Parents should not be anxious about anxiety and depression among teens as these remain treatable. However, these teen problems should be taken seriously. With help from experts and constant practice, such issues may be resolved.
Approximately 80 percent of kids with diagnosable anxiety disorder and 60 percent of kids with diagnosable depression, do not get the treatment they need, as per the 2015 Child Mind Institute Children's Mental Health Report.
Kids having trouble falling asleep after watching a horror movie or any similar temporary fear can be reassured and comforted. Experts, however, say that doing so is not enough to help a child with an anxiety disorder to conquer fear and anxiety.
One in eight children has an anxiety disorder, a research shows. Those untreated children with anxiety disorders have a higher risk of performing poorly in school and miss out on valuable social experiences. Most of these kids also end up in engagement to criminal offenses and substance abuse.
Signs of anxiety disorders usually simultaneously occur with depression, eating disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and so forth. Thus, parents should know how to support a child with such signs.
Time Magazine provided some tips to do this. First thing is to "talk about the real stuff," wherein parents can talk beyond the normal conversations that involved schedules, chores or even about their achievements in school. The emotional connection should be nurtured by talking more about life.
Teens today are entirely different from teens before. Moods are different and needs are also different, as far as the modern world is concerned. That is why parents should adapt and restrain themselves while giving their teens space but still keeping an eye on them. Resistance to anger is also a big help.
Parents should be able to bridge the gap between their generation and the current age while still remembering that ultimate key to successful parenting is love. It is essential for parents to express their love on how teens of today would interpret it, and not the other way around.
