Hotlines

Here is a list of hotlines that you can call if you, or someone you know, are in a crisis of some sort, or are worried about a health issue.  This is very much a partial list, including hotlines that the compiler suspected would be most useful to teens.  A specific problem that you, or someone you’re close to might have may or may not be covered in the hotlines chosen here.  However, to find a hotline for almost any condition or concern you may have, go to Health Hotlines from the National Library of Medicine:

http://healthhotlines.nlm.nih.gov/

What follows is a list of hotlines for concerns that you, as teens, are most likely to want or need.  Most of these organizations offer services in both English and Spanish.

AIDS Alliance for Children, Youth and Families

(888) 917-AIDS (917-2437)

Children, youth and families affected by AIDS

Al-Anon, Alateen Family Group Meeting Information Line

(888) 4-AL-ANON (425-2666)

Alcoholism, self-help groups

American Association of Poison Control Centers

(800) 222-1222

Useful in case you, or someone you’re with ingests something they shouldn’t.

American Cancer Society

(800) ACS-2345 (227-2345)

Information about assorted cancers, including those caused by complications of AIDS

American Council for Drug Education

(800) 488-DRUG  (488-3784)

Voluntary health agencies, substance-related disorders

American Psychiatric Association

(888) 35-PSYCH (357-7924)

Information about assorted psychiatric issues, including those stemming from other illnesses.

 American Social Health Association STI Resource Center

(800) 230- 6039

Information on sexually transmitted infections

Childhelp

(800) 4-A-CHILD (422-4453)

National child abuse hotline

Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

(800) 233-4050

Services for ADHD

Children’s Defense Fund

(800) 233-1200

Adolescent health information services

Covenant House

(800) 999-9999

Services for homeless and runaway youth

Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance

(800) 82-NDMDA (826-3632)

Family Violence Prevention Fund

(800) 595-4889

Prevention of domestic violence in the home and community

Farm Safety 4 Just Kids

(800) 423-5437

Accident prevention, child advocacy, etc.

Friends Health Connection

(800) 483-7436

Self help groups for people with similar health problems

Mental Health America

(800) 969-6642

Information on mental disorders

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

(800) THE-LOST (843-5678)

Child abuse, child welfare, etc.

National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information

(800) SAY-NOTO (729-6686)

Information centers and services

National Domestic Violence Hotline

(800) 799-7233

National Eating Disorders Association

(800) 931-2237

Help for anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, etc.

National Jewish Health LUNG LINE

(800) 222-LUNG (222-5864)

Asthma and other lung diseases

National Organization for Victim Assistance

(800) TRY-NOVA (879-6682)

Crisis intervention, sex offenses, crime victims

National Prevention Information Network Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, DHHS

(800) 458-5231

Federal information on HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STDs, and Tuberculosis

National Runaway Switchboard

(800) RUN-AWAY (786-2929)

Crisis intervention, hotlines

National Women’s Health Resource Center

(877) 986-9472

Information centers, non-profit, women’s health

National Youth Advocacy Coalition

(877) 492-8916

LGBTQ youth, and youth serving professionals

Planned Parenthood Federation of America

(800) 230-7526

Women’s health, family planning, etc.

Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network

(800) 656-HOPE (656-4673)

National sexual assault hotline

Society for Nutrition Education

(800) 235-6690

Diet and nutrition education

Stalking Resource Center

(800) FYI-CALL (394-2255)

Hotline

Suicide Prevention Center

(877) 7-CRISIS (727-4747)

24/7 HELPLINE

Trevor Project

(866) 4U-TREVOR (488-7386)

Suicide prevention hotline for LGBTQ youth

Clinic Telephone Numbers and Addresses

At some time or another, you’ll likely want to speak to a doctor or nurse about a health concern, or maybe just make an appointment with your healthcare provider.  The following post gives you some search options, telephone numbers and addresses that will help you meet these needs. 

Clinic Numbers

            Here are the addresses and phone numbers for the clinics with which Colorado Teen Health Connect has a relationship.  If you see a healthcare provider elsewhere, or live in a different area inside or outside Colorado; you can find a clinic by searching online or asking your county health department (numbers to follow)

Salud Clinic Commerce City

6255 Quebec Parkway

Commerce City, CO 80022

(303) 286-8900

Salud Family Health Center

1410 S. 7^th Avenue

Sterling, CO 80751

(970) 526-2589

Sheridan Health Services (UC Denver College of Nursing)

Community Clinic

3525 W. Oxford Ave., G3

Denver, CO 80236

(303) 797-4260

·         Adult

·         Maternity

·         Behavioral Health

School-based Clinic

4107B S. Federal Blvd.

Englewood, CO 80110

(303) 781-1636

·         Pediatric

·         Behavioral Health

·         Dental

Yuma Clinic

1000 W. 8^th Ave.

Yuma, CO 80759

(970) 848-3896

County Health Departments

Use the following website to find addresses and phone numbers for your County Public Health Agency.  There is a drop down menu listing each county in Colorado.

http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/CDPHE-Main/CBON/1251588365684

Directories of Health Clinics

If the clinics listed above are not convenient to you, the following directories will help provide you with healthcare options.

Directory of School-based Health Centers in Colorado

http://www.casbhc.org/publications/2011-2012 SBHC Directory.pdf

Health Resource and Service Administration  (HRSA) has a very nice search engine that can help you find a free or reduced cost health center in your area.  Type in your address, and it will list all the clinics in your area from nearest to farthest away.

http://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/Search_HCC.aspx

Planned Parenthood also has a search engine that will help you locate one of their clinics.  It not only lists locations and phone numbers, but also what services are available at a given clinic.

http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-center/findCenter.asp

Colorado Teen Health Connect Videos

Here in Aurora, we are working to create a series of videos with our four Colorado clinics: Salud in Commerce City and Sterling, Yuma Clinic and Sheridan Health Services. This blog post will be updated with the complete collection of videos we have produced.

Our first series comes from Sheridan Health Services. This first one gives some tips on what teens should do before they visit their doctor:

This second video talks about how to make the best out of your doctor's visit:

Here we talk about the top things that doctors and practitioners think teens should know about:

Health Sources on the Web, Part II: Non-Government Sources

Health Sources on the Web, Part II:  Non-Government Sources

            This installment has links to general health web resources that are not affiliated with state and national government.  I have chosen links that are free, informative, and in some cases aimed specifically at a teen audience.

WebMD

            Health news and information

http://www.webmd.com/

The Mayo Clinic

            Has a section on health information that is very useful.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health-information/

TeensHealth from Nemours

            Another website with information on a variety of topics.

http://teenshealth.org/teen/

iEmily.com

            This is a website specifically for the health concerns of teenage girls.  It has articles on a variety of subjects.

http://www.iemily.com/

Teenage Health Freak

            Here’s one written specifically for teens, with a good mix of information and an eye-catching website.

http://www.teenagehealthfreak.org/

Teen Health FX

            This site is also aimed specifically at teens.  Although it is not as eye-catching as the site listed above, it has a question and answer section that teens can write to for confidential advice.

http://www.teenhealthfx.com/

Health Sources on the Web, Part I:  Government Sites

Colorado Youth Health Connect can be a good place to start when it comes to health awareness, but if you have a specific question, or want to find out more about a certain health topic, you will likely want to search out additional information.  This post will list some good places to start. 

General Information

The following sites are all run by state and national governments.  They will let you know what diseases or health issues are prevalent nation-wide, and are a concern here in Colorado. 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

This site is useful for all sorts of things!  It gives you information on prevalent diseases and epidemics, disaster preparedness, healthy living, etc.

http://www.cdc.gov/

There is a specific section on adolescent health issues:

http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/index.htm

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Like the CDC, the NIH is a very good place to go for information on all sorts of medical issues.  The NIH is more research oriented and may be a more difficult read than the CDC.  Both websites will give you a good grounding on current issues.

http://www.nih.gov/

Here is a whole page full of links for issues affecting children and teens.

http://health.nih.gov/category/ChildTeenHealth

Colorado Dept. of Public Health and Environment

Go here for public health issues and environmental issues. 

http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/

Of course, if you live in a state other than Colorado, simply look up your own state’s Department of Health.

Colorado Dept. of Human Services

This is where you should start if you, or a friend or family needs help. 

Behavioral Health (Mental health services and addiction services):

http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/CDHS-BehavioralHealth/CBON/1251578892077

Go here if you, a friend or family member(s) need help:

Children Youth and Families:

http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/CDHS-ChildYouthFam/CBON/1251579373436

How to Deal with Death and Bereavement

Maggie Caldwell

What can you expect to feel if a friend or loved one dies?  You might think simple sadness, but a lot will depend on the circumstances surrounding the death, whether it was expected or not, what sort of relationship you had with the deceased, and even your own personality.  

Sometimes, when someone dies it’s expected and may even have been anticipated for some time.  For instance, you might have an elderly grandparent, or great-grandparent whose health has been steadily deteriorating.  If such a person dies, after being ill for a long time, you might be very sad, but at the same time be relieved that your loved one is no longer in pain.  Do not expect, however, that your relief will in any way lessen your level of mourning for that person.  You will likely find that you miss his or her physical presence in your life at seemingly random moments for many months or years.  

On the other hand, if someone dies suddenly or unexpectedly, for instance in a car accident or a suicide, your grief will be mixed with shock and maybe even guilt.   “Maybe if I’d been at that party, he wouldn’t have had as much to drink”, or “I should have told her how great I thought she was”.  It is unlikely that you could have made such a difference, but it may take a while to accept that fact at a more than intellectual level.  If you have feelings of guilt that do not resolve, you should talk to someone who is trained to deal with such feelings such as a religious leader or your school counselor. 

-Maggie Caldwell

Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia Nervosa

Maggie Caldwell

Sometimes disordered eating becomes a more serious problem, and turns into an actual mental disorder, diagnosable according to the guidelines of the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH).  The most well-known eating disorder (which is what these more serious issues are called) is Anorexia Nervosa. 

Although Anorexia is the rarest of eating disorders, affecting less than 1% of the population of the United States, it is well-known because it’s the easiest one to see and it is also the most likely to kill the sufferer.  Several celebrities have had anorexia, including Portia DiRossi, who wrote a book about her experiences; Mary-Kate Olsen; and Isabella Caro and Karen Carpenter, who both died from the condition.

According to NIMH, a person can be diagnosed with anorexia if he or she weighs less that 85% of normal, has an intense fear of gaining weight (either spoken or inferred from his or her actions), and considers herself or himself to be overweight when the average person would think just the opposite.  In some instances, the lack of a monthly period is also part of the diagnosis.

Anorexia (as well as Bulimia and binge eating disorder, which will be addressed in later blogs) rarely is due only to a desire to be thin.  There are usually other psychological triggers that cause the sufferer to develop a full-blown eating disorder.  

-Maggie Caldwell

Disordered Eating

Maggie Caldwell

Do you regularly skip meals?   Eat when you’re not really hungry?  Consider some foods “good” and others “bad”?  Turn to food when you’re sad or worried about something?  If you do, and especially if you do so on a regular basis, you may be a disordered eater.  You would hardly be alone:  a survey published in Self Magazine in 2008 said that six out of ten women in the United States suffered from disordered eating.

A person who practices normal eating behavior usually eats only until he or she is full and does not spend an unreasonable amount of time thinking about diet or exercise.  A disordered eater may regularly eat (or not eat) for reasons that are not directly related to hunger or need for nutrition.  For instance, he or she may eat because of a break-up, or bad grade., or avoid eating when he or she is hungry because of fear of gaining weight.

She or he may have an internal list of “good” foods that are okay to eat and “bad” foods to stay away from, based not on any medical need, but simply type or calorie level.  These “good” and “bad” foods may be whole categories, like meat, or starches or fats.  If so, the disordered eater can wind up with a serious nutritional imbalance.  This is not to say, of course, that there are never good medical or dietary reasons to avoid certain food categories, but disordered eaters generally are not following doctor recommendations.

A person with disordered eating may indulge in “secret eating”, when he or she eats a lot of fast food or junk food and then hides the “evidence”.   This often works together with the idea of some foods being “good” and others “bad”.  Sometimes cravings for the “bad” food take over, and a person will buy something at a drive-thru or a convenience store, eat it very quickly, and then get rid of the “evidence”, throwing away wrappers somewhere other than his or her own garbage can.

At its worst, disordered eating can lead to an actual eating disorder, such as anorexia, bulimia or binge eating disorder.  Most people who experience disordered eating never develop these more serious disorders, but disordered eating reduces one’s ability to enjoy life to the fullest.

           

- Maggie Caldwell

Are you in a bad mood?

Are you in a bad mood? Do you find that you are annoyed and irritable for no reason? Do you feel sad, worried, or helpless?

Teens experience a wide variety of feelings. Sometimes these are related to changing hormones within a changing body. Sometimes these are related to feelings of pressure to do well in school, excel in sports, and be accepted by friends. But how can you tell if you (or a friend) might need some help getting through a rough spot? One sign of concern is a change in usual behavior. 

Have you noticed…

• Wanting to be alone and not spend time with friends and family?
• Changes in eating and sleeping habits?
• Feeling tired or having no energy?
• Having trouble concentrating?
• Having poor performance in school?

If so, here are some things you can do:

• Talk with a trusted adult (like your parent(s) or guardian)
• See your health care provider
• Stay active
• Stay in touch with friends and family
• Eat a healthy diet, get regular activity, and the right amount of sleep
• Try to stick to your usual routine

- Amy B. at Sheridan and University of Colorado

Spit Tobacco

Skoal, Kodiak, Copenhagen, Levi Garrett, Beech Nut. Just a pinch between your cheek and gum…yep. Tobacco could never be easier. No smoke, no matches or lighters. A great faded circle on your wranglers. The ads make it look harmless, some of them even come in their own pouch to keep the tobacco from sticking between your teeth. But the yellow stains, the stench, is still the same. And the cancer causing tobacco is still there, right between your cheek and gum.

Nicotine is a stimulant, increases your heart rate, make you feel smarter for a few minutes.  You aren’t.  And nicotine is addictive. A few days of spit tobacco and your body craves the stimulant, your brain seeks out the short-lived “high”. And the cancer causing tobacco is still there. Yes, it makes your teeth yellow and eventually brown. The cool round fade will disappear eventually. But the thick white spot on the inside of your gums may not fade. It may be the early stage of cancer.

So it’s best not to use spit tobacco. And if you’ve got that white spot in your mouth, go visit your healthcare provider. Get it checked out. 

- Jack Westfall MD, Yuma Clinic and University of Colorado

"Staying Hydrated" - Water or Sports Drinks?

    

You've probably seen ads about how important it is to keep hydrated when exercising. If you're exercising on your own, or part of a sports team, you may be wondering how much you need to drink and whether sports drinks are a good idea.

Of course, if you get thirsty, you should listen to your body.  Ideally, you should keep up on your fluids to avoid getting to the point where you're really thirsty.  If it's a hot day and you're working up a sweat, drinking some water every 20 minutes or so is a good idea.  On the other hand, don't force yourself to drink so much water you feel uncomfortable.  It doesn't help, and in some cases it can even be a problem if you take in way too much water.

How about sports drinks?  They're fine, but in general water is just as good.  It is exactly what your body needs, and you won't get too many calories.  If you are exercising hard in hot weather for more than an hour, the electrolytes in sports drinks may give you a bit of an edge.  Just keep track of the calories, and don't chug sugary sports drinks all day long.

If you'd like more information, see this article on dehydration: http://kidshealth.org/kid/watch/er/dehydration.html.

Finally. don't swap your water bottles with your friends.  Although rare, deadly bacteria like "meningococcus" can be spread when people share water bottles. This very thing happened in Fort Collins in 2010.

 Incidentally, if you're going to be living in a dormitory in college, you should consider getting the Menomune vaccine.  If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call one of our partner clinics.

- Steve Ross MD, University of Colorado