Publisher's Synopsis
Help Your Child Break the Stigma Surrounding Anxiety and Depression-And Harness the Tools You Need to Talk About Mental Health Openly, Honestly, and With Full Acceptance
It is arguably the one topic you find most difficult to broach-both within yourself and in your interactions with your child.
Anxiety, depression, self-harm. They are words you never wanted to associate with your child.
Yet as they enter their teen years, you are increasingly worried about the "what ifs."
And you have good cause to be concerned.
The World Health Organization reports that anxiety and depression, followed by suicidal thoughts, are the most prevalent mental illness disorders found among teenagers.
Factors such as the after-effects of the pandemic, the prevalence of social media, and cyberbullying have all done their share to worsen mental illness.
With 95% of teenagers accessing YouTube and TikTok daily, teens are turning to social media and engaging in constant comparisons, leading to disappointment, social media addiction, and body image issues.
Yet a significant number of cases of teen anxiety and depression go undiagnosed and untreated.
One reason is that these conditions manifest themselves very differently in teens and adults.
Another is stigma-media portrayal, social media, and our own prejudices and stereotypes can lead us to minimize the signs of mental illness or enter into a state of denial.
Yet the consequences of simply hoping mental illness will go away can be devastating.
And it is our duty as parents to support our children, understand the pain they are going through, and support them every step of the way.
This book will give you the tools to be a strong, constant, dependable source of support for your teen. Within its pages, you will find:
● 3 of the most powerful questions people have about anxiety and depression, answered in a clear and comprehensive manner
● Symptoms of teen depression and anxiety - how to recognize early warning signs and differentiate them from typical teen "growing pains"
● How to broach the uncomfortable topic of suicide risk, respond to a teen who is self-harming, and help teens recognize and tackle stress
● The roots of anxiety and depression - the many social, environmental, and biological causes that can play a key role in the development of these conditions
● How to knock down one of the most significant barriers to a teen's mental health progress
● How to promote body acceptance in your teenager - the critical messages you can share that will reveal to your child that all is not as it seems on social media
● All the Dos and Don'ts of talking to your teen, and why active listening is vital if you want your teen to open up to you
● How to encourage healthy use of social media and nip cyberbullying in the bud
And so much more.
