Being the parent of a teen has always come with its challenges. However, being the parent of a teen in the twenty-first century comes with more challenges than ever. Helping your teen to navigate the teenage years can feel a bit like guiding them through an obstacle course that sits on a minefield. Your teen may not be forthcoming about the stress in their lives, but you can still work to keep the lines of communication open. Sometimes it is as simple as making sure your teen knows that you are always available to listen. It’s also about remembering what it was like to be a teen. At Thrive Treatment, we can help you identify the common stressors for teens and how to be best available to your teen.
Common Stressor for Teens That Parents Should Be Aware Of
Some sources of stress are particular to a family or an individual. Things like divorce, illness, chronic illness in the family, and the death of a loved one result in a lot of stress, but not everyone has to face these. However, there are some common stressors for teens, including:
- Changes in their bodies
- The pressure to do well at school
- Lack of sleep
- Overextending themselves with too many activities
- Life changes such as getting a job or going to college
- Negative thoughts and feelings about themselves
- Social media
These everyday stressors can all add up to an overwhelming amount of pressure, and it’s critical to communicate with your teen regularly. Often the stressors listed above are your teen’s perception of what they must be doing to be loved or make their families proud. Your teen may have set unreasonable expectations for themselves in a quest to make their families proud. Helping your teen to see that your love for them is not tied to their accomplishments can be a massive step in the right direction.
How To Tell if Stress Is Affecting Your Teen’s Mental Health
Deciphering communications from a teenager can feel a bit like trying to understand a different language. Between the slang of a new generation and your teen’s developmentally appropriate reduced communication, you will feel like a detective searching for clues. Fortunately, there are some signs that their stress is reaching more concerning levels.
Look for symptoms of anxiety, depression, withdrawal and isolation, aggression, physical illness, and drug use. Talk to your teen about different ways to cope with their stress and ensure that they know you are available to listen. While your first instinct may be to fix any problems they face, the first step is to listen without overreacting. Your reactions to your teen sharing with you will determine how much more they share in the future. The more you can keep the lines of communication open, the greater the chance you can help your teen cope with the stress. It is essential that your teen know that there is always help available to them.
How Thrive Treatment Can Help Your Teen
At Thrive Treatment, our treatment approach blends modern and traditional practices. We can help your teen by integrating relational and behavioral therapies and holistic, medical, and psychiatric interventions. Located in beautiful Santa Monica, we will develop an individualized plan to help your teen through addiction and other mental health issues, both during inpatient treatment and beyond. We’re also here to support you in understanding the treatment and your role in the process as you keep your teen. So contact us today and let us help you and your teen face addiction and other mental health issues.
