There’s no doubt that growing up can be tough. The teenage years, in particular, can be especially difficult. Adolescents today are facing unique challenges that the older generations never experienced. These challenges stem from several different sources of pressure. School, social media, the news—all of these external forces are acting upon adolescents as they reach an age where they’re finally able to comprehend the world around them. These factors can have detrimental effects on the psyches of teens and young adults if they don’t have any outlets for expressing what they’re feeling. Because of this, mental health struggles in adolescents and young adults are becoming more common every day.
As a parent, you might feel like your teen is closed off from you emotionally. While this is pretty normal, as adolescents strive to become more independent in any way possible, it’s still your job as their parent to notice if their indifference turns into something more serious. Mental illness can be hard to detect, but if you know the warning signs as well as resources for mental health care, you can be there for your child and get them the help they need. The following are some great tools for the parents of teens who are in need of mental health services.
High-Quality Therapists in New York City
One of the most important things to remember about mental illness is that you shouldn’t believe the stigmas. In the past, mental illnesses and mental health care carried such heavy shame and were so deeply stigmatized that people would do anything to avoid seeking help, even when they were struggling tremendously. Though we as a society have worked hard to normalize mental health and therapy, we still have a long way to go. What’s unique about your teenage years is that you’re filled with conflicting feelings. Your teen might be too embarrassed to ask for help, or they’re unsure if what they’re experiencing is serious enough for therapy.
This is why it’s so important as a parent to see the signs and even make therapy a normal part of your family’s lives before a problem even begins. For those seeking the help of a counselor or psychiatrist for their teen, the medical group at NYC Therapy is an incredible source for many different types of psychotherapy and counseling. Their team of trained therapists has years of experience offering a customizable treatment approach to young people. Individual therapy can give you and your teen key insights into why they might be struggling, as well as coming up with a treatment plan for moving forward.
Effective Inpatient Treatment Centers
Sometimes individual therapy or a psychiatrist alone isn’t quite enough to provide your teen some relief from their struggles. In these cases, a residential treatment program might be the best option for your child. Specifically, if your teen is dealing with substance abuse or other severe behavior problems and regular outpatient programs or cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) don’t have much of an effect, a residential treatment center might be their best option. Rehab and inpatient programs have been given bad reputations over the years. Again, like therapy, these must be a more normalized option, as the practice has been evolving and becoming more effective every day.
Residential treatment or inpatient treatment is definitely more intense, and it can be a scary step for both you and your teen. It’s important to remember that when your teen’s mental health issues grow beyond the scope of your knowledge and abilities, this is a very scary time for them too. Residential treatment can offer them real, practical help, and the doctors at the inpatient treatment facility can create a treatment plan that is unique to your child’s exact needs.
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