In today’s world, it’s easy to lose track of time while scrolling, gaming, or binge-watching videos. But when screen use starts affecting your sleep, mood, grades, or relationships, it may be a sign of something deeper. Screen addiction doesn’t happen overnight—and it’s not just about being “on your phone too much.” It often connects to underlying mental health challenges like anxiety, depression, or emotional overwhelm.
Ascend Behavioral Health provides specialized screen addiction treatment for teens and pre-teens in Fresno, California, addressing compulsive gaming, social media, and device use.
Treatment programs include residential care, PHP (partial hospitalization), and IOP (intensive outpatient), tailored to the severity of screen addiction and co-occurring mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, and ADHD.
What is screen addiction treatment? It’s a structured, evidence-based approach that helps adolescents reduce unhealthy screen use by treating the underlying emotional and psychological causes—not just limiting device time.
Services include psychiatric evaluation, individualized therapy, group support, family involvement, and experiential therapies like art, music, and mindfulness to rebuild healthy coping skills.
Families across Fresno, Bakersfield, and Visalia can access Ascend’s licensed clinicians, evidence-based therapies, and case management support to help teens regain balance, improve sleep, and strengthen real-life relationships.
At Ascend Behavioral Health, we help teens and pre-teens untangle the relationship between screen use and mental health. Whether your child is zoning out to escape stress or feeling isolated behind a screen, our programs are designed to meet them where they are. Through therapy, structure, and real connection, we help young people rebuild a healthy balance—with themselves and with technology.
Clinically, we’ve seen a sharp rise in teens and adolescents struggling with compulsive screen use—and it’s showing up earlier than ever. Many of the teens we work with aren’t just using devices for fun; they’re using them to manage stress, avoid difficult emotions, or escape from real-life pressures. What starts as a harmless distraction can evolve into hours of endless scrolling, gaming, or video watching—often at the cost of sleep, school, friendships, and self-esteem.
This shift isn’t surprising given the world teens are growing up in. Smartphones, social media, streaming apps, and gaming platforms are available 24/7. And with school, friendships, and even hobbies moving online, screens feel like both a necessity and a lifeline. But the constant stimulation can overwhelm the developing brain, making it harder to focus, self-regulate, and feel connected in the real world. At Ascend, we’ve made it a priority to help teens break that cycle—and heal what’s driving it.
We know that asking for help takes courage. Getting in touch is the first step. We’re here for you, no matter what. Once submitted, our admissions team will be in touch within 24 hours.
Or call us directly to get started: 559-472-3371
The first step in treating screen addiction is recognizing that it’s real—and that it’s often a sign of something deeper. At Ascend, we don’t just focus on limiting screen time. We focus on why your teen is turning to screens in the first place. For many, it’s a way to escape anxiety, avoid overwhelming emotions, or find comfort when they’re feeling depressed or alone. That’s why our treatment isn’t just behavioral—it’s emotional, clinical, and holistic.
Each part of our program is designed to help teens heal from the inside out, starting with the root causes of their screen use and building new, healthier ways to cope.
Not every teen struggling with screen addiction needs the same level of support—and that’s exactly why we offer a full spectrum of care. Some need 24/7 stabilization in a residential setting, while others may benefit from intensive day treatment or weekly outpatient therapy. At Ascend, we match your teen with the level of care that fits their unique needs based on emotional severity, safety, and functional impact. As they grow and improve, they can step down through our continuum—moving from more structure to more independence—with consistent support the whole way.
Screen addiction often connects to anxiety, depression, or attention difficulties. Our clinical team begins with a psychiatric evaluation to uncover these core issues. This evaluation helps us understand what your teen is struggling with emotionally and mentally, so we can build a plan that doesn’t just treat the symptoms—it treats the cause.
Once we understand your teen’s needs, we create a personalized treatment plan tailored to their screen use habits, emotional triggers, and mental health history. If they’re using screens to avoid stress or self-soothe, we make sure their plan includes strategies to build emotional regulation and improve real-world connections.
Treating screen addiction takes consistency. Our case managers keep everything connected—from therapy updates to school communication and family involvement. They ensure that your teen’s progress is supported at every level, making it easier to stay focused on recovery and maintain momentum outside of treatment.
One-on-one therapy gives teens a safe space to talk about what’s really going on. Whether it’s social anxiety, low self-worth, or academic pressure, these sessions help them process emotions that have been masked by screen use. Over time, they learn how to face those feelings head-on instead of retreating into their phones or games.
In group therapy, teens realize they’re not alone. Talking with peers who understand their experience helps reduce shame and build trust. They learn how others are coping with anxiety, depression, and screen boundaries—and they leave with a new sense of connection that can’t be found behind a screen.
Screens often become a default way to escape boredom, stress, or discomfort. Experiential therapies offer something different. Through art, music, movement, and mindfulness, teens get to express themselves in real life—not just online. These experiences help reset the brain’s reward system and reintroduce joy, creativity, and purpose.
Each of these components works together to treat the full picture of screen addiction—not just the behavior, but the feelings underneath it. At Ascend, we help teens replace unhealthy coping mechanisms with meaningful, lasting tools for healing and growth.
Before starting treatment, we assess each teen for anxiety, depression, and other underlying mental health concerns that may be fueling their screen use. These evaluations help us determine medical necessity—meaning how serious the symptoms are and what level of care will provide the right amount of structure and support. Screen addiction rarely exists on its own. It’s often a coping mechanism for deeper emotional struggles, and that’s why we treat the whole person, not just the behavior.
When screen use becomes an escape, it’s usually a sign of something deeper—like anxiety, depression, or emotional overload. At Ascend, we help teens unplug from constant digital stimulation and reconnect with themselves, their families, and real life. In a structured environment with therapy, routine, and support, they learn to break the cycle of screen addiction by addressing the emotional needs that screens were covering up. Over time, the shift isn’t just about less screen time—it’s about better emotional health, stronger habits, and lasting balance.
Here’s how our programs help teens overcome screen addiction:
Teens learn to manage stress, boredom, or sadness without relying on phones, games, or social media. They build coping tools that actually help—like mindfulness, communication, and emotional regulation.
Treatment helps teens understand the emotional triggers behind their screen use—whether it’s anxiety, social pressure, or low self-esteem—and gives them language to talk about it.
As screen time decreases and underlying depression or anxiety is treated, teens often report feeling more energized, present, and hopeful about the future.
Screens, especially late at night, disrupt healthy sleep. With structure and screen-free routines, teens begin to sleep better and think more clearly—supporting stronger mental health overall.
We help teens and families establish consistent boundaries around technology, both in and out of treatment. Teens learn how to take intentional breaks and avoid falling into old patterns.
Replacing screen time with real connection helps rebuild trust—with family, peers, and themselves. Teens start to feel less alone and more supported, which is often what they were seeking online all along.
If your teen is stuck in a cycle of screen use, emotional withdrawal, and overwhelm—they don’t have to stay there. At Ascend, we help teens and families understand the why behind screen addiction and build a healthier path forward. With the right level of care, real healing is possible.
Call us today to speak with our admissions team, get your questions answered, and take the first step toward lasting change. Your teen deserves more than just screen time. They deserve support, connection, and a future they’re excited to live.
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