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Mental illness can affect anyone, from teens to older adults. It affects how we feel, think, and act. It's important at every stage of life so that we can cope with stressful situations, work productively, and make meaningful contributions to our community.
However, the statistics are staggering. Over 45% of teens suffer from a mental disorder and one in five suffer from a severe mental illness - that's 20% of the teen population.
How to Support a Teen Struggling with Mental Health
Whether you and your teen are getting along well or experiencing difficulties, it's important to show that you love and support them, can help them navigate through difficult situations, and you're always available for them.
On that note, here are five ways to support a teen struggling with mental health:
1) Encourage and Validate
Find ways to communicate with them. Find out about their day by asking them how it went and what they did. It can be by asking them to assist you with a chore, like making supper, so that you can talk to them about their day while you're working.
Remind them that you're always available to them, and you're eager to hear their thoughts and feelings. They may feel more at ease discussing their emotions with you if you offer them some simple words of support.
Even if it's uncomfortable, it's important to acknowledge and comprehend whatever emotions a teen may be going through.
You can say "I understand," "it sounds like a difficult situation," or similar phrases when they open up to you. Acknowledgement and validation can be really helpful.
2) Make Time
As a parent, you can establish new routines and attainable daily goals for your teen. You might schedule home duties around schoolwork, or set a goal, such as completing homework before dinner.
You might schedule home duties around schoolwork, or set a goal, such as completing homework before dinner. Independence comes with adolescence. Give your teen as much time and space as they need to be alone. Growing up naturally involves having a need for space.
Find a few strategies to assist and motivate your adolescents to take breaks from their work (whether it be homework, housework, or other projects they may be working on) and engage in activities they enjoy. If your adolescent is feeling frustrated, brainstorm some issues with them.
3) Equip with Resources
Work with your teen to equip them with useful tools. You may, for instance, ask them to save their phones with crisis helplines and NAMI helpline numbers for mental health emergencies (741741).
You can also download applications like Calm Harm and Wysa that are made to assist children and teenagers with their mental wellness.
Additionally, it can be beneficial to include screen-free coping mechanisms in their personal space, such as art supplies, writing tools, and even a punching bag. You can learn more about the precise ways to support them by asking them which mood-enhancing tools and activities they would find most useful.
4) Find a Professional
A stable connection with a therapist or counselor might be essential for teenagers in times of crisis.
However, even in good times, it can be beneficial to consult with a mental health expert to reinforce good habits and go through old experiences. Of course, treatment is frequently costly and not available to everyone.
So completing the research now and considering which solutions might be suitable for your family could pay off in the long run. You can get started by looking at kid and family-friendly counseling choices that are often available at affordable rates.
5) Be an Advocate
There's a lot of stigma attached to mental health, which makes many people reluctant to speak up and ask for assistance.
Many people are reluctant to acknowledge their struggles for fear of what others may think. You have a chance to advocate for mental health if you're the parent of a teen who has a mental illness.
You can discuss the realities of mental health and its effects on people of different age, background and upbringing with others. You can speak up for your child and other children who might be experiencing mental health issues.
Takeaway
Mental illnesses are brain function disorders. They have many causes and result from complex interactions between a person's genes and their environment.
A person struggling with mental health should not be viewed any differently than if someone were experiencing a physical illness. Mental illness is not a choice or a failure.
It does not discriminate, and teens are especially susceptible to it. It can affect anyone regardless of age, gender, social status, ethnicity, or any other aspect of cultural identity. In fact, mental illnesses occur at similar rates around the world in every culture and in all socio-economic groups.
Janvi Kapur is a counselor with a Master's degree in applied psychology with a specialization in clinical psychology.
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