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What Can I Do to Protect My Teen’s Mental Health?

Discover how to build a strong foundation for your teen’s mental health and provide the support they need to overcome challenges.

What you will learn:

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With teen substance use disorder a significant concern for parents and the community, it’s vital to understand how to protect teens’ mental health. Taking proactive steps to guard your children’s mental health can help prevent potential substance misuse, which is often employed as a coping mechanism for mental health concerns.

At Guardian Recovery’s Montville Adolescent Center, we understand that substance misuse and mental health issues can impact both teens and their families. We offer teen addiction treatment paired with mental health care, providing adolescents with personalized care and compassionate support to empower them to overcome their challenges.

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Guardian Recovery Adolescent can help your teen take control of their lives, putting them on a path to a brighter future filled with possibility.

Understand the Potential Sources of Stress for Your Teen 

Teens face multiple stressors today. As a parent, if you understand some of the potential sources of stress, you can work alongside your teen to overcome their impact. Some potential sources of stress include: 

  • Peer or Social Pressure: Teens can feel stress about fitting into their peer group at school. Issues like body image, family status, and popularity can add to peer and social pressures.  
  • Academics: Succeeding in school is a high priority for some teens. Plans for college may require that they get good grades, leading to intense pressure. 
  • Mental Health Disorder: If a teen has a mental health disorder, whether diagnosed or suspected, it can lead to a co-occurring disorder. Teens may be tempted to use substances to reduce stressful symptoms of mental health conditions.  
  • Family Issues: When family life is chaotic, unstable, or even financially insecure, it can lead to tremendous stress for children. 
  • Extracurricular Activities: Some teens are involved in multiple extracurricular activities like sports, after-school clubs, music, and so on. If the load becomes too much for them to manage, it can lead to stress. 
  • Social Media: So much of what young people do today involves social media. The pressure to fit in and be popular often stems from social media feedback. 

When teens become overwhelmed by one or more stressors in their life, they may turn to substances as coping mechanisms to numb emotions and temporarily alleviate stress. 

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Build Strong Mental Health Foundations Through Daily Practices 

One of the best things parents can do to help protect their children from potential substance misuse is to put daily practices in place that nurture positive mental health. 

Creating Protective Routines in Your Home 

Every family’s routine may look a bit different, but it  should have protective elements that make teens feel safe and loved. A few protective routines that can foster mental health include: 

  • An Open-Door Policy: Be sure your teen knows they can always come to you when they have a problem. They need to feel safe and comfortable if they open up about any issues they are experiencing. 
  • Frequent Communication: Don’t wait for your teen to come to you. Schedule regular communication into your week. Create a time when everyone can sit down together to hash out anything that’s bothering them.  
  • Healthy Nutrition and Sleep Routines: If kids are not eating and sleeping in a healthy manner, it can make them feel sluggish and cranky, potentially leading to poor decisions. 

The Importance of a Supportive Environment 

Everyone thrives when they are surrounded by a strong support system. You can foster this support systemt via the tactics listed above. Also, if and when your child does confide in you about something that is bothering them or that happened, it’s important not to overreact or blame them. Even if your teen did something “wrong,” provide a listening ear and strive to show them a way out of the problem.  

Stress-Relief & Confidence-Building Activities 

All growing teens are stressed from time to time. It’s also common for them to feel unsure about themselves or their future. As a parent, you can help them overcome these things by providing an avenue to relieve stress and build confidence. 

Stress-relief activities could come in the form of physical activities that you do with your teen. Things like hiking, swimming, bowling, skating, etc. can be beneficial for their health and can lower stress levels. Participating in physical activities can boost their confidence as well, as they see themselves getting stronger and more competent at the activities.  

Other ways to build confidence can include helping them learn something new, setting obtainable goals with them, giving them positive affirmations, and modeling confident behavior.  

Limiting Screen Time & Negative Influences 

Too much screen time can have an overall negative impact on teens—or anyone for that matter. Always looking at a screen, scrolling, playing games, etc. can be physically taxing. Plus, too much time in front of a computer or phone can also disrupt healthy sleep patterns due to blue light exposure and the mental stimulation it can cause.  

However, what is more impactful is the potential psychological issues stemming from too much screen time. For one thing, constant time on a computer or phone can be addictive. Online social messages can be detrimental for teens, increasing the risk of anxiety and depression. Finally, many people turn to social media for their emotional support, leading to social isolation. 

Parents can help their teens by putting boundaries in place that limit screen time and reduce the negative influences. 

Develop Strong Parent-Teen Communication for Emotional Support 

Keeping the communication lines open is vital to a solid relationship between the parent and teen. Supportive communication encourages a teen to feel comfortable in speaking out if something is wrong. As a parent, you can connect deeply with your teen by keeping the conversation open, even when it comes to those hard topics. 

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If your teen is struggling with their mental health, Guardian Recovery can help. Reach out to us now for more information.  A treatment advisor will answer your questions, outline treatment options, and verify your insurance, if applicable. 

In addition, our staff can provide an initial evaluation to help you determine the proper level of care that would be best for your teen. The call is free and confidential, and you’re under no obligation to enter treatment with us. Help and hope is within reach—and just a short phone call away.

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Disclaimer: Does not guarantee specific treatment outcomes, as individual results may vary. Our services are not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis; please consult a qualified healthcare provider for such matters.

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Reviewed professionally for accuracy by:

Ryan Soave

L.M.H.C.

Ryan Soave brings deep experience as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, certified trauma therapist, program developer, and research consultant for Huberman Lab at Stanford University Department of Neurobiology. Post-graduation from Wake Forest University, Ryan quickly discovered his acumen for the business world. After almost a decade of successful entrepreneurship and world traveling, he encountered a wave of personal and spiritual challenges; he felt a calling for something more. Ryan returned to school and completed his Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling. When he started working with those suffering from addiction and PTSD, he found his passion. He has never looked back.

Written by:

Picture of Sherilyn Moore

Sherilyn Moore

Sherilyn Moore is a freelance writer with over 10 years of experience. She has concurrent bachelor’s degrees in English and Communications, and she has a demonstrated history of writing for a range of industries, including hundreds of articles about substance use disorders.

More About Author

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Medical Disclaimer:

The information provided on this website is intended solely for educational and informational purposes. Guardian Recovery aims to improve the quality of life for individuals struggling with substance use or mental health disorders by offering fact-based content about behavioral health conditions, treatment options, and related outcomes. However, this information should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Important Notes:

The content on this site is believed to be current and accurate at the time of posting, but medical information is constantly evolving.
Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider regarding any questions or concerns about your health or medical condition.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room immediately.
Guardian Recovery does not provide free medical advice. For personalized treatment recommendations, please consult with a licensed healthcare professional.

By using this website, you acknowledge that you have read and understand this disclaimer. Guardian Recovery and its affiliates disclaim any liability for the use or interpretation of information contained herein. SEE TERMS AND CONDITIONS

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