HOW TO KNOW WHEN YOUR TEEN ISN T JUST BEING A TEENAGER

Transcription

1 HOW TO KNOW WHEN YOUR TEEN ISN T JUST BEING A TEENAGER Shanna Dickens, LCSW, LCAS Lead Therapist at WHAT

2 NEGATIVE STEREOTYPES ABOUT TEENS Disrespectful Irresponsible Lazy Rebellious Think that they know everything Manipulative Impulsive Sex crazed

3 BEING A TEENAGER ISN T A CRIME Myths: Facts: Lazy Sex crazed Impulsive Research shows that teenagers need 9.5 hours sleep a night, but on average get only 7.5 hours. Girls who mature early and boys that mature later tend to be treated more negatively by peers the status of both inhibitory and excitatory brain chemical systems, and connectivity between brain regions, is unique in teenagers.

4 OR IS IT? Myths: Facts: Rebellious Irresponsible This is the developmental stage where teens are supposed to be gaining independence from their parents Although by age 9 or 10 that brain is the same size as yours, the self-regulatory centers -- the decision zones that govern judgment and impulsivity don t reach maturity until age 24. The adolescent brain has adultsize pleasure and sensation centers without adult-level control.

5 WARNING SIGNS THAT YOUR TEEN MAY HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE Emotional Issues: very angry most of the time cries a lot or overreacts to things feels worthless or guilty grief for a long time after a loss or death has unexplained fears

6 WARNING SIGNS THAT YOUR TEEN HAS A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE Experiences big changes: does much worse in school loses interest in things they used to enjoy unexplained changes in sleeping or eating habits avoids friends or family and isolates daydreams too much and can't get things done feels life is too hard or talks about suicide hears voices that cannot be explained

7 WARNING SIGNS THAT YOUR TEEN MAY HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE: Is Limited By: poor concentration; can't make decisions inability to sit still or focus attention worry about being harmed, hurting others, or about doing something "bad" the need to wash, clean things, or perform certain routines dozens of times a day thoughts that race almost too fast to follow persistent nightmares

8 WARNING SIGNS THAT YOUR TEEN MAY HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE Behavior is causing an issue uses alcohol or other drugs eats large amounts of food and then forces vomiting, abuses laxatives, or takes enemas to avoid weight gain continues to diet or exercise obsessively although bone-thin often hurts other people, destroys property, or breaks the law does things that can be life threatening or does not care if they get hurt

9 WARNING SIGNS THAT YOUR TEEN MAY HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE Signs of Depression: Feels sad, empty or hopeless Doesn t enjoy doing things that they used to Sudden changes in appetite or weight Hypersomnia or insomnia Fatigue Feeling worthless or that everything is their fault Can t concentrate or processes more slowly Thinking about death or not wanting to be here

10 WARNING SIGNS THAT YOUR TEEN MAY HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE Anxiety Worrying about a lot of different things Not being able to control this worry Always on edge Becoming tired easily Can t concentrate or mind going blank Muscle tension or complaints of soreness Sleep issues

11 PREVALENCE OF TEEN MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES: 1 in 4 20% to 30% of teens have a major depressive episode before they reach adulthood 25% of teens develop an anxiety disorder Suicide is the third leading cause of death in teens Between 500,000 and one million young people aged 15 to 24 attempt suicide each year 67% to 70% of youth in the juvenile justice system have a diagnosable mental health disorder

12 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Where does it come from? There is no one answer. Genetics Trauma Life Stressors Can be made worse by other medical illness

13 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS What could my teen possibly be stressed about? Not being liked by peers Being capable of independence Losing the people they love Family conflict or finances Everything that you are worried about but with very little ability to do anything about it

14 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Why can t they just talk to me? Teens often try to protect their parents and do not want to add more stress They may not have the words to explain what is wrong They care deeply how they are perceived by their family and are concerned that a mental health diagnosis means that they are crazy or broken

15 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS What do I do if I think that there is a problem? Get help Listen to their concerns and validate how they feel Have them assessed by a mental health professional and be a part of the process Wilmington Health Access for Teens 4005 Oleander Dr. Wilmington, NC Phone: (910) Mobile crisis

16 FOOD FOR THOUGHT Teens are the most misunderstood people on the planet. They are treated like children and expected to act like adults.

17 REFERENCES Warning Signs of Teen Mental Health Problems by Vincent Iannelli, M.D., _sign.htm Myths and Facts - University Health System, universityhealthsystem.com/myths-and-facts Parenting Teens: Why Does My Teen Seem So Irresponsible?, Dr. Michael Roizen, Why Teens Are Such Impulsive Risk Takers, Society for Neuroscience, November 8, 2007, Adolescent Mental Health in the United States: Facts for Policymakers, Susan Wile Schwarz, June 2009,