creative! How to Spark Your Teens Creative Side.

While the summertime can burst with days of full-filled activities, most of the time is probably downtime for your teenager. This isn't bad; after all, time for rest and recovery is imperative. However, too many days of quiet time can lead to boredom for kids of all...

8 Ways to Stay Connected To Your Teen

8 Ways to Stay Connected To Your Teen

We live in an increasingly interconnected world. This is why it can sometimes be baffling that it’s not always easy to connect and stay connected with your teen. Most of the time, we have communication devices in our hands, using them to connect through social media...

Shy Teen? How to Make Friends!

Shy Teen? How to Make Friends!

If you are shy, you probably know how frustrating it can be to try and make friends. This is particularly true if you have to move to a new school or town and you don’t know anyone. Thankfully, some excellent ways to make friends when you are a little shy will work no...

Defiant Teen Behavior Lying and Stealing

Defiant Teen Behavior Lying and Stealing

Rarely do you meet a person who never tells a lie. Even the best of us may stretch the truth when serving our needs. Children and teens will often tell lies to get themselves out of trouble. It can become frustrating when a teen starts to act out, be defiant, and...

Summer Fun Tips for Tweens

Summer Fun Tips for Tweens

There’s nothing quite like the excitement of the end of the school year. For parents, it can mean fewer mornings rushing around and fewer afternoons ferrying kids to an assortment of activities. For students, it means a long summer of fun stretching ahead of them...

You May Also Like…

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *