Adolescence is a developmental period with major anatomical, psychological, and emotional transformation. During this developmental phase, youth experience various developmental tasks that may affect their mental health. Some of the problems may be age-specific, that is, characters that are frequent in adolescents, while others will require a professional to assist in handling the student.
Relationshipsandmore.com in Croton-on-Hudson, NY can often help teenagers experiencing different personal problems that may affect their behavior. It is necessary to recognize the early indications of a teenager’s need for counseling to ensure that parents, caregivers, and educators can get an opportunity to help.
Here are warning signs that might indicate an adolescent would require counselling.
Persistent Mood Swings
Mood swings in children are often noticed during adolescence because of changes in the level of hormones in the body and the processes of growing up. However, when one cyclically changes moods, the expression and intensity of which is beyond normal, this could be a symptom of something else. Symptoms such as frequent worrying, feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, or being easily annoyed or irritable and getting angry over small things may be an indication of depression or any other mood disorder for weeks or months. When a teenager’s emotional resources influence daily life, interpersonal relationships, or academic achievement, one should turn to a counselor.
Withdrawal from Friends and Family
These social relationships are critical during adolescence because peers are central to a young person’s life. One may become uninterested in seeing family and friends or slowly and gradually isolated from social activities. If a teenager withdraws and does not want to participate in activities, quit, or show no interest in activities they used to enjoy, this is a sign that they are emotionally disturbed. Such behavior may be related to depression, anxiety, or social anxiety disorders, and therefore, professional counseling can naturally solve this problem.
Decline in Academic Performance
Suddenly observed decline in academic performance, which includes deterioration in grades and concentration or reduced interest in doing homework, may suggest that a teenager is facing a mental health disorder. Sometimes, a child may experience difficulties in his academic performance, which is normal, but a constantly low performance may be attributed to stress, anxiety, or depression. Also, children may experience learning difficulties or attention deficit disorders that may present themselves during adolescence years, hence the need for an evaluation by a professional.
Changes in eating and sleeping habits
Most people experience changes in eating or sleeping habits, especially when stressed or suffering from certain illnesses. For example, a teenager may develop bad eating habits of overeating or eating less, resulting in a weight change. Likewise, they may have insomnia or sleep too much, impacting their energy and health. These changes may indicate anxiety, depression, or an eating disorder, which may need medical assistance. Such matters must be addressed early so they do not become fully blown complications as they are easily managed.
Risky or Self-Destructive Behavior
Get worried when you discover that your loved teenager is involving themselves in risky or self-destructive behaviors. Examples of such behavior can be alcohol or drug overdose, use of other drugs, cutting oneself, reckless driving, or sexually promiscuous behavior. It is often because of an individual’s inability to deal with the pain emotionally, poor self-esteem, or influence from peers. Counseling can help adolescents make outlets for checking their feelings and learning how to handle their problems.
Frequent Physical Complaints
Somatization is a common concern, and adolescents may sometimes display some symptoms of emotional disturbance in physical form. Recurrent bouts of headache, stomach upset, or other such symptoms that have no medical explanation may indicate the presence of some psychological problems. All these physical signs can be signs of stress and anxiety or even early signs of depression. These complaints are best solved through counseling because it will address the cause of the problem that affects the teenager.
Extreme Sensitivity to Criticism
Although teenagers are known to be easily offended, frequent episodes of anger, withdrawal, or self-hate could mean more than just teenage oversensitivity. It should be noted if a teenager has a pattern of provoking adverse reactions to feedback or if he/ she has developed an attitude of interpreting every constructive criticism as an insult, it may be a pointer to low self-esteem, Anxiety, or depression. Counseling can equip adolescents with the necessary skills to handle criticism, assist them in gaining resilience, and boost self-esteem to develop better-coping mechanisms.
Difficulty in Managing Emotions
Children are likely to display mood swings whereby they get easily upset, cry, or take time to get over a stressful situation. Emotional regulation can avert one or more aspects of one’s life: personal relationships, academic performance, and mental health. When a teenager look emotionally driven or is unable to cope with the emotions that they experience, counseling will make them learn how to regulate their feelings and provide them, teenagers, with appropriate ways to handle them.
Obsessive or Compulsive Behaviors
Examples of obsessive behaviors that may indicate OCD or anxiety include repetitive washing of hands, constant checking, or performing rituals. Such behaviors may significantly interfere with a teenage routine and affect the state of mind. Mental health: If a teenager’s thoughts or behaviors become intrusive and cause an individual to become dysfunctional, one ought to seek counseling. Knowing that these symptoms can be controlled with proper early intervention is necessary to avoid their progression.
Speaking of Life-or-Death Intent
Certainly, the most obvious indicator of a teenager’s need for counseling is if the teenager is talking about killing themself or if they express any intention of causing harm to him or herself. As stated, such a statement should always be taken seriously, directly or implied. Youths may use terms such as hopes of dying, feeling useless, or may wish to die as they seek help. Such behaviors warrant counseling intervention as early as possible to guarantee the adolescent’s safety and offer them the required assistance for the problems experienced.
Final Thoughts
Adolescence is a complicated stage that can become a problem for young people and cause some changes in the emotional and behavioral spheres. Some symptoms indicate that a teenager may need professional help even if most of the problems during teenage are normal. Hopefully, these signs range from having mood swings, avoiding friends and family, poor academic results, changes in eating and sleeping patterns, engaging in dangerous behaviors, complaining often, being easily offended, and having issues with anger, obsession, and thoughts of suicide are enough to make students understand the importance of engaging in counseling sessions. Adolescent counseling from Relationshipsandmore.com can effectively prevent teenagers from getting into bad situations and help them acquire coping mechanisms by which they can lead a better future and avoid a negative transformation.
Comments are closed.