How can an invasion by Russia into Ukraine possibly influence the level of anxiety and depression in your teen?
The answer is that we have been bombarded with stress due to Covid, a closed economy, closed schools, masks everywhere, and now a potential war in Europe. As parents, we were more stressed out in the last two years than in the prior five to ten years.
Additionally, suicide rates jumping to record levels only proves this point. Teen suicide jumped 26% nationally in 2021, and suicide among teen girls has jumped even higher. Suicide is now the second leading cause of death among teens in the United States.
So, as a parent, are you doing everything you can to talk to your teen, address their stress or depression, and ultimately prevent teen suicide? With 1 in 5 teens going to the emergency room annually, this is a crucial time to take stock of your relationship and have “that” conversation with your teen, either about themselves or their friends.
The first step is to look for symptoms of stress and depression.
It’s your job as a parent to look for and notice changes.
Here are a few questions that may be of help:
- What is the level of sleep for your teen?
- How is your teen’s appetite?
- How is your dinner conversation going? (Tip: keep cell phones away from the dinner table)
- Have you noticed your teen is feeling sad?
- Does your teen show any feelings of hopelessness?
- Is your teen looking forward to the next phase of his/her life?
- Have you noticed memory loss or an overall feeling of tiredness?
- How is your teen’s temper?
- Has your teen gained or lost an unusual amount of weight?
- Have they been regularly complaining about pain from an unknown source?
- Do they have any physical ailments that are unexplainable or unusual?
- Have you noticed your teen cutting? (Cuts, scars, or marks on their arms)
- Has your teen experienced a panic attack?
- Is there a noticeable change in your teen’s grades or school habits?
Assuming you discover some of these symptoms exist for your teen, don’t be afraid to seek help. We have free resources on our website at www.abrigherday.info/resources. Call us if you need a referral.
You can always call the National Hotline at 211 for help.
Please don’t wait until your teen is in a crisis!
We look forward to helping you and your teen be healthy in all ways.
All my best,
Elliot
