For Parents and Guardians

Witnessing your child go through a difficult emotional period can be very difficult for you as a parent or guardian. At times, you may feel that you don't know what to do. Here are some tips for how you can help.

  1. Listen. Sometimes, all your child needs is for someone to listen to them. By just being there for them, you establish yourself as a reliable, consoling, and trustworthy source.

  2. Validate their feelings. Telling your child to "get over it", "this is just a phase", or any other dismissive comment will make your child feel invalidated. Instead, say "I believe you", "I know this is really difficult", etc. can go a long way in making your child feel heard.

  3. Talk to your doctor. Your doctor can explain the process for getting a medical diagnosis and the ways to effectively treat your child's situation.

  4. Talk to other parents. More often than not, parents that you know may have experienced similar challenges with their children. Although all situations are unique, many underlying helping strategies have themes--including therapy, medication, increased social support, etc.

  5. Monitor their social media. Your child, more often than not, will post more about their life on social media than they're willing to talk to you about. Social media is also a major breeding ground for bullying and harassment. Periodically monitor their social media and talk to them about things they see, what they post, and who they interact with. Have open conversations frequently about their habits on social media.

Look for these common signs of mental health challenges, often lasting two weeks or longer:

  • Loss of interest in hobbies, activities, or other areas of interest previously enjoyable

  • Sleeping too little or too much, not related to pure exhaustion

  • Feeling hopeless, helpless, or empty

  • Frequent outbursts of anger

  • Withdrawing from social activities

  • A change in communication habits (i.e. child shares very little about their life)

  • Feeling on edge, frequently nervous, tense, consistent panic, or agitation

  • Having a hard time controlling worry

  • Difficulty concentrating

  • Lack of appetite, over-eating, skipping meals, or rapid fluctuation in weight

  • Thoughts and expressions about death

  • Excessive use of alcohol and drugs, including vaping, Juul, e-cigarettes, etc.

      • Understand that underage alcohol consumption is damaging to the teenage brain

      • Juul, vaping, and e-cigarettes all contain nicotine, an addictive chemical that has harmful health consequences

More information on Depression from the Mayo Clinic: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/symptoms-causes/syc-20356007

Information on Anxiety from the Mayo Clinic: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/generalized-anxiety-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20360803

Information on Eating Disorders from the Mayo Clinic: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/eating-disorders/symptoms-causes/syc-20353603