Red Hawk RTC is passionate about working with ADHD difficulties. It's actually one of Valerie's favorite subjects to talk about! ADHD symptoms are commonly missed in girls, and are too often called laziness or ditziness which may lead to a lifetime of self-esteem problems and missed treatment opportunities. It's often overlooked because symptoms of ADHD in females often don’t emerge until puberty, a time when most kids experience emotional ups and downs. ADHD often expresses itself in girls through excessive talking, poor self-esteem, worrying, perfectionism, risk-taking, and nosiness- not the typical hyperactivity and lack of focus usually seen in boys. Our young girls are falling through the cracks, and we need to start talking about it!

A relatively un-talked about piece of ADHD is called Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria or RSD. It is the extreme emotional pain of perceived criticism or rejection and is a feeling unique to people with ADHD. It can be debilitating and it is important to learn how RSD may be impacting our daughters. This extreme emotional sensitivity and emotional pain is triggered by the perception, not necessarily the reality, that a person has been rejected, teased, or criticized by important people in their life. RSD may also be triggered by a sense of failure, or falling short, failing to meet either their own high standards or others’ expectations. This has a tendency to cause shame, which when internalized, leads to negative behaviors. Girls may cover up the feelings or act off of worthlessness and head down a path of destruction.

At Red Hawk, we work with THE CYCLE OF SHAME vs. THE CYCLE OF HOPE to combat this downward spiral. It helps teach young ladies about their own internal responses and why the react the way the do. Bringing in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy here can help reset thinking patterns to accurate comparisons and healthy thinking. Most importantly- we teach how to build your own user manual for sustained change into the future.

For additional information, contact Valerie Faaootoa at 435-236-5423 or valerie@redhawkrtc.com, or visit the Red Hawk website at www.redhawkrtc.com.

About Red Hawk RTC
Red Hawk is an RTC for adolescent girls 12-17 who are experiencing difficulties in life. We have carefully developed a diversified campus located between St. George, Utah and Las Vegas, Nevada. The location was chosen to specifically provide a peaceful environment with limited distractions for treatment. Having a limit of 24 girls allows us to give attention to one-on-one time with our therapists and trained staff. This individualized time for care can help our residents better understand the underlying causes of the mental health concerns that are presenting difficulties in their lives. Our goal is to help our youth find ways to more positively manage life’s obstacles that have strained everyday living.