Most children who have suffered from ADHD still have it as teens. During teen years, especially as the hormonal changes of teenagers are going on and the demands of school and extra-curricular activities are increasing, ADHD may get worse.

Because of problems with getting unfocused and poor concentration, many teens with ADHD have problems in school. Grades may fall, especially if the teen is not getting ADHD treatment. It’s not uncommon for teens with ADHD to forget their homework, lose textbooks, and become bored with their daily class work. Teens may become inattentive or extremely attentive, not waiting for their turn before blurting out answers. They may cut in on their teacher and classmates. Teens with ADHD may also be fidgety and find it hard to sit still in class.

Often, teens with ADHD are so busy focusing on other things that they forget about the task at hand. This can be seen especially with homework and athletic skills and in relationships with their schoolmates. This lack of attention to what they’re doing often leads to bad grades on tests and being passed over for sports teams, after-school activities, and learning teams. Kids with ADHD can be targets for bullying, too. But, not all children with ADHD have trouble getting along with others. If your child does, you can take measures to help improve their social skills and relationships.

ADHD affects all parts of a teenager’s life. As a parent, you should discover your teen’s troubles as early as possible. The earlier your child’s troubles are discovered, the more successful the following steps can be.

Many people live with chronic (慢性) pain, and there’re complex reasons for it. Now a new study researcher Laura Case of the University of California, San Diego, co-authoring with Jennifer Baumgartner, suggests a new potential influence on pain: feeling socially connected.

This new study reanalyzed measures collected in an earlier study, in which a group of chronic pain sufferers had been randomly arranged an intervention (干预) shown to reduce pain (sleeping with a heavily-weighted blanket) or to a control condition(sleeping with a slightly-weighted blanket). After sleeping with their blankets for a week, changes in people’s pain levels were assessed.

In the earlier study, the pain sufferers had also reported on their anxiety, levels of loneliness, and sense of social connectedness—not how many social connections they had, but how generally close they were to other people and how strongly they experienced a sense of belonging. But these hadn’t all been analyzed to see how they related to pain and pain relief from the blankets. That’s where the new study came in.

The new findings showed that people who were more socially connected experienced less pain than those who were less socially connected. After taking into account differences in how much pain relief the sufferers expected and how painful they felt in the beginning, those who were socially disconnected felt more pain relief from the weighted blanket than from the lighter blanket, while more socially connected people received equal pain relief from both blankets.

These findings show that having a sense of belonging provides some level of protection against pain. Why? Socially connected people probably feel safer and less anxious, says Baumgartner, because they know they can depend on others for support when they’re hurting. Besides, positive social touch—like receiving a friendly hug or massage—has been shown to reduce pain feel, and people who’re more socially connected likely experience more of those types of touch, Case adds.

Their study adds to a growing body of research showing how important social connectedness and social touch are for our health and happiness—something that’s been getting more attention in recent years.

Every year, countless individuals are impacted by cancer. Our goal is to walk away from cancer as we give strength to those fighting this life-threatening disease. Walk Cancer Away invites everyone to participate in our annual family friendly walk event and join together to share the strong will power found inside each of us with those around us. With each step we take, with each story shared, and with each donation made we are one step closer to finding a cure. To date, we have raised over $700,000 for Dr. Nancy Kemeny's Colorectal Research Fund at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center（MSKCC）, together with thousands of people supporting this cause over the last 12 years we are committed to.

Walk Cancer Away began as a walk in honor of James N. Rentas. Deeply influenced by his loss due to colorectal cancer, the Rentas family came together 12 years ago to help others who are suffering the disease. Dr. Nancy Kemeny at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, who was the doctor treating James N. Rentas, mirrors that same goal. Her efforts and that of her team at MSKCC are focused on researching to overcome the disease and find a cure.

Together they have made great advancements over the years and have provided years of life for those facing adversity. In many cases, their continued efforts have led to full relief of the cancer in patients. With the deepest gratitude we are thankful to all those who support and participate in the event each year, because without you this would not be possible.

Although Walk Cancer Away started just 12 years ago, we are forever honored to be able to join in this event that so many of us find so close to our hearts. We ask you, your family, and your friends to join in this year's Walk Cancer Away Event.