As a parent, it is essential that we have an idea on our teen’s behavioral health. We don’t have to know everything they do though. We have to become the parent who contributes to their developmental growth. So how would we do that? Good thing some ways can help us achieve a better understanding of our teens’ way of thinking and responding to their environment.
Teen Thought
Most teens feel their thoughts are sometimes scary. That’s because most of them instill this idea that no one in the world understands them. These young individuals assume that they are the only ones who struggle from emotional instability and that others don’t see their suffering. The reason why most of them are rebellious, impulsive, and unreasonable is due to their shared belief that they are always alone. “The message we give teenagers is that they’re only ‘good’ if they’re not doing ‘bad’ things, such as doing drugs, hanging around with the wrong crowd, or having sex,” Richard Lerner, PhD explains. It becomes impossible for them to share their deepest secret because they get afraid of all the judgment they could receive. Most of the times, their decisions in life often fails. From there, they try to convince themselves that there is something wrong with the way they are. That kind of mentality damages every aspect of their health.
Teen Struggle
Even in the early years, society managed to create an environment where being different is not acceptable. That’s perhaps why most teenagers see isolation as an escape. Since they can’t handle and manage the challenges in their lives, these young individuals struggle in adapting their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. “Adolescence is a pivotal time for all teenagers — as they form self-identity, plan for the future, and move into adulthood. Steven Gans, MD says. That’s the reason why teens don’t try to embrace their imperfections because they know that society won’t allow them to be the person they want to become. And since our culture only focuses on right and wrong and don’t consider what’s in between, it creates a stigma. That even though these kids already understand things, they will remain incapable of doing what society thinks is appropriate.
Teen Mental Health
Experts from BetterHelp often say that people know that teenagers find it hard to handle different kinds of emotions, especially when the emotional turmoil gets accompanied by mental illness. The condition becomes a big deal because it creates a distance that somehow lasts for an extended period. So once these young individuals get uncomfortable and unattached, they begin to lose control. The most challenging problem then arises as they continue to lose self-confidence and self-trust. From there, everything around them looks unnecessary. That even personal growth becomes a word that no longer serves its purpose.
Teen Life Outlook
With more access to the internet and social media, most teens believe that it’s not okay to be just fine and that people only live through perfection. Most teenagers are obsessing about fame, getting hopeless with their achievements, trying so hard to fit in, and becoming someone they are not. They do quite a lot of things that encourage self-disposition. As a result, it negatively impacts their emotional and mental health. And sometimes, even if they already know that there are things bad for them, they still do it anyways. These young teenage kids feel entitled to do whatever they want because they believe that they only live for themselves. It’s understandable that they sometimes wish to have everything. But the fact that they can’t have it all destroys them.
Teen Relationship
Most teens often develop an issue with the people around them. That’s because they don’t listen. They often assume they know everything that’s going on. They believe that people who contradict their decisions are enemies. These young kids feel they are mature because they always handle environmental pressure. They think that what others know is just a piece of what they only experience. That’s the reason why most teens are often agitated and angry all the time. Some of them don’t value the relationship that much because they have this idea that people can’t be trusted. With that, they only look out for themselves because they feel terrified to get hurt by the people they love. Thus they favor isolation.
Teens’ behavioral health is the most crucial part of their development. “Teens experience a ridiculous amount of cognitive and emotional variance and development.” Suzanne Degges-White Ph.D. wrote. If we parents don’t know how to tweak and handle some of its factors at an early stage, it will be too late to manage it over time. So we have to understand that it is our responsibility to help them, care for them, and do everything for the sake of their overall wellness.