Mental health and teens: Watch out for these red flags

New Delhi: Adolescence is the time when hormones go crazy. Children experience some unbridled changes as teenagers which can be confusing sometimes. The social pressures, physical body changes, raging hormones, sexual awakening – everything at once is way too much to handle. For many, these pressures can lead to a variety of mental health disorders that can be dangerous if not tackled well in time.

Many parents feel ill-prepared for these new evolutions and find it difficult to identify mental illness in their children. Mental health issues that teens and adolescents face are completely different from those in adults. So it is very important to watch out for these red flags or signs that can bridge the generation gap.

It is normal to feel low or sad sometimes, but as a parent of a teenager do watch out for

Body image concerns can become obsessive leading to leaving food altogether which can severely affect one’s health. These disorders can lead to life-long battles with anorexia and bulimia.

Change in social behaviour

For a typical teenager, recklessness is common but if grades are falling, attendance in school is scanty and academic performance is turning from bad to worse, you need to worry.

Substance Abuse

Teenagers experiment not only with fashion and relationships but even with alcohol and drugs. Parents need to be aware of behavioural and physical signs of alcohol and drug consumption like hangovers, slurred speech, etc. Misuse of prescription drugs, stimulants, and anti-depressants is very common. Despite strict government regulations, your kids can procure these drugs over the counter, and hence parents need to be mindful of substances being used for “self-medication”.

It is indeed a challenge for a parent to differentiate between a normal behavioural change and a mental health red flag, but not impossible. It would be an upsetting episode but it’s also important to remain calm and seek counselling or medical assistance before it’s too late. For parents of new teenagers, parents should not be a threat but a medium to open their hearts out and talk.

Disclaimer: Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purposes only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a dietician before starting any fitness programme or making any changes to your diet.