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Living in the Age of Teen Loneliness

teen isolation and loneliness

Our teens live in a world of unparalleled entertainment opportunities, yet they still experience disturbing amounts of teen loneliness. Every cell phone they carry doubles as a computer filled with applications, entertainment, and social media platforms. They can watch movie trailers or go to the movies with their friends. They can indulge in unlimited TV, […]

A Silent Epidemic of Teen Mental Health

Group of teenagers

Instead, we considered the emotional turbulence in teens’ everyday lives, their familial and social dynamics, and the internal battles they fought when alone and vulnerable. At the time, I could scarcely fathom the actual magnitude of the issue. The Startling Reality of Teen Depression and Anxiety Our preliminary research, albeit non-scientific, suggested the problem was […]

Father’s Day: Strengthening Parent-Teen Connections for Emotional Health

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father’s Day to all the dedicated dads celebrating this special occasion, as well as those whose presence is remembered and cherished. Often, holidays such as Father’s Day present terrific opportunities to build stronger connections with our teenagers and truly discover what is circling around their adolescent emotional quotient. Despite the self-centered “me” nature of […]

Spring Forward from Teen Depression: Action Steps for Parents 

Mother and teen daughter

Teens Need Resources More Than Ever The world has temporarily become more complicated, but the level of our teen’s stress and teen suicide overall continues to be at epidemic levels. Your teens, more than ever, need resources to deal with this depression more effectively, while their parents are being bombarded with negative headlines and news.   […]

Don’t Rely on Luck: Protect Your Teen’s Mental Health

Girl holding a lucky four leaf clover

Every day, whether through face-to-face interactions or podcast conversations, I have the privilege of speaking to hundreds, even thousands, of adults about the reason A Brighter Day Charity exists and the positive impact we are having on families.  Our resources on stress and depression for teens and their families, with the ultimate goal of preventing […]

Valentine’s Day Blues: How Is Your Teen Coping?

Teens on valentine's day handing each other cards

February and Valentine’s Day usually represent a time of love and everything associated with love. Romance, flowers, jewelry, fine food, and chocolates – these are all good! For your teen, however, this could be a time of feeling isolated, unloved, alone, and just not wanted. Think about it. Your spouse and you are planning something […]

Attention Parents: January & February Are the Worst Months for Teen Suicide 

Parent comforting their teen struggling with suicidal thoughts

First off, Happy New Year. We all wish for a healthy and happy 2023 for our teens. Most people think that the Christmas Season is the worst season for suicide. Actually, it is the beginning of the year. The isolation and sadness created by exacerbated teen depression, unfortunately, begin to move into the most negative of actions […]

Anxiety, Stress, and Your Teen: A Christmas Story

‘Tis the season to be merry and not so merry… As parents, we are painfully aware of the flu season, the never-ending Covid season, and the sadness and loneliness adults can feel this time of the year. Did you also know, however, that our teens also rank the winter months as the saddest time of […]

Veterans Day and Your Teen: What’s the Connection?

Veteran's Day thank you message and American flag

You may think that Veterans Day or the U.S. armed forces have nothing in common with your teen, but you’d be very wrong. The only group with more total suicides annually than today’s teens and young adults are our veterans. And many for the same reason…hopelessness. For interviewed veterans, some of the most prevalent feelings and […]

Is Thanksgiving Good For Your Teen’s Well-Being?

Teen Thanksgiving

It’s a wonderful time of the year. Thanksgiving. One of my favorite holidays. It means lots of family around the dinner table. It means terrific food that we only eat once a year.  It means different pies for an unlimited dessert. It means watching the NFL all day. And for teens, it means a long weekend of […]