The Lost Boy by Dave Pelzer By Robin (PSY) Dave Pelzer, the author of this book, is lucky to be alive today. For years, he experienced physical and emotional abuse at the hands of his mother. His father and brothers failed to intervene, and even turned on Dave at various points in order to avoid his mother’s wrath. Child abuse was treated much differently in the 1960s and 1970s, and as a result, the authorities were not informed of the horrendous abuse until Dave was twelve years old. ...

Barrier contraceptives: going beyond the external condom By Traci (Coffee.) A barrier contraceptive method, or shortened simply as a “barrier,” is a method of preventing pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections (STIs) by physically preventing the sharing of fluids and/or skin contact. Because it prevents physical contact, it is thought of to be one of the safest ways to protect oneself from STIs and pregnancy. The most common type of barrier is the external condom, also known as the...

Spread the Word to End the Word By Britt (Aspire.) What is an Intellectual Disability? An intellectual disability develops before the age of eighteen, and is defined as limitations in both intellectual functioning and adapting to everyday life. Typically someone with an intellectual disability has an intelligence quotient (IQ) of 70 or below, which is tested by using intelligence tests such as the Stanford-Binet and Wechsler Scales. Along with a low IQ, an individual will typically have...

The resignation of Pope Benedict XVI By Jack (Coenred) and Adam (Rachael98) The Origins of the Papacy The first Pope was Saint Peter, one of the original twelve disciples of Jesus. Jesus told Saint Peter that he was to be the ‘rock’ on which Jesus would build his church (Matthew 16:18). The title of ‘Pope’ however, didn't come into use until 366 A.D. under Pope Damascus I. From the beginning, the Pope has been considered to be the leader of the Catholic Church. Amongst other denominations...

A review of Buffy the Vampire Slayer By Chess (Syzygy.) On May 20, 2003, the final episode of the television show 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' was aired. The episode, ‘Chosen’, signalled the end of its seventh season, and it remains a critically acclaimed program that remains popular with fan groups around the world. The franchise was developed in 1992 with a film of the same name, which has been described by the series creator as ‘a start, but it’s not quite the girl’. The intention with the...

Men with eating disorders By Jenna (.:BreakingBeautifully:.) It is common knowledge that women are more likely to struggle with eating disorders than men. It is estimated that on any given day, ten million American women struggle with an eating disorder. According to the most recent statistics provided by the National Institute of Mental Health, 4.9% of all American women struggle with an eating disorder at some point in their lives (0.9% with anorexia, 1.5% with bulimia, and 3.5% with...

Got Plants? Reasons for a plant-based diet By Traci (Coffee.) Most people have at least one vegetarian or vegan friend, and it’s easy to wonder why they would pick a lifestyle that seems so difficult to manage without being able to eat meat, and for vegans, cheese and eggs! These are staple foods in most western lifestyles, and for most it would seem crazy to give them up. There are actually many reasons why people transition to vegetarianism, some that the average person isn’t aware of....

Complementary therapies By Jessie (Felorena.) Complementary therapies are a combination of conventional medicine therapies and philosophies (such as believing that illnesses develop when the person's body is out of balance and that a person's body, in the right conditions, can heal itself). While some people find going into counselling helps them with their mental health, other people find complementary therapies to be more beneficial. Complementary therapies are not just used by people who...

Coping with social anxiety at school By Gareth (Oracle.) Everyone feels nervous or self-conscious sometimes. Even the most confident of people can get the jitters just before a big occasion, such as an interview or giving a speech in front of a large group of people. This is perfectly normal and generally nothing to worry about, but when these feelings are very powerful and you just can’t seem to shake them, it can be a sign of a more serious issue. Social anxiety disorder, also known as...

Lucid dreaming By Maria (Gidig) Certainly you can remember a dream you’ve had at least once in all the years you’ve been sleeping. Perhaps it was something realistic, such as going swimming with a friend or doing your homework. Perhaps it was something crazy like buying a mansion in another dimension where Antarctica is the hottest place on Earth. Dreams are a natural part of sleeping and people over the age of ten have about four to six dreams per night. Lucid dreams are something...

Understanding non-binary gender By Hester (LiveLongAndProsper) There is more to gender than the two tick boxes on forms. Not everybody can tick ‘male’ or ‘female’. Binary means two, and non-binary gender means any gender identity that doesn't fall in either of the two binary categories. Instead of considering gender as binary, people are now beginning to consider it as a spectrum with people identifying somewhere between ‘male;’ and ‘female’. The problem with viewing gender as a position on...

Visual impairment: An interview By Christina (Kakorrhaphiophobia) and Robin (PSY) This month, the Articles Team decided to do something different. Instead of presenting a typical article, we wanted to give the TeenHelp community a unique perspective on what it's like to be visually impaired. Christina has been serving as a Staff member for quite some time, and you may have noticed her work as the Disabilities Forum Moderator... but did you know that she can't actually "see" what she's doing...

Surviving the suicide of a loved one By Kathy (drowningangel) Regardless of the cause, death is incredibly hard to cope with, and when someone close commits suicide, it may leave you feeling especially lost and alone. Suicide is the third highest cause of death for those between the ages of 15 and 24 in the world. When this tragedy strikes, family and friends go through many changes that can be overwhelming, and while no one can go through the grief process for them, understanding emotions...

Coping with overbearing parents By Sammi (Jellybean.) As we go through our teenage years, our parents or guardians have a tendency to try to hold onto our childhood. For some, that means doing activities together to try and keep the close relationship they had when their child was growing up. For others, it could mean parents continuing to try to control their kids' lives and insert their opinions when they are not wanted. Some parents, however, take things to extreme levels. They can...

The advantages and disadvantages of labelling your sexual orientation and/or gender identity By Chess (Celestial.) In terms of the LGBT community, a label can be understood as a specific title which describes a person’s sexual orientation and/or gender identity. Many of these may be familiar, such as gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender, but others, such as homoflexible, heteroromantic, or trigender, may come as more of a surprise. No matter what a person’s sexual orientation or gender...