How We See Compulsive Personality Disorder and Your Teen at Gateway Academy–

Does your son find it very difficult to be decisive, and is he abnormally sensitive to critique, struggle with flexibity or willingness to try new situations, as he is compulsively striving for perfection in virtually everything he does?  He may show repetitive behaviors (as in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder*) that he is unable to discontinue, or be preoccupied with rules and details, and likely to toil to meet his own expectations as well as perceived expectations of those around him.

We can work with your boy if he has Compulsive Personality Disorder, sometimes called Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder, or OCPD.  This is seen as a fixation with perfectionism and control, revealing itself in highly driven (often, first born) children.

Causes are believed to be an interlinking of unbalanced brain chemistry with genetic and environmental factors.

*Note: while sometimes used interchangeably, OCPD is not to be confused with OCD.  An OCD sufferer has unwanted thoughts, but an OCPD sufferer believes his thinking to be natural and appropriate.

How We Can Help Your Teen Who Struggles with Compulsive Personality Disorder?

Blood tests can’t confirm your son’s diagnosis; a doctor must determine if his symptoms and life history meet the criteria.  His thinking may be so instinctive that he does not see himself as having this problem, possibly not even realizing it until his world collapses at his feet.

Group/individual and long-term psychotherapy can be very successful in improving his environment, but it is crucial that you don’t forget: he hasn’t opted for these compulsive thoughts and so any judgment, real or perceived, only increases the stress he is already under.  The key is to support him, to help him find comfort in new ways of thinking, and accept, rather than criticize him for compulsive behaviors.

Support groups are an excellent adjunct, as a means to gain emotional and social support from the community, assuring your boy’s continuing stability and independence.  

Gateway Academy – Where Troubled Boys Become Respectful Men

Gateway Academy for Boys is a character-building boarding school offering positive discipline and life-change in troubled boys who need discipline and structure, respect for authority and for their loved ones.

With our goal oriented lifestyle program your boy will be given a new direction, new drive, and a passion to be a better person and serve others.   Boys once without purpose will now have solid goals and focus for their life.  We teach self-discipline, trust in God, the value of academics, and service to others, leading to a desire to be successful in life.

The Academy (also a ranch and farm) offers counseling, competitive team sports, spiritual emphasis and mission outreach. These combine to turn troubled boys into respectful and caring young men. Boys need to build their muscles, their mind, and their spirit and the Gateway family strives for the betterment of each student, and the restoration of the family.

A high school diploma is awarded upon graduation from our school, where certified teachers assist our students with computer based, Christian curriculum that emphasizes individual learning.  Participation in athletics is strongly encouraged, as sports teach teamwork and camaraderie, invaluable interpersonal skills for a world absorbed by computers and gadgets.

Twice weekly chapel services, evenings of Bible discussion, and biblical themes interjected into all we do create a pattern of achievement with our life changing Teen Challenge, military format (we were once a Christian military school).

We provide our students with an atmosphere that offers a sense of well-being and ongoing support for those who are troubled by personal, spiritual and academic challenges.  In the classroom, on the exercise field and at the ranch, Gateway Academy is designed for the betterment of each student, and the restoration of the family. Call us at 850 547-9011 so that your son can discover there’s more to life than struggling or fighting with those who care most about him.