Drawing from your own experience from when you were a teenager, you know that time of life can be particularly tough. Being a teenager has its ups and downs, as they start coming to realize who they are and who they might want to be in the future. Between school, social events, puberty, dating, and applying to college, it’s easy for them to get overwhelmed, and some of that is normal.

But how do you know if their stress, feelings, or anxiety isn’t normal?

Unfortunately, mental illness can begin to strike kids when they arrive into their teenage years. Determining whether what they are feeling is typical teen “angst” or something more can be challenging for parents. If you’re lucky, then maybe your teen has talked to you about what they’re feeling and how they are coping, but for many parents, the opposite is true. Maybe your teen is withdrawing from people, struggling with school or there are other signs that they just aren’t doing too well and you feel helpless or unsure of how to approach the situation with them, and that’s understandable.

 

Below are some key tips for parents about how to proceed in figuring out if your teen may be struggling with mental illness or not:

 

 

• Keep communication consistent, constant, open and honest. Your children should know that they can talk to you about anything and also commit to discussing topics of concern with them and do so openly, patiently, and non-judgmentally as possible.

• Understand that mental health conditions are often very treatable and manageable. Educate yourself with information about the most common mental health disorders amongst teens. Talking with your pediatrician, therapist, or school representatives can help you determine some of how your child is feeling if they won’t tell you themselves.

• Pay attention to your teenager’s behavior. Adolescence can be a difficult time of transition and change for young people, but if you notice what seems like a sudden change in your kid’s behavior or how they react to things, it can be a strong indicator that something else is going on and you may need to further investigate the problem and consider that mental illness could be contributing to it.

 

All of that being said, let’s talk about some of the “red flags” of mental illness that you as a parent should be aware of.

 

 

• Excessive sleeping beyond normal teenage fatigue, which could be indicative of depression or substance abuse. Difficulty sleeping, or insomnia could be treated much the same way, which can be indicative of anxiety or an anxiety disorder.

• Low or no self-esteem, or the loss of previously held self-esteem.

• Disinterest in things your teen used to love or other favorite past times.

• Unexpected or dramatic decline in academic performance and grades.

• Weight loss or loss of appetite, which could indicate an eating disorder. Weight gain can also be indicative of depression or “stress eating” as well.

• Shifts in personality, habits, behavior, aggressiveness or excessive anger that are sharply out of character.

• Any indications of self-harm such as cutting, or ideation of such activities. Attempts at suicide or talking about wanting to kill themselves.

 

Common mental health conditions in teenagers include but are not limited to:

 

 

• Depression

• Anxiety or anxiety disorders

• Borderline Personality Disorder

• Eating Disorders

• Drug or Alcohol Abuse

If you suspect your teenagers is struggling with mental illness, talk to your pediatrician immediately or get a referral to a mental health specialist for further guidance.

To learn more about mental illness and teens, click here.