How to Help a teenager with depression and anxiety
When your kids are still little it is usually your duty as a parent to rescue them from danger whenever the moment arrives. Still, as they grow older, the risks they face become more complicated.
Hence, it would be best to change your bearing into playing a supporting role that tends to be more difficult than earlier stages. This occurs a lot when your teenager is struggling and battling with depression and, sometimes, anxiety.
It is necessary to provide the aid for them to get better and relieved, so it is your obligation as a parent to provide that. Continue reading this article to learn how to help a teenager with anxiety and depression.
Signs that a teenager is battling depression
Knowing how to help a teenager with anxiety and depression is important, but it is equally important to watch out for the signs. They tend to be sad, look glum, and easily irritated for an extended period, such as five out of seven days, and in a consistent manner.
They might also lose interest in things they usually enjoy or derive pleasure in doing or watching.
And brings about a lack of motivation. It is also possible the motivational spirit in their kind diminishes slowly in a gradual process, and some habits they have been used to for a long tend to start changing.
You may not notice, but they might be in a state of despair, such as feeling guilty about things that they are not responsible for or feeling worthless and losing hope about their future.
They tend to lose concentration in things they do, and this might result in to decline in their grades.
The connection between depression and anxiety
If not checked on well and treated appropriately, anxiety will lead to a developed depression in your teenager. That is unknown to most parents and teens, but this needs to be a top priority on mental awareness.
Anxiety is commonly referred to as the supreme mental health complaint of young people. The alarming rate at which depression in teens is rising should not be surprising due to its already established nature.
By the time your teenager reaches adolescence, the anxiety starts to increase more and becomes more intense, resulting in extreme depression.
Social life and the academic journey become challenging as the pressures are liable to ignite your teen towards new experiences.
Your teen may want to attempt more challenging stuff, but his hormones may cause havoc with appearance. No matter the area he finds himself in, if social or physical or educational, the worry will be there anytime at any moment.
Your teen is liable to want to achieve but scared of having unsuccessful attempts or afraid of rejection.
How to help a teenager with anxiety and depression
If your teen displays any of the above-listed signs, the probability that they are full of depression is very high, depicting the need for professional aid. Although you may not make him better, you still have some things you can attempt as a parent to help him recover through the troubled period.
Listed below are some ways how to help a teenager with anxiety and depression
1. Ensure you are supportive. It is essential, crucial, and essential to strengthen the relationship between you and your teenager.
2. Ensure you build empathy and understanding by putting yourself in his situation. You likely get frustrated a lot due to his constant glum behavior, inability to show activeness, and irritation.
3. Still, the moment he doesn’t have the presence of what is liable to make him happy, or if there has been an occurrence of disappointment in his recent actions, it should be anticipated that he would avoid some everyday things he does and put himself into solitude.
4. Ensure you attempt to react to his emotions in a parental manner rather than criticizing his behavior.
Imbibe the art of curiosity in a compassionate way
5. Try to constantly seek answers to your questions related to his mood change carefully and gently. The possibility of you being critical. Your inquisitiveness manner is high as it might not be recognized as a concern despite your good intention.
6. Avoid being judgmental, and make sure you make efforts to solve and guide him out of that phase no matter the difference in your points of view.
7. Devote time to listen to him talk about issues affecting him patiently. However, it could translate into a harmful act, but it will let him see how much you care for him and understand everything affecting him rather than just finding a straightforward solution.
8. So paying adequate attention without judging will make him feel more attached to you. He will always want to discuss any affected thing with you at any period without hesitating. It can go a long way in strengthening your relationship and bond with him.
9. Acknowledge the positive things your teen does
Always imbibe the act of noticing and giving recognition to whatever positive thing your teen gets engaged in and does. Things like ignoring truancy, doing explorations, partaking in household chores, getting involved in community service are good things.
10. So it is better and crucial you acknowledge and give him deserved accolades. Instead of criticizing and having contradicting thoughts and reactions.
11. Make him aware that you are proud of him and that what you see him doing is encouraging. Good enough to be classified as good. It is possible he notices and appreciates your concern and encouraging nature. And this may further increase the level of the bond between the two of you. They will likely appreciate that you noticed.
12. Never discourage him by making him aware that you are disappointed seeing him do things he never does. There is the tendency of feeling let down. Due to not wanting to be reminded about the phase he is passing through or just passed through.
13. Seek the aid of a mental health specialist
Help your kid get treatment from a professional familiar with treating teens facing depression. Provide the therapy needed, but if your teen is resisting therapy, do not attempt using force. Instead, guide him through the advantages and create the pathway for him to pass through.
14. Ensure the therapist you hire is someone your teen feels comfortable with and ensure he is a perfect professional for your teen.
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How To Discipline A Teenager Who Doesn’t Care About Consequences
