Author: VISIONS

Categories
Adolescence

How to Help Your Teen Make Friends

For most people, making friends in childhood is easy. Sometimes, it’s as simple as sharing or spending time together on the same swing. But as we get older, making and keeping friends can become harder.

For many teens, the jump into adolescence comes with a growing list of challenges, including new and frightening social dynamics, problems with self-acceptance, and insecurity. Other teens struggle to find the right friends and might be more likely to fall into the “wrong crowd”. If your teen has trouble opening up to people socially or personally or has been habitually shy from a young age, you might be tempted to try and help them make friends. 

The truth is that while you can help, your teen plays the most crucial role in finding the right people to hang out with. Changing what kind of people your teen hangs out with is difficult. Some research shows that teens tend to pick their peers based on their relationships with their parents – even in their “rebellious” phase, teens make friends based on who is around them, and environments are completely within a parent’s control.  

Suppose your teen enjoys playing video games and is more interested in the latest expansion of their favorite series but doesn’t care about music. In that case, it may be true that they’re less likely to hang out with anyone committed to band practice and theater. 

But don’t sell your teen short, either. Like adults, teens can like several things at once. And while they might be more inclined to assimilate into cliques and groups, teens nowadays are becoming more honest about what they enjoy outside their “core identities.” Sporty teens can discuss this year’s best manga or their love for tokusatsu shows. The popular influencer at your teen’s high school might listen to obscure music and blast a Soft Machine album from 1979. 

Encourage Their Interests and Hobbies

Interests are everything, especially in today’s modern subculture-based super culture. Cliques and communities are forming online and being reflected in real life. People communicate through “memes” and references and inside jokes fostered by content creators they collectively enjoy. 

While teens still pick their real-life friends based on who they’re growing up around, they’re getting to know people from around the world, exploring interests, and trying out new things all the time. 

While it might be tiresome to see your teen hop from one interest to the next, know that that is normal and part of growing up. You might have started trying to learn an instrument at one point, only to give up and get into gymnastics, then skating, or cross-country. Whatever your teen might be interested in, encourage their interests, and support them in local meetups for their hobbies. 

Allow Them to Hang Out with Others

The best way to make friends is to spend more time with people, not just at school or in controlled environments where you can watch what your teen is doing, but out and about. 

If your teen is worried about going out to spend time with others, encouraging them to give it a try can help. Not everyone is indeed a social butterfly, but there are gradients to introversion and extroversion, and most people fall somewhere in the middle.

Suppose your teen leans much harder into introversion, perhaps even to the degree of social anxiety. In that case, encouragement can be one step towards helping them overcome the initial hurdle of spending time around others. 

But if it’s a recurring problem that they struggle with every time they’re faced with the prospect of going out, you might need to consider an alternative approach, such as professional help. 

Ask Them to Go to Groups

If your teen is invited to a party, ask them if they can invite another friend to come with them. Parties are a great place to meet new people and hang out with peers – but they can also be dangerous occasionally in addition to being stressful for some teens. 

Parents know and accept this risk as part of growing up – we have to allow our teens some freedom as they grow up, so they can continue to mature as individuals – but proper safeguards are essential. Sending your teen out with a known, trusted friend can give both of you greater comfort and security. 

Encourage Them to Be True to Themselves

Sometimes, teens will gravitate towards popular trends to become more popular. This is fine and normal, but it might become a bit more of an issue when there’s a lot of money or long-term consequences at stake. For example, trying out a new fashion style for a week is one thing, but tattoos are rarely well thought-out. 

Talk to your teen if you see them reinvent themselves every two weeks. Sometimes, we need to experiment to figure out who we are. But sometimes, we know who we are and feel ashamed of it. If your teen is being bullied for their interests, knowing you’re in their corner and helping them find others with similar likes can help them feel more confident in their skin and style. 

Ask Them About Talking to a Therapist Together

Teenage shyness is a personality quality millions of people share. Some people develop better social skills as they grow older, more confident, and more secure. Others struggle with their identity for years to come. Others yet suffer not just from usual shyness but from serious anxiety. 

If your teen displays signs of anxiety disorders, such as agoraphobia or social anxiety disorder, then encouragement and support might not be enough. Talk to them about booking an appointment with a professional to help them discuss their worries, and find ways to cope. 

Categories
Depression

12 Common Teen Depression Symptoms

An estimated 2.9 million teens, or about 12 percent of adolescents, struggle with major depressive disorder or have had a significant depressive episode. Some organizations have called it a teen epidemic, although the issue of teen mental health is more pervasive – in fact, the WHO estimates that teen mental health rates are worsening all over the globe, despite growing awareness and investment in better mental health resources and availability. 

One of the major reasons teens struggle so much is that so few of them get the help they need. Only about 40 percent of adolescents who need mental health treatment for conditions like depression get it. Given that many teens still don’t want to broach the topic or don’t know how to address or identify their thoughts, for parents wanting the best for their children, one of their most important challenges is determining whether their teen is or isn’t affected by a mood disorder. 

In this article, you will discover the 12 common teen depression symptoms.

Identifying the Signs and Symptoms of Teen Depression

Recognizing teen depression by its symptoms is not always easy. Sometimes, parents can struggle to differentiate between a mental health episode and “normal” teen moodiness. 

But aside from a professional diagnosis, an important characteristic is time. Depression symptoms must persist for weeks, then months, for a teen’s mood to indicate a mental health problem. 

Being upset, anxious, or irritable is normal, especially under difficult personal circumstances. And for teens, many things qualify as difficult personal circumstances. 

However, depressive disorders occur and persist even under normal or happy circumstances. 

Moments of joy are fleeting, and many teens with depression will experience anhedonia (an inability to feel happy), lose interest in old hobbies, struggle to maintain relationships with friends, and give up on consistent hobbies for lack of motivation. Other classic signs of teen depression include:

    1. Overt or significant interest in death and the morbid.
      Teens with depression are more likely to be preoccupied with thoughts of death. A common thread of thinking is imagining or fantasizing about what it would be like for others after they die and whether they would be missed.
    2. Frequently discussing or joking about suicide.
      Suicidal ideation and suicide attempts are some of the most harrowing and severe symptoms of depression. There are often no warning signs for loved ones, and the urge can strike from anywhere for no reason. 
    3. Disinterested in old hobbies.
      Loss of joy is a major symptom of depression. This includes a loss of interest in old hobbies. 
    4. Struggling to be socially available.
      It can be hard for people with depression to continue cultivating and managing their relationships with others. They are likely to push people away. 
    5. Feeling constantly demotivated.
      This extends past work and school into everyday living. It can sometimes feel impossible to get out of bed, let alone take a shower or get into a fresh change of clothing. 
    6. Chronically tired or fatigued despite oversleeping.
      Depression comes with many physical signs, including general fatigue and tiredness. 
    7. Poor sleep hygiene and insomnia.
      Despite being chronically tired, many depressed teens struggle to sleep or maintain a healthy sleep cycle. 
    8. Signs of physical self-harm.
      These include hairpulling, cutting, excessive nail-biting, burning, or picking at scabs. 
    9. Language that implies self-hatred (self-deprecating jokes, constant negative affirmations, guilt, and regret).
    10. Much more likely to engage in risky behavior.
      This can range in anything from adrenaline-seeking behavior to illegal behavior, such as theft, speeding, or public sex. 
    11. Irritability and sudden outbursts from time to time.
      While teens with depression have a low mood, they can still get angry (or even experience laughter sometimes). In fact, they may be more likely to lash out at others and struggle to accept advice or affirmation. 
    12. Co-occurring mental health issues (especially anxiety, ADHD, or complex grief).

If your teen’s sadness persists for weeks, if not months, and attempts to cheer them up backfire or haven’t worked well, they may be going through more than just a temporary rough patch. 

Depression is also Physical

Long-term sadness is a classic sign of depression, but many parents and friends miss the physical signs that often co-occur. 

Depression can drastically impact a person’s sleep cycle, often leading to chronic oversleeping or undersleeping and insomnia. 

Rapid weight gain or weight loss is also common. Some teens react to symptoms of depression with eating binges, more snacks, less physical activity, or increased “boredom eating”. 

Others react physically to the stress through lowered appetite, rapid weight loss, and a disinterest in food in general. 

Pain is another common physical symptom of depression, especially random pain. Depression can be precipitated by or can include episodes of joint pain and stomach pain, even in teens, and often co-occurs with irritable bowel syndrome. 

For teens with other chronic health conditions – especially conditions that include chronic pain – depression can make symptoms worse, increase pain sensitivity, and slow treatment. 

Depression Has Terrible Bedfellows

While not a symptom, the majority of teens with major depressive disorder or similar mood disorders also struggle with at least one other mental health issue or are at a much greater risk for conditions such as generalized anxiety disorder or ADHD. 

Sometimes, it’s a chicken-or-egg situation, where it is hard to tell which condition came first or how they affected each other. Most mental health conditions can lead to an increased risk of depression and vice versa. 

While it’s common, this can also complicate treatment. Helping a teen solely via talk therapy and antidepressants might not help address their ongoing substance use addiction, for example, if they continue using it at home or school. Inpatient treatment at specialized mental health facilities can help teens with multiple mood disorders or co-occurring mental health issues. 

There Are Many Kinds of Teen Depression

Many teens struggle with major depressive disorder, which is often also referred to as clinical depression. But it is not the only depression teens are affected by. Another common mood disorder is bipolar disorder, which includes symptoms of depression alongside mania or hypomania. Where depression is chronically low mood, mania involves drastically and uncharacteristically high mood episodes alongside dangerous symptoms such as illusions of grandeur, boundless energy, greater risk taking behavior, and a greater risk of personal harm. Sometimes, teens with mania seem to never or barely sleep and might appear hyper-functioning, but to their own long-term detriment. 

Hypomanic symptoms are less severe and less likely to cause hospitalization but may still be significant or out-of-character. Teens with hypomania are also more likely to struggle with episodes of severe depression in between manic symptoms. 

Girls may struggle with premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Unlike major depression, which may have a number of confluent neurological, genetic, and social causes, the premenstrual dysphoric disorder is linked to hormonal changes during a teen’s menstrual cycle. While it is compared to PMS, symptoms are often much more severe and can include suicidal thoughts and self-harm. PMDD is also typically a lifelong condition. 

Another common form of teen depression is seasonal affective disorder. The most common type of seasonal affective disorder is winter depression, where teens start feeling symptoms of depression only around the winter months. Causes or factors are believed to include a lack of sunlight and an increase in holiday- and weather-related stressors. 

Teen depression is an incredibly common and very complex condition, with different contributing factors and co-occurring issues. Treating your teen’s depression (or your own) will take time, patience, and especially support. 

Categories
Mental Health

How Does Social Media Affect Teen Mental Health?

When the printing press made books available to the general public at an unprecedented rate, generations of children had their bad manners and poor habits blamed on time spent burrowed between pages rather than household chores. When television took over every household in the developed world, spoiled behavior and dropping grades were blamed on too much TV. Now, we live in the Internet and social media age – but does that mean it’s the same story, with different characters?

Not necessarily. While it’s true that smartphones and social media make a convenient scapegoat for the same generational gripes that have existed since the days of ancient Greece, we have more to go on these days than public opinion and the words of a famous philosopher. 

Teenagers are at risk of developing mental health issues due to mobile phone usage. In this article, we’re taking a closer look at one of the most common questions we hear from parents – does social media affect teen mental health?

How Does Social Media Affect Teen Mental Health?

Research shows us that there are more direct links between the long-term chronic use of social media and poorer teenage mental health – even when that research is being funded by companies that have a vested interest in the exact opposite findings. 

Yes, correlation is not the same thing as causation, and while it’s true that smartphones, likes, and retweets can elicit feelings of “addictive” joy through dopamine dumps, the same goes for any enjoyable activity – whether it’s reading a thriller novel, going to the movies, or sitting on the sidelines of a major sporting event. 

But there are a few unique things about social media that make it a serious concern for today’s youth and the youth of the near future. 

So, how does social media affect teen mental health?

Social Media and Self-Image

Social media refers to any platform that caters to a network of individuals and encourages people to connect to each other via online accounts. Most social media platforms encourage using real names, locations, and personal details, and very few ask users to stay anonymous for their safety. 

Social media is unlike anything we’ve seen before. It is constant. It is pervasive. And for billions of people worldwide, it plays a significant role in their daily lives. 

Social media is more than radio or television – it is a second life, a life on the internet, or a lens through which others can voyeuristically view your real life in bite-sized, curated, unfiltered, raw moments screencaps. It affects a person’s self-worth and self-image, especially among adolescents. 

Nevertheless, many teens are smart enough not to post everything online. Instead, they take a number of different approaches to online social networking. 

  1. The first is the typical curated account. This is more of a social portfolio – a look into a version of themselves that teens carefully cultivate and edit to evoke a certain aesthetic, appeal to a certain group of peers or fit into a clique. These accounts are, for all intents and purposes, networking tools. 
  2. The second is the private account or the finsta. Sometimes these second accounts are secret and reserved for close friends or an inner circle. They’re like a digitally-hosted communal album experience – one part of a larger social collage created by a group of friends. 
  3. The third is the anonymous account. This could be a meme page, a gimmick account, or any other anonymous account created for posting jokes, sharing content, or creating a community online. 

Regardless of what kind of account a teen runs – and teens often have multiple accounts on the same platform for this very reason – these accounts can change a teen’s self-image for better or worse.

A curated profile can help teens boost their self-confidence by choosing how they present themselves to the world around them. But this has the downside of causing teens to prefer the “filtered” version of themselves while perhaps resenting how they really see themselves. 

For teens with existing mental health issues, the dangers of putting oneself “on display,” even if it’s a curated digital analog, can be myriad. 

Social Media and the Erosion of Privacy

Even while curating the content, they create, teens keep less and less of themselves to themselves nowadays. There is an expectation of candid honesty, a societal pressure between teens and influencers to present a “day in the life of” for every teen who wishes to be accepted, let alone popular.

Teens growing up in a post-Patriot Act would have a very different expectation of privacy, to begin with. Still, Internet culture’s shift away from anonymous posters to constant, infinite interconnectivity and online social influence has built a culture of oversharing. 

Even ten years ago, surveys showed that as many as 77 percent of teens were at risk for identity theft due to the amount of information they published about themselves. Ten years is a long time in the Internet age, and things have only worsened. 

Whether it’s public chatrooms, daily TikTok posts, or hourly Tweets about college life, teens are leaving more and more of themselves for the rest of the world to watch and participate in – not just ephemerally but as a permanent record. We’ve already seen real-life examples of people suffering career consequences for the thoughtless ramblings they had as teens on Facebook and Twitter. 

Not only are the consequences of a lack of privacy immense, but they can carry a mental toll. More and more teens are victims of cyberbullying and place great weight and importance on their popularity on social media platforms. Some of the other long-term mental health consequences of social media overuse include: 

Is Social Media Bad For Teens?

Some research points directly at social media as a potential cause for teen ills. Other research is inconclusive. If we want to draw our own conclusions, we can pick social media – especially the overuse of social media – as a scapegoat for teen problems. 

But social media is often just one part of a bigger problem. 

Teens today are growing up in a world still shaken by a global pandemic, facing the looming threat of global warming and other societal issues. In addition to these pressures, teens still worry mostly about the same things as ever, such as whether their crush likes them, getting good grades, making their parents proud, and picking the right career path. 

Teens spend a lot of time in front of their screens. But they also smoke less, drink less, do fewer drugs, and have sex at a later age. While many teens struggle with adulthood, that’s nothing new – and millions upon millions of American teens continue to enter the workforce every year. 

Social media has a definite negative impact on many teens, especially those already susceptible to self-image issues and depression. 

It can make them feel like they aren’t living up to the fake standards set by their peers or by popular influencers, the same way fashion magazines and advertisements have made women feel self-conscious about their weight for decades. 

Excessive screen time among teens is also linked to poorer sleep, less than recommended physical activity levels, and a worse mental state.  

But social media can have its benefits. It allows friends to stay friends across state lines and even national borders. It gives teens access to greater information, provided they are taught to be media literate. And regardless of whether parents agree with it, social media is a crucial part of social life in the modern world. It can become actively harder to interact, network, and communicate with your peers without an account on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.  

Rather than taking your teen off the internet, help them navigate it more safely, with respect to their own privacy and with respect to the dangers of being excessively online. 

Categories
Mental Health

Top 7 Teen Mental Health Issues

Are you worried about your child experiencing one of the more common teen mental health issues?

For many adults, being a teen again might feel like a blessing. Chances are you might not have had to worry about filing your tax returns, paying your bills, or managing a business as a teenager. Teens are less likely to feel a stiff back in the morning or suffer from bad knees. Meanwhile, teens have much to look forward to in life – from their first real romance to starting college, or forging through a career path from scratch. 

But adolescence is far from a walk in the park, especially today. Teens live in an increasingly digitalized and isolated world, one that perhaps expects more from them than it did from previous generations. And while teens lead safer lives than their parents did, they are also less prepared for adulthood. How can parents help their teens work their way through the struggles of adolescence, especially with mental health issues? 

For starters, it’s important to sit down and listen. It may have been a while since you were last a teen and knowing more about where your teen is coming from can help you find the right words to guide them. 

In this article, you will discover the top seven teen mental health issues.

Teen Mental Health Issues

While teens today seem more anxious and depressed, it’s also important to remember that our understanding of mental health has changed dramatically over the last few decades. While some of it remains, the stigma around mental health problems has lessened, and teens are more likely to come forward. In other words, teens today are not just inherently more stressed than previous generations; they are also more likely to willingly identify their maladies.

If you think your teen might be struggling mentally, better understanding what they might be going through can help you both. Talk to a professional today about teen mental health, and the signs you should be looking out for.

As a parent, you worry about your teenage child and want to ensure they’re okay. Here are the top seven teen mental health issues.

Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are an unfortunately common adolescent mental health problem and one that is statistically devastating. 

More so than nearly any other mental health condition, eating disorders can often be fatal. They include the urge towards starvation, as well as unhealthy binges, and the consumption of non-edible and even dangerous objects. Bulimia and Anorexia stem from issues with self-esteem and self-image, especially body dysmorphia. Other times, eating disorders can result from trauma or childhood abuse and chronic depression. 

Some people are predisposed to having problems with eating disorders. Suppose your family has a history of eating disorders like binge eating, bulimia nervosa, or anorexia nervosa. In that case, your teen might be at an increased risk of developing an eating disorder throughout adolescence.

Substance Use Disorders

Substance use disorders will often co-occur in teens alongside other mental health issues. Teens with an anxiety disorder or a mood disorder are more likely to start drinking early, and more likely to use illicit drugs. Furthermore, teens with untreated ADHD are more likely to use drugs, and struggle with addiction. 

Substance use disorder is both a physical illness and a mental health issue. A holistic treatment approach is needed to help teens recover from the neurological and physical effects of long-term drug use, and develop the necessary coping skills and psychological framework to avoid relapses in the future. 

Signs of drug use in teens depend on the type of substances they use. Some teens use prescription medication, such as anti-anxiety medications, as a party drug. Others use medications such as Ritalin to focus for a test, despite not having ADHD. And while teens are not legally allowed to drink, about 24 percent of teens aged 14 to 15 admit to alcohol use. Research tells us that the earlier someone starts drinking alcohol regularly, the more likely they are to struggle with alcoholism in adulthood. 

If your teen is struggling with a different mental health issue, they are generally more susceptible to the addictive effects of illicit drugs. Whereas mental health therapies work to improve a teen’s symptoms over long periods of time, certain drugs offer an immediate mood boost. While most teens are aware that these drugs can carry lifelong risks, they often lack the mental faculties to fully acknowledge or appreciate what that risk looks like. 

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder is one of the most common neurodevelopmental conditions in childhood and adolescence and can also be considered a mental health disorder. 

Teenagers with ADHD have brains that develop differently from their peers and require support in matters such as learning, task management, executive functioning, and motivation. They are more likely to struggle with drug use if their ADHD is left unaddressed and are more likely to develop other concurrent mental health issues over time, such as generalized anxiety, panic attacks, or major depressive disorder. 

Managing ADHD through behavioral therapy and individualized medication protocols can help teens function on par with their peers and develop the self-sufficiency needed for adulthood. 

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, is a common anxiety disorder that usually begins in adolescence and continues throughout adulthood. Teenagers with OCD may begin with mild symptoms that get worse with age. 

OCD comes in different forms and can have varying degrees of severity. Classic examples include excessive cleaning or counting rituals, but other people with OCD develop strange habits and tics to combat and address intrusive thoughts about religion, sexual orientation, or even unwanted violent fantasies. 

It is estimated that about 90 percent of people with OCD have at least one other mental health problem, often exacerbating the condition. Concurrent treatment is important – addressing not one, but all of a teen’s mental and physical health concerns, and the way they interact with each other. 

Conduct Disorders

Some teens are unruly. Some teens are especially argumentative, and most teens will defy authority in one way or another. But a conduct disorder goes above and beyond expected teen behavior. 

If your teen is routinely combative, and even outright dangerous, they may be struggling with impulse control. Conduct disorders are most common in children and teens, and involve patterns of property destruction, theft, physical violence, or pathological lying. Many conduct disorders are closely related to personality disorders. 

Mood Disorders

Mood disorders are the second most common type of mental health problems in the world. Mood disorders include conditions such as major depressive disorder, dysthymia, and bipolar disorder. Not all mood disorders are related by cause. Some are linked largely to hormonal changes, while others are linked to a change in local environments or stress. Some are linked to seasonal changes – winter depression, or seasonal affective disorder, may even be exacerbated by a lack of sunlight. 

Mood disorders affect roughly 14 percent of teens in the US. Not all treatments are the same, either – while modern antidepressants often play a large role in successful treatment, therapy is just as important, and incredibly varied. In addition to talk therapy, mood disorders may be addressed through neurofeedback, nerve stimulation, and rTMS treatments. 

Anxiety Disorders

While depression is often the de facto mental health concern for parents and educators, anxiety disorders are the worlds most common mental health problem. An estimated 19 percent of adults and 32 percent of adolescents have some form of anxiety disorder. Among teens with identified anxiety disorders, over 8 percent struggled with severe life-changing impairment. 

Anxiety disorders range wildly from rarer conditions like obsessive-compulsive disorder to specific phobias, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. While medication may be used in treatment, therapy is key. Long-term behavioral and cognitive therapy can help teens improve their symptoms, especially if their condition does not cause severe impairment. 

How Can I Help My Teen?

Helping a teen manage their mental health without the framework of professional treatment is not a good idea. 

There are many things a family can do to help improve some of their teen’s symptoms – implementing certain changes, such as more time spent together on the weekends, a better diet at home, setting better boundaries, and improving communication between family members are some universal pieces of advice. But they do not come close to addressing some of the inherent issues that a teen with a mental health disorder may be facing. 

Talk to a therapist about individual and family therapy, and find out how you can specifically help your teen throughout their treatment. 

Categories
Substance Abuse

How Can a Transitional Living Center Help Teens?

Transitional living centers have offered an established service for teens and society at large since the 1970s and 1980s, as programs and clinics centered around promoting self-sufficiency and helping teens from all walks of life, whether through indigency or great wealth, find the means to transition into living independently. 

Today, many transitional living centers have moved on to help teens who have recently been in treatment for mental health issues, often through the services of a psychiatric hospital or a residential treatment facility for substance use. These transitional living programs aim to bridge the gap between treatment and day-to-day living, offering the resources and tools teens need to return to school, return to their neighborhoods, reintegrate socially, and continue to seek care for their ongoing mental health concerns while leading normal lives. 

It’s not all on the teen. Transitional living centers often involve family members and peers to help create a support network for teens returning from treatment, and to emphasize that, most of the time, it really does take a village. 

How Does a Transitional Living Center Help Teens?

Transitional living centers offer an additional recovery program for teens who have recently gone through an inpatient treatment program, at a residential facility or psychiatric hospital. Common cases where a teen might need residential or inpatient care include severe episodes of depression or psychosis, self-harm, hospitalization, or recurring illicit drug use. 

The idea behind a transitional living center began with the need to address the country’s growing problem of teenage runaways, and a growing homeless population. Today, transitional living centers often dedicate their resources to helping teens who feel lost after treatment, or for whom the switch back to day-to-day living from one day to the next might be too jarring. 

Many residential treatment facilities, such as our Visions Treatment Centers, offer transitional living programs for teen patients who wish to receive additional care or require a transitional living program for the framework it provides.

Transitional living centers are not exclusive to teens in rehab. They help teens by:

  • Creating a temporary safety net. 
  • Providing an emotional and psychiatric framework for self-improvement and healthier coping mechanisms. 
  • Establishing and strengthening a teen’s bonds with their community through friends and, if relevant, family. 
  • Coordinating with maternity group homes, support groups, young adult communities, and other elements of the community to help teens transition away from homelessness. 
  • Provide the means to develop basic life skills, improve interpersonal skills, and help teens with important executive functioning, such as day planning, job-seeking, budgeting, navigating financial systems, and developing emergency plans. 

While residential or inpatient treatment facilities offer many transitional living programs, others are offered through separate transitional living clinics. These clinics often receive teens from residential treatment facilities, however. 

What Do Teens Do at a Transitional Living Center?

Transitional living centers differ in their services and structure of their programs. While the gist of any transitional living center’s programming is the same, different facilities utilize different methods, seek different forms of accreditation, and hold themselves to different standards. When seeking a transitional living center for your teen, it is important to look for teen testimonials and reputation. 

Some transitional living centers limit how long a teen can stay. Others allow teens to stay for as long as they need. Some of the basic elements of a transitional living program include: 

  • Medication management.
  • Ongoing direct therapy and group therapy.
  • Continuing education through an accredited program, often with accelerated learning.
  • College planning and ACT/SAT preparation.
  • Ensuring the continuum of care past the transitional living center via local support groups, mental health resources, and other forms of community help.
  • Continued experiential treatments for teens who require special therapies.
  • Helping teens continue to develop their coping skills to manage with life’s oncoming daily stressors.
  • A low teen-to-staff ratio to ensure that teens are safe and supervised within the center and receive the care they need.
  • And more.

Is a Transitional Living Center a Halfway House?

While a transitional living center is often analogous to a halfway house, many transitional living centers move away from being seen as halfway houses as a means to emphasize that they provide a more in-depth service. The main difference between most halfway houses and transitional living centers is the ratio of patients to staff, and the time staff can give to any given patient between the two types of facilities. 

Another term used for transitional living programs is extended care. Some residential treatment facilities provide extended care services or an extended care program as an in-between step, between inpatient treatment and being independent, or at least leading a normal life at home again.  

What Should Parents Expect from a Transitional Living Center?

Transitional living centers are places where teens can begin to acclimate themselves to a daily routine, the responsibilities of young adulthood, and some of the many skills they might need as they begin to achieve independence. 

But that does not mean that a teen will leave a transitional living center as a fully accomplished and self-sufficient adult. Teens who go through transitional living programs are still teens who were recently in long-term inpatient treatment and who suffered from mental health issues that led to this situation. They need support, they need patience, and they need compassion. Parents should expect to see their child more often but should also consider communicating with a professional to ensure they know what they should prepare for at home and to better understand their teen’s progress through therapy, treatment, and transitional living. 

When Does a Transitional Living Center Become Relevant for Teens?

You or a loved one should consider a transitional living center or program if you have recently been in training for a severe psychiatric health issue or long-term history of a substance use disorder and need help readjusting to life outside of treatment without the rigidity and structure of a mental health facility or a residential treatment facility. 

Categories
Therapy

6 Therapy Questions for Teens and Their Parents to Ask

Talk therapy can be a tremendously powerful tool. But it can also be tantamount to trying to lead a conversation with a brick wall. It’s not just about the therapist and their skills. Therapy must be consensual and requires effort on every participant’s behalf. Therapy is often likened to a two-way street. Still, in many cases, it’s more like an intersection between multiple different parties, each taking an interest in self-improvement and mental health. 

Teens seeking treatment – whether through their family or on their own – will always continue to receive the most influence from their parents and the rest of their community, whether it’s their friends and peers or those they admire from afar. Parents are encouraged to be involved in their teen’s treatment, even if that means trying out family therapy together. 

If you’re unsure about seeking treatment alongside your child, it might help to clarify your concerns with your teen’s therapist and learn more about how their techniques might help you as well. Understanding how family therapy and other forms of group therapy can play a large role in treating your teen and improving their symptoms can also help. 

Here are six therapy questions for teens and their parents to ask.

1. Is Therapy Effective for Teens?

Talk therapy is an evidence-based and proven treatment for many mental health issues among children, teenagers, and adults alike. It is often a first-line treatment for cases of depression and anxiety disorders, as well as conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, complicated grief, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. 

But that is not to say that therapy is a panacea for mental health issues, that it always works, that it works the same for everyone, or that it is even the best option in every case. Like any other form of prescribed treatment, talk therapy has its risks, its issues, and its shortcomings – some of which are impossible to foresee. 

Some teens might not respond well to therapy and are less inclined to work with a therapist. Some conditions are especially difficult to treat with therapy alone, such as conditions with symptoms of psychosis or certain personality disorders. 

If you or your teen are considering therapy, or if a professional has recommended therapy to you, it might be a good idea to ask them more specifically: what can therapy do for me and my child? How can talk therapy or any other form of psychotherapy address the issues my teen has been experiencing? 

2. How Long Will Therapy Last?

If you have never been to therapy before, you may want to find out what it means to be in treatment. How long do sessions typically last? How long does a therapist treat a single patient? Are there specific signs of remission for certain mental health issues, such as those your teen is diagnosed with? How do insurance companies handle treatments like therapy if they go on for longer than a few weeks? How are payments and compensation handled? 

Practical questions regarding the length and extent of your teen’s treatment – with or without your involvement – are important. 

But so is an understanding of what your teen’s prognosis might be. Certain mental health conditions are chronic or can develop into a lifelong conditions. 

For example, a teen diagnosed with PMDD may be able to manage their symptoms through medication and therapy but may need to keep at it – both through medication and through behavioral modification, lifestyle changes, and so on – until menopause. Teens with ADHD may grow out of it, but not all do. Many adults continue to require medication such as Ritalin to focus on work and perform basic duties at home. 

Your therapist may not be able to give you a concrete idea of how long your teen might be in treatment, especially if they have just gotten started. But in some cases, they can give you an idea of how long it took patients with similar cases to start feeling better or see an improvement in their symptoms. 

3. What Kind of Therapy Will My Teen Be Treated With?

We’ve pointed it out earlier – talk therapy comes in different shapes and forms. While a lot of it is about conversation, there are different forms of therapy that may be more successful for some patients than others. Some therapists specialize in hypnosis. 

Others utilize techniques such as EMDR or trainspotting to improve a patient’s symptoms. Some conditions respond better to exposure therapy than cognitive-behavioral therapy. Some personality disorders respond best to dialectical behavior therapy. 

In some cases, animal-assisted therapy can help teens who struggle with anxiety begin to make headway in their treatment with the calming effect of an animal companion present or during the care of an animal such as a horse. 

4. Do You Do Teletherapy?

There may be days when making treatment is not feasible. Or circumstances prevent you and your teen from regularly attending treatment at a pace that would be practical. In these cases, a therapist might recommend teletherapy.

Teletherapy has been shown to be just as effective as face-to-face therapy, with the added benefit of giving patients who might not feel comfortable talking in person or do not have the means to visit a therapist regularly to seek therapy, nonetheless. 

5. What Can I Do to Help?

Therapists often encourage parents to be involved in their teen’s treatment. If you aren’t sure how to do so, a therapist is a perfect person to ask. 

They may ask you to attend one of your teen’s sessions, schedule a family therapy session to delve deeper into your teen’s relationship with you or provide tips on how you can positively contribute to your teen’s mental health and help manage your own stressors in the meantime. 

6. What Will Happen After Therapy?

A person may be in therapy consistently for weeks, months, or years at a time. They may be in therapy for a few months, then return years later when issues arise. Most mental health professionals do not see therapy as a cure but as a management tool – a training system to help patients better understand and contend with their mental health issues and affect their mood and behavior through conscious effort and the support of their loved ones. 

It takes time for therapy to work, like any other treatment. Be patient, and find a therapist you enjoy working with – one that you and your teen trust and like. 

Categories
Mental Health Therapy Treatment

Therapy for Teens: What Parents Should Know

Are you curious about mental health therapy for teens but scared of the stigma?

Well, here’s a damning fact: we are well into the 21st century, with decades of progress in psychiatric medicine, and nearly half of the American workforce still believes that seeking therapy is a sign of weakness.

Research tells us that psychotherapy – a set of guided conversations and exercises between a trained professional and a client/patient – is one of the most effective forms of treatment for the majority of mental health issues that we face. Yet despite growing rates of depression, anxiety, and psychosis, most people either do not get the help they need or do not seek it out, to begin with.

We must do better, especially for our children. The attitudes we take on regarding health, both mental and physical, often reflect in our offspring. The fact is that despite the fear of peer pressure, teens are overwhelmingly influenced by their parents and rely on their parents to be positive role models. Furthermore, teens are struggling.

Rates for anxiety and depression are higher than ever as awareness around mental health issues continues to soar. Yet instead of seeking treatment, many teens with mental health issues become susceptible to other, more maladaptive forms of coping. They may develop self-esteem issues and eating disorders, struggle with substance use, or fall into an online rabbit hole of scams or even hate speech marketed as a form of “self-improvement.”

Many teenagers need help, and therapy for teens can be one of these forms of help. Here’s what parents should know.

Does Therapy for Teens Work?

Yes. There is ample research specifically on the topics of adolescent mental healthcare and the efficacy of talk therapy protocols as treatment modalities for teen patients. Therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy see as much success in teens as they do in adults, in addition to specialized forms of therapy applied to various diagnoses, such as EMDR, exposure therapy, and psychodynamic therapy.

One particular type of therapy that may be more effective for adolescent patients is family therapy. There are different forms of family therapy, but each focuses on addressing issues within a family unit or even a small subsection of a community, rather than focusing solely on an individual.

Family therapy programs center around the idea that treating a patient’s symptoms in isolation is not enough when the root cause or major contributing factors to their condition are still present at home. Family therapy can help parents and other relatives better understand their loved one’s condition, discover interpersonal issues that may be contributing to their mental malady, and improve communication skills between teens and parents alike.

Therapists understand that parents play a vital role in a teen’s therapeutic process. Individual therapy sessions can help teens immensely, but it’s the parent who has the most influence and plays the greatest role in a teen’s behavioral and mental development. Family therapy helps explore this dynamic and utilize it in the best interests of the teen and parents alike.

Does Your Teen Need a Diagnosis to Go to Therapy?

One of the most common misconceptions about therapy is that it is only needed when prescribed by a professional. Although a formal psychological evaluation can help and therapeutic services are more likely to be covered by certain insurance policies if you receive a referral from a professional first, it’s also important to note that you don’t need to wait for a problem to be diagnosed before you can decide to seek someone to talk to, whether you’re an adult or a teen.

Everyone who thinks they might benefit from therapy should ultimately go to therapy. A therapist can help you improve your focus and productivity, address emotional problems at their root, figure out why you struggle with intimacy or have other common relationship issues, and can help you identify and replace maladaptive coping skills with healthier methods of coping regardless of your lack of a specific diagnosis or mental health issue.

Should you feel the need to visit a therapist every time you feel upset or anxious? If it helps you feel better, yes.

On the other hand, there are also circumstances under which a therapist’s help is more than just optional but a necessary part of a long-term recovery and treatment process.

When Should a Teen Go to Therapy?

Teens may get a referral from a mental health professional (a psychiatrist or psychologist) or their primary care physician if they struggle with the following:

Behavioral Problems

These include a wide range of behaviors that may involve acting out aggressively towards others, or showing signs of unprompted rage, extreme narcissism or disregard for others (seeming lack of empathy and compassion), recurring relationship problems, and even recurring legal issues (frequently vandalizing, getting caught stealing, drunk driving or speeding, exhibitionism, substance use, and so on).

Recurring Sadness

Sadness and depression are two very different things, and it’s important for parents to be able to tell the difference. Sadness comes and goes, but depression lingers for weeks at a time, seeping into everything a teen does to the point that they struggle with things they used to excel at or have an easy time with and no longer feel any interest in old hobbies or activities they used to enjoy.

Depression can be brought on by anything or by nothing at all. Some teens begin to struggle with symptoms of depression after a triggering event, such as a breakup or the loss of a loved one. Others may develop depression over time without a clear origin or cause. Not talking about it makes it worse.

Insurmountable Anxiety

Some teens are naturally more anxious than others. But an anxiety disorder can be debilitating, affecting a teen’s personal life, academic life, and future career.

Anxiety disorder symptoms can be manageable at times, but without structure or positive coping mechanisms, teens can fall into maladaptive coping habits and develop other comorbid problems. If your teen is frequently struggling with doubt, fear, and low self-esteem, they may be facing daily anxious thoughts and have no way of dealing with them.

Get Therapy for Teens at Visions Treatment Centers

Therapy for teens can go a long way towards helping a teen understand why they might feel the way they sometimes do and can help them develop the tools they need to combat negative thoughts and emotions, improve their behavior, and lead a more fulfilling life. Support your teen in getting the help they might need.

For more information about therapy for teens and teen mental health services, contact Visions Treatment Centers.

Categories
Marijuana Parenting

Is CBD for Teens Safe?

We’ve all heard of CBD, which has grown quite popular amongst adults. But what is it? Is CBD for teens safe? And how is it different from marijuana substance use?

While only one CBD product is medically prescribed under very few circumstances – two rare forms of childhood epilepsy called Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome – they have seen a multitude of off-label uses over the last few years, and CBD products have hit the shelves advertising a vast number of potential benefits, from performance-enhancement to soothing anxiety, improving mood, and even managing symptoms of autism.

What is Cannabidiol (CBD)?

At its core, CBD (cannabidiol) is a hemp- or marijuana-derived cannabinoid. Cannabinoids are a class of substances that bind to cannabinoid receptors in the brain, sharing a similar chemical makeup to some of our own neurotransmitters. Cannabinoid receptors are a feature of the nervous system in most animals.

As a result, cannabinoids can affect the brain – and body – in different ways. Unlike other similar plant-derived compounds such as opium, cocaine, or even caffeine, CBD is not considered “psychoactive,” meaning it does not cause an altered state of mind or induce a sense of euphoria.

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)

THC, another cannabinoid, is responsible for the “high” that marijuana use induces. Some hemp plants are also primarily designed and genetically altered to reduce or eliminate the production of THC while retaining CBD. When CBD is extracted from a low-THC plant, it may still contain traces of THC. This is primarily the difference between isolate CBD (separated from other phytocannabinoids) and full-spectrum CBD (potential for low amounts of THC).

CBD in Foods and Supplements

Marketing CBD in a supplement or foodstuff is still illegal in the United States. Nevertheless, CBD products are becoming popular, especially online. Because the supplement market is not regulated as strictly as the pharmaceutical market, the only truly isolated CBD product is prescribed CBD or Epidiolex.

Other sources of CBD may be marketed as virtually THC-free on the Internet, but you would need to check with a lab to verify this.

Prescription CBD for Children

As a prescription drug, CBD’s current FDA-approved usage is primarily for children.

But that does not mean CBD for teens or adults is safe to use under most circumstances, especially because many CBD products retain the risk of containing low amounts of THC. But is that even a danger in and of itself? Here’s what we know.

How Does CBD Affect Teens?

In its purest form, CBD is a compound that interacts with similar receptors in the brain as THC, albeit very differently. While more research is being funded on the topic, the exact mechanism of action for CBD’s neurological effects is still unknown. Furthermore, the quality of the research behind CBD is often poor or leads to inconclusive results.

Some studies indicate that using CBD for teens with autism has a positive effect on reducing symptoms of anxiety, improving behavior and calmness, and dealing with symptoms of psychosis in individuals with schizophrenia.

FDA and Off-Label Use

But while FDA approval was reached for the use of CBD for rare forms of epilepsy, the FDA does not recommend any other off-label use for the drug, and there isn’t enough concrete evidence to support the idea that the use of CBD is beneficial in any significant way. Marketing hype, internet influencers, and online anecdotes remain the core of what drives CBD’s popularity.

Medical Supervision and CBD

That may not be enough to completely dismiss CBD’s usage for some. If you are interested in trying CBD yourself or as a potential anti-anxiety alternative for a loved one, it is important to try it under the supervision of a trusted physician.

In addition to helping you locate a higher-quality source of isolated CBD, a medical professional would also be able to guide you on dosage and advise against the use of CBD in conjunction with competing medication due to potential liver toxicity. Contraindicative medication aside, however, the side effects and short-term risks of CBD use are low.

On the other hand, the long-term risks of CBD for teens and adults remain unknown.

How is CBD Sold?

Outside of prescription medication, CBD is mostly sold in the form of an additive to baked goods and beverages or in the form of oil, candy, or transdermal patches.

CBD in foodstuff can be dangerous because it is virtually impossible to tell how much you are receiving in any given portion, and because CBD partially reconverts to THC under high heat.

Oil capsules, gummies, and transdermal patches provide a more accurate dosage, with patches providing the most consistent long-term delivery via the skin. However, the efficacy of any given CBD product lies entirely in how accurate the dosage is and the quality of the CBD, down to the level to which it is isolated from THC and other cannabinoids. Without proper regulation, you are left to make a choice on your own judgment.

Is CBD for Teens as Dangerous as Marijuana?

To use a different example – cocaine is a highly addictive, highly dangerous, and illegal drug. Most people know that cocaine is dangerous, and it has developed a deserved reputation as a party drug.

Did you also know that cocaine is primarily derived from a plant? And that millions of people consume part of this plant every day? To this day, decocainized coca plants continue to play an elemental role in the production of one of the world’s most popular products: Coca-Cola.

While Coca-Cola would famously contain a few grams of cocaine per bottle in years past, the modern-day incarnation of the drink still contains an extract from the same plant that cocaine is made from.

Without its addictive alkaline, the coca leaf is not dangerous. Nevertheless, decocainized coca leaf extract production is highly regulated, and only one company in the world supplies the multinational Coca-Cola company with the ingredient it uses in its soda. The other crucial ingredient is the kola nut, which provides the drink with its only psychoactive compound: caffeine.

Similarly, research shows that hemp has its benefits once you eliminate the psychoactive THC.

But is it also harmless? Truth be told, the jury is still out on that subject.

Marijuana is Still Illegal

Marijuana continues to be a federally scheduled drug, and it is still illegal in most parts of the United States and has been since 1970. This means that while much progress has been made in researching THC and CBD in recent years, it’s still difficult to secure funding for proper studies, which means there is a lot we don’t know about the long-term uses of marijuana-based products, especially cannabinoids like CBD.

While a decocainized coca leaf no longer carries any cocaine, cannabinoids like CBD do interact with the brain, mimicking some of our own neurotransmitters, which is why it sees potential as an anti-anxiety and anti-epileptic compound.

Do Your Research

At the end of the day, teens and parents alike should beware that CBD research is still relatively in its infancy, and off-label uses for CBD – whether to treat anxiety, autism, or acne – should be seen as early evidence at best rather than concrete proof. More time is needed to learn about CBD’s potential, its mechanism of action, as well as its side effects – especially in younger teens.

If you have questions about CBD for teens, always reach out to a trusted medical professional.

For more information about teen mental health disorders, visit Visions Treatment Centers.

Categories
Depression Feelings Mental Health

How Does Depression Affect Teens?

How does depression affect teens? What does teen depression look like? When exactly is it depression? And when is it moodiness?

While being a teen can be tough, there are a few telltale characteristics that set depression apart from typical teenage angst. Both teens and parents should keep an eye on these characteristics and how they might affect their loved ones and closest friends.

How Does Depression Affect Teens?

So, how does depression affect teens? And what does it look like?

At first glance, depressive symptoms match closely with teenage despair. Depressed teens can be irritable, difficult, might be less likely to respond to being called, and will hole up in their rooms for hours, if not days, at a time. Concerned parents might have a tough time telling a depressive episode apart from a bad breakup.

But one key aspect of depression is time. Depressive symptoms don’t show up for a few days or a week, then disappear. Your teen may take months to get over a breakup, but they aren’t going to be spending those months at the bottom of an endless emotional pit – they may hit the bottom at some point, then slowly, steadily climb out of it.

Depression, on the other hand, shackles you to the seafloor and doesn’t let you go for weeks, months, and sometimes even years.

Signs of Depression in Teens

Some people diagnosed with a depressive disorder will bear the brunt of the condition for a few weeks at a time, then experience a lull in symptoms before it comes back in full force. Others experience a lower intensity of depression symptoms but at every waking moment. Depressive symptoms can come and go at any point, with no warning and no clear cause. They may include:

  • Deep sorrow, feelings of worthlessness, or guilt for no reason.
  • Extremely low self-esteem or active self-loathing/deprecation.
  • A loss of interest in old hobbies and activities.
  • A significant change in diet and appetite (dramatic weight gain or dramatic weight loss).
  • Restlessness and insomnia/oversleeping, poor sleep habits.
  • Sluggishness and fatigue that won’t go away with rest.
  • Total loss of motivation, struggle to get up, difficulty with routine (poorer physical hygiene).
  • Recurring suicidal thoughts or attempts, self-harm, extreme risk-taking, growing pessimism, and cynicism.
  • Unexplained aches and pains and episodes of nausea.

If your teen is upset over something, it may be part of their depression, or it may be a normal teen reaction to an upsetting event. Telling these two apart requires open communication and a willingness to regularly check in with your teen to keep track of their moods and realize when something seems off.

How Is Teen Depression Diagnosed?

Depression comes in many forms. These are called mood disorders, and they include most mental health conditions that center around extraordinarily low or extraordinarily high moods (symptoms of depression and symptoms of mania). Common depressive disorders include:

  • Major depressive disorder: this is the most commonly diagnosed depressive disorder and is often known as clinical depression.
  • Dysthymia: this is a long-term or chronic form of depression, usually involving milder symptoms.
  • Bipolar disorder: this mood disorder shares symptoms of depression as well as mania or hypomania.
  • Premenstrual dysphoric disorder: this form of severe depression is a debilitating form of PMS. Symptoms occur within the first week of every period and often get worse with age until menopause.
  • Postpartum depression: postpartum depression or peripartum depression is diagnosed before and/or after labor and childbirth.
  • Seasonal affective disorder: this form of depression is distinctly tied to a change in seasons, usually from autumn into winter. However, some teens also experience summer-type seasonal affective disorder.

Diagnostic Criteria for Depression

Different depressive disorders have different diagnostic criteria. If a doctor suspects a patient is depressed (during a routine screening, for example), they may be referred to a psychiatric professional for a full diagnosis.

While conditions like depression are not usually diagnosed through blood tests or imaging scans (with unique exceptions) like many other medical conditions, there are certain tests that doctors can conduct to determine whether a teen requires psychological treatment. These tests include one-on-one conversations, a thorough medical and family background, and an observation of a teen’s symptoms and behavior over multiple weeks.

Conditions like major depressive disorder can be identified in about 8.4 percent of the population. But while this particular form of depression is more common than others, it’s also important to note that there are many conditions that are harder to identify or that might be misdiagnosed as a different or more common form of depression. Some mental health conditions might share a few symptoms with depression but have a very different cause or psychological mechanism of action and require a completely different type of treatment.

Depression and Related Disorders

Depressive symptoms may be part of a different diagnosis, or a diagnosis of depression may be one of multiple disorders a teen is struggling with. Teens with depression are much more likely than their peers to also struggle with the following:

Don’t count out the possibility of depression just because your teen may exhibit signs of a different mental health problem. In many cases, these disorders are intertwined, sharing certain risk factors or causes, and contributing to each other in different ways. For example, a teen struggling with addiction may be more likely to suffer from bouts of anxiety or depression as they go through recovery and rehab.

How is Teen Depression Treated?

If your teen is diagnosed with a depressive disorder, their first-line treatment plan may often involve one-on-one talk therapy and modern antidepressants. These are the most effective and most commonly prescribed treatment methods for conditions like major depressive disorder.

Certain other disorders may involve different treatments – such as mood stabilizers for bipolar disorder or birth control for premenstrual dysphoric disorder. If first-line treatments fail, a doctor may prescribe alternative treatment plans. This is where psychiatric facilities, outpatient clinics, and residential facilities for teens can help, especially if comorbid health conditions or a serious risk of personal harm are involved.

For more information about treatment for teen depression, contact Visions Treatment Centers.

Categories
Adolescence Mental Health Wellness

7 New Years Goals for Teens

New years goals for teens and adults can vary, simply due to different stages of life. For some, a new years resolution centers around weight lost, picking up a new hobby, or even getting treatment for mental health.

And for millions of Americans, a new year often comes with new goals and resolutions. But is that a good thing? Most new years resolutions fail to uphold their commitment, which would usually indicate that it isn’t just a question of willpower. Why is it so hard to do the things you should want to do?

The answer, in most cases, is that you don’t really want to do them. New years resolutions typically fail because people tend to select goals that reflect what they should do or be, rather than what they want. It makes little sense to set a goal for yourself that is not ultimately tied to an activity or result that you truly enjoy or crave. Teens struggle with this just as much as adults do.

You Don’t Need to Start Today

A lot of people fail to commit to their new year’s resolutions because they started working on their goals on January 1st, rather than when they were ready. Someone who dives headfirst into a goal without the necessary preparation is more likely to struggle as a result.

Going back to the popular gym and fitness example, you might feel like you don’t know what you’re doing, and it becomes impossible to tell the difference between good and bad advice. Instead, use January as your exploratory month.

Do your research. Consult different experts. Formulate a concrete first goal. Determine what you need to establish your starting position – equipment, setting, space, and community resources. And then, get started in February or March once you’ve answered your day one questions.

New Years Goals for Teens in 2023

Goals that mean something to you – that are linked to your interests or guided by intrinsic motivation – are less likely to fail. Here are some concrete and productive new years goals for teens that you can work toward achieving this year for a better you and to improve your mental health too!

1. Set a Small Screen Time Limit

Excessive screen time is a risk factor for mental health and exacerbates symptoms of depression, lowered self-esteem, and anxiety. You don’t need to go cold turkey on social media or delete Discord from your phone. But do consider keeping a closer eye on your daily computer and smartphone usage, tracking your hours on screens, and setting realistic goals to minimize or introduce breaks for both mental and physical health.

Use those breaks to do something you enjoy – listen to music without looking at a screen, read a physical book, go on a walk, or spend some time gardening. If you have pets, take on more pet-related chores and responsibilities – these can be almost meditative and give you more time to bond with your favorite fur buddy.

2. Dedicate More Time to the Outdoors

Whether it’s something substantial like a monthly hiking trip or just a weekly drive out to the nearest national park for a quick jog or leisurely walk, being outside and in nature can do wonders for both your physical and your mental well-being. Try introducing a few extra nature trips or long walks through the woods into your life this year.

3. Place a Premium on Good Sleep

Sleep hygiene gets emphasized heavily in nearly every single one of these posts and articles, and for a good reason. Everything we do is contextualized by how well-rested we are. Cognitively, socially, and physically, our performance in nearly any aspect of life is colored at least partially by the quality of our sleep.

Making a commitment to head to bed earlier than usual is a good start, but it’s almost impossible to implement. Start with habits that will help you tire out more easily: make sure your room is usually cool and dark in the evenings, rely on warmer lights, cut out blue lights or screens before bed, quit caffeine in the afternoons, and exercise.

4. Go To Therapy (With a Friend)

Mental health treatment is not scary. Nor is it painful. But it is stigmatized, and many teens remain unconvinced that they need or should consider seeking professional help, even as their symptoms get worse.

However, reaching out for help and learning to take care of your mental health are great new years goals for teens. If you think you may be struggling with a mental health condition that is affecting your studies, your relationships, and your day-to-day life, taking the first step toward therapy will be tremendously helpful. But if you need that extra push, consider asking a friend to go with you.

5. Move A Little Bit More

There is more to exercise than running track and field, lifting weights, or going for a swim. Embrace movement in some shape or form, whatever it may be.

We’re ultimately not built to be sedentary for long periods of time, and once you find a form of movement that you enjoy, you can massively improve your general quality of life and regain control over your body.

6. Quit Deprecation

It may just be something small – like insulting yourself in the mirror, berating yourself for trying something or putting yourself down for buying something – but try to make a commitment towards stopping all forms of self-deprecation this year.

Don’t make jokes at your own expense, insult yourself when you’re alone or with others, or take your anger out on your own body. Whenever you feel the urge to say something mean, swallow it – and try to say something positive, anything positive, instead.

7. Try One New Thing

It could be crocheting, pottery, learning to bake, making bread, or even Japanese gunpla. New hobbies are not just an opportunity to expand your interests but an opportunity to meet new people, explore new ideas, find new outlets for stress, and even change your worldview.

A new years resolution can be an impetus for self-improvement and change. But it’s not enough to commit yourself to a vague goal on January 1st without more of a personal connection. It’s important to personalize your goals and pick a realistic approach.

Setting Realistic New Years Goals for Teens

Let’s say, for example, that you have always hated gym class, don’t enjoy most sports, and have spent most of high school being sedentary and enjoying non-athletic hobbies.

You have no personal interest in physical fitness and no real intrinsic motivation to go and begin your gym transformation. You have no concrete knowledge of where to begin in the gym, no foundation of strength or fitness, and no idea whether to prioritize cardio over weights or which supplements to take or ignore.

None of that changes from the night of the 31st into the morning of the 1st.

But, if you are interested in getting fit, you can take your general interest and begin adapting it to more specific, intrinsic motivation. Perhaps there’s a specific fictional character you wish to look like.

There’s probably some merchandise you can wear to help you relate your exercise regimen to that character, like a themed training shirt, hoodie, or shaker. Start your training sessions with arousing music from your favorite game or show. Begin consuming more fitness content that you relate to, or have an interest in. Find exercises that you do enjoy doing.

The Power of Goals

Goals can be powerful tools, but they can also backfire heavily. If your mental and physical well-being is important to you, then setting goals that are achievable should come before setting goals that are aspirational.

For more information about treatment for teen mental health, contact Visions Treatment Centers.

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