Teen Self-Expression
These days, it’s all too common for teenagers to suffer from emotional problems. It seems like every time you turn around, you hear about another of your child’s friends being medicated for these disorders, and it makes sense that you might fear your own teen going down a similar path. While these problems can arise because of a variety of reasons, there is one common issue that can be found among anyone who suffers this way: A lack of the ability to express emotions.
Our bodies are built with a “fight or flight” mechanism that is designed to give us energy and thinking power in an emergency situation. However, the chemicals that give us that edge can also cause a lot of stress on our systems, leading to anxiety, depression or physical health problems. Even simple things, like a pop quiz at school or a fight with a friend, can lead to this adrenaline response, and unless your teen feels comfortable talking about his or her problems, that emotion will likely remain bottled up inside.Keeping Communication Open
If you want to support your teen and help him or her remain balanced and healthy, you will need to provide a listening ear. You have problems of your own, and sometimes, after a long day at work, it can be difficult to listen to your teen whine about the dramas of high school. However, scoffing at the problems or generally turning away will only result in your teen feeling like there is nowhere to find support, which can lead to seeking comfort in unhealthy activities like drinking, drugs and self-harm.
Keep Your Emotions Out of it
If your teen comes to you with a problem that is beyond the realm of the typical teenage soap opera, it’s important to keep your cool. Even if the problem involves drugs, sex or some other similarly upsetting subject, commit to fully listening to what your teen has to say before you get angry or make any judgments. The same goes for times that your teen may be angry and snapping at you, another adult authority figure or a sibling. Even if you think the anger is unreasonable, your teen still has the right to express it and be heard by you. Snapping is usually a sign of containing feelings. If they are containing their feelings this can lead to possible cutting so they can let the feelings out someway.
Don’t Assume You Have to Fix Everything
As parents, we always want to make things right. We’ve been tending to our children since they were born, and it hurts when there is a problem we can’t instantly make better. However, sometimes our children don’t want or need us to make things better. Sometimes, they just need an outlet to vent their anxieties. If you can provide this outlet, you might be surprised and impressed at how easily your child will take care of the problem alone.
Keep Loving Yourself, Debra
