It’s so easy when they’re little. When they cried anonymous, this was because they had hurt themselves or because they were hungry or some other need that was very easy to take care of. As they get older, however, your child may smile even when they’re sad. They may be hiding things from you. They won’t talk to you to tell you what’s wrong.
It’s a horrible time for any parent, but you cannot let your own hurt get in the way of helping your child. At the end of the day, they don’t understand what is happening to them, and they are very ill-equipped to deal with it. They may feel ashamed that they feel the way that they do, or they don’t want to worry you. It could be one of a million different reasons that kids come up with that they give you.
What you need to do as a parent when your teen is struggling is to follow these steps.
Know the Signs of Struggling Mental Health
It is in the best interest of every parent to know the signs of mental health and addiction. The best time to intervene and get your teen help is at its early stages so that the cycle is easier to break, and your teen doesn’t develop trauma due to their mental health.
Speak Candidly and Openly About Feelings
You want to make it commonplace in your household to talk about feelings. Start by being open about how you feel. You may not want to scare your kids if you are worried about money, and that’s fine, but be honest if you are having a bad day, or if you are excited. Encourage them when they talk about how they feel and never shut them down or dismiss their emotions. This will make it natural for them to discuss how they feel, especially if they are not well.
Make a Safe Space (and Let Your Kid Come to You)
Knowing the signs is great, but your teen should always feel like they can turn to you. They won’t know what is happening to them. They may hide how they feel because they are ashamed, but if you make it easy to talk about their feelings, they should come to you. Just as it is in every parent’s best interest to make it explicitly clear that if they are in any trouble, they should call you, no matter what, and that in an emergency you promise not to get mad, you should do the same if they aren’t feeling right.
Seek Out Professional Help Together
If your teen is struggling and helping them is beyond your ability, then finding a teenage rehabilitation center is a must. Ideally, you will want to find a help center together, but at the end of the day, as their guardian, you will have the final say. If they are reluctant, a good way to do this is to provide them with three options. They have the final choice, which gives them some control over what happens to them, but getting the help they need is non-negotiable.
Work With Their Therapist to Build a Supportive Home Environment
You need to understand that they may struggle for the rest of their life. With that in mind, adopting new strategies and skills taught to you by their therapist will help you continue their recovery at home.
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