How to Talk to Your Child About Seeking Mental Health Treatment
Guiding parents through a sensitive and crucial dialogue In today's world, concern over mental health is widespread, especially in the youngest and most vulnerable members of our society. It's vital for parents to know how to approach their children about seeking mental health treatment. While mental health can be a delicate topic, keeping an open dialogue between parents and children is essential for a supportive family environment that promotes mental well-being. Here's a guide to help you navigate this critical discussion. Understanding the Importance of Mental Health Firstly, parents must recognize and acknowledge the importance of mental health. Just [...]
A Mother’s Support of Their LGBTQI Child During Pride Month
What is Pride Month beyond seeing rainbows everywhere during the month of June? Pride Month occurs every June and is the commemoration of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising. Police entered the Stonewall Inn in New York and arrested patrons who were openly gay and not wearing at least three items of “gender-appropriate” clothing. This led to patrons protesting and rioting against the unfairness. Since then, members of the LGBTQI community participate in activities like parades, meetings and more that celebrate the beautiful rainbow that the spectrum of gender and sexuality is. And yes, you do see rainbows everywhere from stores [...]
How Bullying Can Cause Co-Occurring Disorders in Adolescents
The teenage years are some of the most intense developmental years of the brain. This period is when the majority of mental illnesses develop, as well as when the brain is most vulnerable to undergoing significant damage from substance use. It’s not uncommon for teens to suffer from mental conditions such as depression or anxiety and then turn to substances in an attempt to cope with the symptoms of their poor mental health. This is what’s called a co-occurring disorder. Co-occurring disorders in adolescents — also known as comorbidity or dual diagnosis — are when drug abuse and mental disorders [...]
Domestic Violence: Effects on Mental Health and Overall Wellbeing
People have differing perspectives and levels of awareness on the effects of domestic violence on family. Some may feel that abuse in the home is a rare incident, normally depicted in the media as shouting matches and throwing things around the house. Others may have first hand experience of witnessing or being the victim of domestic violence themselves. Regardless of where you come from and your knowledge or personal interaction with domestic violence, there are some important facts to consider. If you’re a parent, a survivor of domestic violence, a mental health care worker, a school administrator, coach or family [...]
Does My Teen Have a Mental Health Disorder?
If you’re the parent of a teenager, you’ve probably wondered whether your teen is displaying signs of a mental health disorder or whether the behaviors you’ve noticed are just typical of that age. The teenage years are fraught with growing personalities, friendship drama, dating troubles, hormonal changes and severe shifts in mood. It’s no surprise that your child’s emotional health has fluctuated with all the stress and changes that happen during this period of life. As a parent, you’re looking for clear information to help your child, and this article can guide you through this sensitive process. Here, we’ll look [...]
Taking Care of Your Addicted Child: How to Manage Burnout
Parenting, while rewarding, is an exhausting task. Suppressing your emotional burnout is unhealthy for you and your entire family. The hard work you do is valuable and has its place, but it can also lead to extreme stress. Parenting in itself is hard—parenting a teen who is struggling with a drug or alcohol addiction is even harder. If you have an adolescent who is affected by a substance use disorder, here’s what you can do as a parent to make sure you get what you need. How to prevent burnout as a caregiver Preventing burnout as a caregiver starts with [...]
Foster Independence with Routines Over the Summer
Children and teens crave predictability from the adults around them. Even babies need to be reassured that a parent will take care of them when they cry. Having a sense of dependability means security for your kid, and the stronger this sense of reassurance is, the healthier that kid’s attachment and emotional health will be. Why is structure important for my child’s mental health? In creating a sense of dependability and allowing your children to feel safe in their environment, you’ll find that implementing a daily schedule is a positive practice for several reasons. Structure not only reinforces that children [...]
Talking About the Sad Reality of School Shootings with Your Kids
The violence in our world is appalling. It surely leaves adults dumbfounded, so it’s no surprise that kids also struggle to hear and understand the tragic news of ever-increasing school shootings. If you are a parent or caregiver tasked with the role of discussing tragedy with children, let this be a useful guide to opening the conversation, establishing trust and ensuring safety for your loved ones. Read up on tips for discussing tragedy Before you even begin to address traumatic events with your children, it will be helpful to educate yourself on the topic. These events tend to become sensationalized, [...]
How to Support Your LGBTQ+ Teen
While raising a teenager can be quite challenging, being a teenager is even more challenging. As adolescents transition from childhood to adulthood, they are navigating emotional, social and physical changes while figuring out exactly who they are and where they belong. In some cases, this journey of self-discovery during the teen years may involve figuring out their sexuality, gender identity or both. Unfortunately, members of the LGBTQ+ community often face harassment, discrimination, abuse, bullying and rejection from their families, friends and peers. LGBTQ+ teenagers are especially vulnerable to developing mental health issues as a result, including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder [...]
Helping Your Teen Overcome Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Mood swings and other symptoms are often dismissed as typical behavior for teenagers, so it’s easy to miss signs of underlying mental health disorders in this group. In addition, teens may not want to share about the experiences that can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Like adult PTSD, PTSD in teens is characterized by extreme fear and adverse reactions triggered by a traumatic event. In this article, we’ll explain the clinical diagnosis, symptoms of PTSD in teens and what kind of treatment to look for. Defining PTSD While it’s normal for people of all ages to experience adverse reactions [...]
5 Ways to Help Your Teen Overcome Substance Use
As a parent, your only wish is for your children to grow up happy and healthy. Sadly, for many parents this reality is interrupted by addiction. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, results from a 2021 survey of over 32,000 teens found that roughly 30 percent of 12th grade students used substances. While teen drug abuse statistics are high, the past year saw the most significant decrease in teen substance use since the survey began in 1975. These numbers are promising, and what’s even more promising is the growing awareness that parents have regarding their role in supporting [...]
How To Spot Anxiety in Your Child
No one needs an expert to explain that the behavior of children and adults is distinct. Yet while they are unique, the behavior of each is purposeful and communicates something. Anxiety is no different. Children manifest anxiety in their own ways. In this article we’ll look at the signs of anxiety in children, and the best ways for treating both the symptoms and the root of the issue. A definition of anxiety In order to understand anxiety disorders, we first look to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (or DSM V), compiled by the American Psychological Association. [...]
