The journey of growing up comes with its own set of challenges, and noticing the signs of mental struggles is key to our well-being.
It sounds serious, but it’s also crucial to dive in and learn why spotting these signs early on matters and how the people in your life can help out with them.
Why Spotting Mental Struggles Matters
So, we all know physical health gets the spotlight, but mental health often gets overlooked when in reality, it’s equally important.
Ignoring signs of early mental struggles can mess with our flow and how we enjoy ourselves with friends and family. Catching those early hints is like riding the wave at the perfect moment.
How to spot early hints of mental struggles
Growing up is a rollercoaster, and sometimes, our brains drop hints that things might be getting a bit crazy.
Parents and caregivers need to keep their radars on for changes in mood and behavior. Signs like these may be important signals that something might be up:
- School performance shifts: Suddenly feeling like school is a drag or acting out in class? It could be a signal that our mental playlist needs a remix.
- Social switch: Used to be the life of the party but now you’re not feeling up for group hangs? Good connections matter, so any sudden changes need a closer look.
- Mood swings: Quick mood shifts, long tantrums, or feeling insecurities we didn’t have before, our emotions for too long – our emotions are the DJs of our mental party.
- Sleep pattern changes: Weird sleep patterns sending secret messages from the brain? Pay attention to frequent nightmares or suddenly becoming oversleeping more than usual.
- Sudden Body Aches: Complaining about mystery aches like headaches or stomach aches? It might be the brain’s way of dropping hints that something might be wrong with your body.
How Parents and Guardians Can Help With Mental Struggles
Spotting signs of mental struggles is important, but taking action is what keeps our mental game strong.
Parents and guardians can support our mental well-being through team effort and learning more about what to do when such issues arise. Here are a few ways they can do it:
Open Communication
Having someone to talk to without feeling judged takes such a weight off a troubled mind.
Parents should allow teenagers to open up about feelings and anything on their minds to beat the stress and anxiety a rough day might have caused.
Stay Informed
Knowledge of a mental illness can help parents and guardians support their teens during rough times.
Parents, learn more about what might feel normal to your teenager and what’s not. Recognizing abnormal vibes and seeking help when needed is the move for overall health.
Build Solid Connections
Growing a garden of happiness with family, friends, and classmates is the real deal.
Healthy hangouts and having friends around when we need help? That’s what we need to get through the dark times.
Stay Watchful
Keep an eagle eye on any sudden changes in behavior, grades, or friendships.
Early action under a watchful eye is like catching a falling star before it crashes and fulfilling the wish that a parent wants for their teenager, which is to live a long and happy life.
Call in the Pros
If things feel off, there’s no shame in bringing in a mental health pro who understands the struggle and has likely gone through it themselves.
Early help keeps the mental struggles at bay. Trust your instincts and set up an early appointment with a psychiatrist if needed.
For more handy guides on routines that improve your state of mental well-being, visit us at Mid Cities Psychiatry and we would be happy to tell you more!