Teen Mental Health Issues 101: What to Look For and What You Can Do
If you’re worried about mental health issues in your child, you’ll want to look for signs like low energy, decrease in enjoyment and self-isolation.
Set Your Child Up for Success in Mental Health Treatment and in Life
Your kid’s life is one big balancing act. Your child is trying to keep up with the demands of school, find personal passions, manage parental expectations, mature in peer relationships and face the challenge of developing an individual identity. Growing up is hard whichever way you slice it, and for kids who struggle with mental health disorders, there’s even more to balance. If your child is currently undergoing mental health treatment, it can feel extremely overwhelming for you and your whole family. In this article we’ll look at some ways to help your child thrive in all [...]
The Parent’s Guide to Teenage Anxiety
Teenagers experience major changes throughout adolescence. From applying to college to forming and losing relationships to hormonal and physical changes, it’s no surprise that some teenagers feel anxiety during this period of their lives. If you think your teenager is struggling with anxiety, read on to recognize the symptoms and identify options for treatment. Recognize anxiety symptoms in teens Anxiety comes in many shapes and sizes, which can make it harder to recognize when combined with the normal daily challenges of being a teenager. Symptoms of a generalized anxiety disorder include: Excessive worry, in a manner disproportionate to the event [...]
The Effects of Online Learning on a Teen’s Mental Health
COVID-19 has rapidly and dramatically altered our lives. Unfortunately, teenagers and young adults are among those who may be most impacted as a result of the virus. In the spring and summer months of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic drove many schools to cancel in-person classes and graduation ceremonies. Now, as we enter fall, many schools and colleges continue to rely on virtual learning to keep students and teachers safe. While the safety of students and teachers is of the utmost importance, online learning can have an impact on the mental health of teens. We explain how online learning impacts teen [...]
Understanding School-Related Anxiety in Teens
Being a teenager can be difficult in today’s world. Adding in the challenges of school makes it even harder. Many teens experience anxiety during this time as they face challenges with friends, romantic relationships, school assignments and extracurricular activities. These feelings of anxiety are entirely normal and understandable. However, what if your child always seems to have fearful feelings about school no matter how much reassurance you give or time passes? What if sure signs begin presenting themselves, like declining grades or trouble making friends? If these signs are persistent and noticeable, it may indicate that your child is [...]
What is Receiving Teen Mental Health Treatment
For teens, struggling with a mental health condition can feel confusing, overwhelming and downright uncomfortable at times. Going through teenage years is challenging enough, but the additional hardship of battling a mental health disorder at the same time can be immensely difficult for any teen. Thankfully, teen therapy and mental health treatment options are available – your teen will receive proper counseling and learn the tools necessary to cope with the stresses and anxieties they face. Teen mental health treatment Teens are vulnerable to mental health disorders like adults, including anxiety, depression, ADHD and bipolar disorder. The good news about [...]
The Effects of Untreated Mental Illness in Adolescence
Recent studies show the prevalence of mental health disorders in the lives of many teens – in 2021, severe major depression increased to 9.7 percent\; by the age of 18, 31.9. percent of teens will meet the criteria for an anxiety disorder, and approximately 9.8 percent of teens struggle with ADHD. As seen from the statistics, psychiatric disorders in teens are not rare; but what is less common than it should be is getting the medical attention they need. There is a long-standing belief that emotional episodes and fluctuating emotions are just a normal part of teen development. And while teenage [...]
My Teen Won’t See a Therapist – Now What?
If your child refuses to attend an assessment for therapy, try these simple strategies to overcome each step from denial to acceptance.
Does High School Cause Mental Illness?
When you are dealing with the complications and side effects of a mental health disorder, focusing on anything else can be quite challenging. And if a certain situation is one of the primary causes of these mental health symptoms, facing that situation can feel overwhelming entirely. We're talking here about high school. While it is a notoriously difficult time of life, with complicated friendship dynamics to navigate, a larger amount of school work and more demands on your time with extracurriculars, it can be made even more difficult with the onset of a mental health disorder. For teens who struggle [...]
The Effects of Bullying & Signs of Mental Abuse
No parent wants to face the truth that their child may be the victim of bullying. Unfortunately, however, it is a continued reality that many children and teens encounter on a daily basis. In fact, about 1-in-5 middle to high-school-aged kids have been bullied during the school year. Bullying is more than just an unfortunate situation – it is a problem that, when reoccurring, can cause difficult, severe and prolonged mental health struggles that children and teens end up dealing with for many years. As a parent, it is important to know the signs of bullying, what this form of [...]
Teens and Social Withdrawal
Teens can be particularly vulnerable to the lure of substance abuse for a variety of reasons. The developing personality and feelings of insecurity can often drive these young people into unwholesome behaviors to try to fit into a social group. Becoming addicted to substances can then lead to self-isolating behavior that further alienates them from their peers. A further look shows how teens and social withdrawal can be an indicator of a number of problems that require professional treatment. Social Pressure and Substance Use The teenage years are a time when brain function and personality are not fully developed. Individuals [...]
Looking for Mental Illness Indicators in Your Teen
Mental illnesses do not discriminate — they affect anyone, of any age. They arise based on the environments in which we live, the people whom we surround ourselves with and the chemical composition of our brains. For this reason, we don't always have control over whether or not a mental illness develops, but we can act preventatively to slow its development and build up our mental health instead. Teen mental health As a parent, it's your job to take care of your child's health as best as you're able – mentally and physically. We're all pretty good at identifying warning [...]
