Seek Professional Help
Teenagers in the 21st century are more self-aware and aware of their environment. Thus, it is not surprising that many factors can constitute emotional trauma and pain. Sometimes, these issues may stem from the school, the internet, or places other than their homes. Mental health trauma has spread in contemporary society, and it is the role of parents to identify such threats to their teenagers in a bid to help them live a quality life.
After identifying these threats, parents must support their teenagers, first through therapy. Teen mental health treatment deserves professionals who will provide the most appropriate support for your teenager, guiding them toward healing and well-being.
Maintain your Emotions
The next step to helping teens through tough times is for you to maintain your emotions. The pain of every child is the pain of a parent. When children go through tough times, slip up, cry, or even attempt to hurt themselves, most parents find themselves covered in the abyss of hysterical anxiety and psychological pain. It is okay for parents to relapse into dire depression when their teens go through tough times; they are not superhumans.
The key is to remember that the main goal is not to escalate the situation. The main goal is to help the teenager in this process. When parents maintain a stable emotion, it provides a safe space for teen-centric therapy. It can be difficult for parents to maintain emotions in this period. This can be exacerbated when the teenager locks out the parent. Sometimes, parents are tempted to lash out their emotions, which rather than solve the problem, stimulates a further drift between the parent and teenager.
Instead of getting worked up in such difficult times, engage in stress management activities and keep your emotions in check.
Active Listening
The process of therapy involves the use of empathetic listening. Sometimes, active listening comes with the temptation to pass judgment. However, remember you are not passing a verdict but trying to understand the point of view of your teenager. Most times, teenagers are afraid to open up to a parent because they feel they would judge them immediately. Some parents who deal with the loss of a loved one fail to take responsibility as adults and lock out their teenagers. Such teenagers experience these tough times alone, which could affect their personality and quality of life.
Active listening incorporates asking ‘open-ended’ questions that allow the teenager to express themselves, not assuming you understand their pain.
Reassurance
Reassurance is another step in the process. The core aim of reassurance is to build trust, encourage communication, foster mutual understanding, and show support. Parents are tasked with creating a conducive environment that provides a safe space for teenagers to discuss their feelings. Constant affirmative reassurance by parents builds confidence in teenagers.
Parents can help teens through tough times by reminding them that the phase will wither. They should also remind teenagers of their availability to always hear them out and help them through their emotions as they go through tough times.
The Power of Deliberation
A deliberation is an effective tool used to provide solutions to teenagers who experience emotional trauma, depression, and poor mental health as a result of events happening around them. The power of deliberation is to utilize ‘introspection’ as a model to help a teen cope with painful circumstances. Also, deliberation is a tool used to assess the problem-solving skills of a teenager and refine such skills to combat a challenge.
When you discern the underlying issue of the cause of poor mental health, the parent has the role of helping the teen arrive at a solution that benefits mental well-being. Deliberation should involve using the ‘we’ approach against the ‘I’ approach to assure the teenager that you stand with them.
Regular Check-In
The last role of parents is to check up on teenagers regularly to understand their feelings from time to time, show support, and build mutual trust. A simple question comes a long way in this process, especially when it is about their mental well-being. Every regular check-in should end with reassurance that the parent is always available to listen and help. Parents should also assure their children that they genuinely care about their feelings.
