Teenagers must have a healthy body and healthy mind to achieve overall development. While stepping into adulthood, these two factors will help them to cope with life more easily. Parents are willing to give their teenagers whatever it takes to keep them physically healthy. The mental struggles of teenagers often go unnoticed by parents or teachers.
If you want to find out whether your teen is going through any sort of mood disorder, it is necessary to have a fair knowledge of teen mental health and challenges. Learning more about the issue will help to adopt a new parenting style. Thus you can support your child while creating a safe environment in the home. Let’s look at teen mental health and the challenges they are facing nowadays.
Teen Mental Health: Facts – A Parent Should Know
Young minds are always open to new ideas and ready to absorb anything that stimulates their thoughts. Thus it is easy to influence the mind of a teenager. The rapid changes in the world, the surge of different ideologies, and technological advancements have a lasting impact on a teenager’s mental health.
The teenage years mark the development of the body, mind, and social aspects. A child with severe mental health challenges may find it challenging to lead an ideal life compared to their peers. Some of the biggest challenges faced by teenagers include
- Influence of online gaming
- Cyberbullying
- Unrealistic body image
- Lack of physical activities
- Family issues and parenting mistakes
- Spending too much time on social media, like Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, etc
- Childhood trauma
- Abuse
- Genetics
- Inequalities
All these factors can adversely affect the mental health of a child. It also poses difficulties for parents to recognize their teenagers’ mental health problems. These are the signs of mental health issues often found in teenagers.
Also Check: What Causes PTSD In Teens? Exploring The Lesser-Known Facts
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Eating disorder
- Mood swings
- Uncontrollable anger
- Impulsive behavior
- Aggression
- Suicidal thoughts
- Low self-esteem
- Struggling to make friendships
- Attention seeking behavior
Many of these symptoms may or may not be a cause of mental health issues. But if you have serious concerns regarding the behavior of your child. It is better to communicate with them. And consult a child health provider is needed.
A common mental health condition that affects teenagers is Mood disorder. It adversely affects the emotional state of a teen.
Read along to find out more about mood disorders among teens.
What Is A Mood Disorder?
As the name suggests, a mood disorder is a mental health condition that affects the mood of a person. People of all ages are vulnerable to mood disorders. Since teenagers and pre-teens find it difficult to communicate their emotions and feelings, It will be hard to figure out mood disorders in children belonging to adolescents and pre-teen stages.
Types Of Mood Disorders
There are several types of mood disorders, the most common types include
- Depression: It is a widespread mental health problem in modern society. Chemical imbalances in the brain, genetics, and substance abuse are some reasons for depression. Your child may exhibit signs like prolonged sadness and hopelessness. Lethargic attitudes, finding difficulties in thinking, and eating disorders are some other signs of depression in teens. In chronic depression cases teens may have suicidal thoughts. If the symptoms last for more than two weeks, consult a mental health professional. Don’t get confused by a simple emotional response from your child as a symptom of depression.
- Bipolar disorder – A mood disorder that may affect a person’s mood. Sometimes it oscillates between manic and depressive episodes. There are A variety of bipolar disorders exist.
- Schizophrenia – A teen with schizophrenia experiences hallucinations. The child may even have delusional thinking. In some cases, a schizophrenic child may seem normal. The kid will be able to make normal conversations.
Teens with substance use disorder are more vulnerable to these mood disorders. Getting treatment will help them from craving alcohol and drugs.
Read More: Adolescents Dealing With Generalized Anxiety Disorder – A Quick Guide!
All these mood disorders are treatable. Creating a friendly atmosphere in the home will help the child to communicate properly about the situation. You can do the following things to help your teen to have good mental health.
- Teach the kid healthy ways to deal with emotions.
- Watch for sudden changes in the mood and activities of a child. If your kids become gloomy or resort to isolation, show support and let them know you are there for them.
- Nurture a healthy environment in the home.
- Avoid hyper parenting
- Encourage the child to communicate about feelings freely and honestly.
- Get help from a medical professional if needed.
Conclusion
Parents have a vital role in helping teenagers to develop healthy minds. During the teenage phase, your kids need your support and love. Understand their needs and provide them with love and care. If you notice any mood disorders, look for ways to help. Don’t hesitate to see a professional if needed and be with your kid during treatment,
