Transition to High School

By Leigha Winters, college student writer

Starting high school is an overwhelming experience for any teenager. Whether you are coming from a middle school (grades six through eight) or a junior high school (grades seven through nine), there are many things about high school that are different from your old school environment, and you will experience many changes.

You will face navigating a new school, making new friends in an unfamiliar class and getting to know new teachers. These new teachers will usually have higher academic expectations than your middle and junior-high school teachers. They want to help you get into college; in return, they expect you to work hard and improve your skills. On top of all this, peer pressure to do drugs and alcohol and have sex often increases in high school.

Although these are all big changes, they are nothing you cannot handle. There are many resources available to help you deal with any problems. Your teachers, counselors, doctors, parents and friends are there to help you transition into this great new time in your life. If you don’t feel comfortable talking to any of these people, there are many help hotlines you can call to talk anonymously. High school may be a time of change, but these changes should be for the better.

Your high school years are a great time in your life. You will gain new freedoms and have new experiences and new responsibilities. Many high school students get their drivers license when they turn 16 and gain a new type of independence.

However, other changes are less fun. To fully enjoy your high school experience, try to address the aspects of your life with which you are not happy. If you are feeling pressure to do something you feel is wrong, talk to a friend, parent or counselor to find a solution. If you are not succeeding academically, find a tutor or someone to help you improve. If you feel isolated socially, try to join a school club or group to make new friends.

High school may seem rather daunting at first, but with time, you will come to appreciate everything about your experience.

Teen Safety on the Internet

By Katie and Julia Ransohoff, high school student writers

More and more teenagers are logging on to the Internet every day. Although the Internet is a great source for research projects and networking, there are also dangers involved with surfing the Web. Enjoy the Internet, but take precautions to keep yourself safe.

How to Stay Safe on the Internet

Remember that the Web allows you to be completely anonymous. Someone who says that he is a 15-year-old boy may actually be a 50-year-old man pretending to be a teen for inappropriate reasons. A business Web site that looks legitimate might be part of a scheme to steal your money or identity. To be cautious, follow these guidelines:

• Never give out personal information, such as your name, home address or phone number, the name of your school, pictures, credit card numbers or the names of your parents without permission from your parents.
• Do not meet someone you met online in person.
• Do not give out your password to anyone.
• In chat rooms, use a name that is not gender-specific, so you are less likely to receive pornographic material or other forms of harassment.
• If you do receive pornographic material, report it to your local police department.

E-mail Safety

Most of us get volumes of unsolicited email everyday. Take these precautions to keep your spam to a minimum:

• Do not open links or files from people you do not know.
• Never respond to e-mails with pornographic or other inappropriate material.
• Do not respond to advertisements -- this confirms that you have a working e-mail account, and you will only receive more junk e-mail.

Chat Rooms

Chat rooms can be particularly dangerous. Even when chat rooms are specifically for teens, participants are not necessarily all teens. Someone you meet in the chat room may actually be an adult predator who has made up an identity to hide his or her age.

Blogging

Blog is short for Web log. Blogs allow people to write on many topics in somewhat of an online diary. However, blogs are not private like diaries. People of all ages all over the world can read your blog, even people who know you only through your writing. Blogging can be a fun way to meet people with similar interests, connect with friends who live far away and develop your writing. Blogging can help teens communicate and develop their interests, but there are also dangers to blogging.The internet is anonymous. Also, remember that the Internet is public domain that anyone can access, so it is important to be take precautions when you blog.

PAMF's We're Talking Teen Health and We're Talking Too Preteen Health are great sources for internet safety, making smart online choices, and an Online Safety Pledge.

Trauma: Facing and Overcoming It

Some traumatic events happen once and involve an injury or threat of injury to yourself, friends or loved ones. Other traumas can happen repeatedly over long periods of time. They generate feelings of guilt, anxiety or shame. You can be involved, or just witness something and still be traumatized by it.

This reaction is called traumatic stress. These reactions can last a long time after the event is over. Remember that you are not alone, and everything you are experiencing is normal. After a trauma, you may face:

• Fear and anxiety. Thinking about the trauma can make you anxious.
• Re-experiencing the trauma. Unwanted thoughts, nightmares and flashbacks can spring up.
• Increased arousal. You may feel very alert, jumpy, jittery, shaky and have trouble concentrating.
• Avoidance. You may feel numb and even avoid all feelings.
• Uncontrollable feelings of anger, shame or guilt. You may get very irritable with the people trying to help.
• Grief and depression. You may feel hopeless, cry often, lose interest in things and people.
• Relationship trouble. Trusting people, feeling good about yourself, and having sexual relationships may be tough following a trauma.

Getting Support

Traumatic experiences often leave you feeling misunderstood, isolated and alone. Seeking support from people close to you can help you cope with a traumatic experience. Unfortunately, sometimes teens can’t find this support in their families. If this is the case, schools, churches, therapists and extended family members can all serve this purpose.

Talking to a professional helper

Many trauma survivors benefit from talking to a professional:

• A priest, rabbi, or other member of the clergy
• A doctor or nurse
• A counselor (psychologist, social worker, psychiatrist)

For more information on dealing with trauma and traumatic stress, visit PAMF's Teens and Trauma Web site.

Phobias, Fears and Panic

By Katie Ransahoff, student writer

It's normal to be scared of some things, but when the fear is so bad that it disrupts everyday life, it is called a phobia. Phobias can affect people's lives because they prevent people from carrying on everyday activities. In extreme cases, a phobia can cause a panic attack.

What is a panic attack?
A panic attack is a physical reaction to a fear or phobia. They usually don't last very long, but they feel like forever for the person who's experiencing them. Symptoms of a panic attack include:

• A faster heartbeat


• Dizziness


• Difficulty breathing


• Shaking or sweating


• Feeling hopeless or closed-in

Common Phobias
There are many types of phobias, but the more common ones include:

• Social phobia: The fear of being embarrassed in social situations. There is a difference between shyness and social phobia. A shy person might feel more comfortable in small groups of people, but a person with social phobia will do everything they can to avoid social situations.


• Agoraphobia: The fear of having a panic attack in public place. People with agoraphobia may avoid public places that are crowded.


• Claustrophobia: The fear of a closed-in space, such as an elevator or a plane.
  
• Arachnophobia: The fear of spiders.


• Ablutophobia: The fear of baths, showers or washing.


• Atelophobia: The fear of things that aren't perfect.


• Hypsiphobia (also called acrophobia): The fear of heights.


• Zoophobia: The fear of animals.

Why do people develop phobias?
Doctors think that a tendency to develop phobias could be genetic. This means that if someone in your family has a phobia, you could have one too. Phobias can also be caused by a trauma or big change, such as a divorce, move or illness. If you have a phobia, don't worry -- phobias can be treated.

How are phobias treated?
Behavior therapy with a psychologist, therapist or psychiatrist is the standard treatment for phobias. There are also medicines to treat phobias, used in conjunction with behavior therapy.

For more information, read Katie's article on our We're Talking Too preteen site.

Keys to a Successful Exercise Program

Regular exercise helps you look and feel better. Your skin, hair, posture and muscle tone all improve. You'll be stronger and you'll have more energy. Activity also helps you avoid depression, stress and boredom. Experts say just 30 minutes of activity a day keeps you healthier. Here are some tips for starting a successful fitness program.

Build up your activity level gradually.
For example, if you are inactive now and want to begin walking regularly, you might begin slowly with a 10- to 15-minute walk, three times a week. As you become more fit, you can increase the sessions to every day.

If you choose a fairly vigorous activity, begin each session slowly. Allow a five-minute period of stretching and slow movement to give your body a chance to "warm up." At the end of your workout, take another five minutes to "cool down" with a slower exercise pace.

Listen to your body.
A certain amount of stiffness is normal at first. But if you hurt a joint or pull a muscle or tendon, stop the activity for several days to avoid more serious injury. Most minor muscle and joint problems can be relieved by rest and over-the-counter painkillers.

Pay attention to warning signals.
While regular physical activity can strengthen your heart, some types of activity may worsen existing heart problems. Warning signals include sudden dizziness, cold sweat, paleness, fainting, or pain or pressure in your upper body just after exercising. If you notice any of these signs, stop the activity and call your doctor immediately.

Check the weather report.
On hot, humid days, do outdoor activities during the cooler and less humid parts of the day. Wear light, loose-fitting clothing and drink lots of water before, during and after the activity. On cold days, wear one layer less of clothing than you would wear if you were outside but not exercising. Also wear gloves and a hat.

Keep at it.
Unless you have to stop your regular physical activity for a health reason, stay with it. Set small, short-term goals for yourself. If you find yourself becoming bored, try doing the activity with a friend or family member. Or switch to another activity. The health rewards of regular physical activity are well worth the effort.

For more information see PAMF's Exercise Web site.

Summer Sun Safety

By Nancy Brown, Ph.D., and Kelly Troiano, M.D.

It is time for the summer sun reminder. The sun is out and on these beautiful days it is easy to stay outside too long, or forget to wear a hat and sunscreen. Please be careful with your skin when you are exposed to the sun.

Skin cancer is one of the most widespread and dangerous forms of cancer. It develops invisibly over the years, primarily through overexposure to the sun's dangerous rays. Two common types of skin cancer are carcinoma and melanoma. Being tan makes most of us feel healthy, so it's easy to forget the damage the sun is doing to your skin. The long-term damage to your skin however, is not worth the glow of golden skin.

To be sun-safe:

• Remember to avoid the hottest sun, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
• Cover all of your skin with sunscreen, at least SPF 30.
• Apply sunscreen every few hours, and especially after swimming, sweating or toweling off.
• Use lip balm with SPF 15 whenever you are outside.
• Wear a wide-brimmed hat and UV protective sunglasses.
• Remember that UV rays bounce off concrete, water, sand and snow.
• Never use tanning beds or sun lamps.
• If you are babysitting, keep babies less than six months old out of the sun completely.

Resources

• Sun Safety Alliance
• Healthwise Sunburn article

PAMF articles

• Tanning
• Sunglasses

Body Drama and Girls:A presentation by Nancy Redd

Nancy Redd, author of the best-selling book Body Drama: Real Girls, Real Bodies, Real Issues, Real Answers, will talk about how today’s marketing culture can distort women's self-image. She will read passages from the book, answer questions and be available for book signings.

Date and time: Wednesday, April 22, 2009, 7 p.m.
Location: Menlo School Commons, 50 Valparasio, Atherton
Admission: $5 (at the door)

Sponsored by the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, Castilleja School and Menlo School with support from Kehillah High School, Palo Alto High School and the Girls Middle School.

For more information, contact Nancy Brown.