I’m amazed at the number of children suffering from anxiety and stressed the f*k out. Even amongst parents I know. The pressures of school (gotta get that 1,000,000,000,000… SAT score), activity after activity, social media, and isolation (because often times there is little interaction outside of school, texting, video games, and social media) are debilitating and exhausting. Social media alone creates this environment of sending out ones representation to show how great and on a grand scale life is when it really isn’t. Even with me folks may have the impression that everything is all adventurously wonderful, having no clue about my worries or the tears I shed.
With the rising child suicide and shooting incidents, it’s increasingly important to pay close attention to our children. Monitoring not only if they have a 10.2 GPA, but for their mental health. Not taking them being stressed or having anxiety as just par for the course. We need the village on assignment to include parents, friends, aunties, doctors, teachers, and MORE CAPABLE, DEDICATED, AND ENGAGED MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES IN OUR SCHOOLS (they have our children most of the day). Sidebar: And, not thinking the pills (Given responsibility for monitoring medication dosage before they are even 21.) are the only healing properties for them.
According to a newly released study and guidelines, did you know, “Depression is a growing threat to American children and teens. As many as 1 in 5 teens experience depression at some point during adolescence, but parents often miss the clues, and as many as two out of three young people with depression go undiagnosed, research shows.
With the new guidelines, pediatricians are being asked to more carefully screen their patients ages 12 and over during their annual checkups.
The guidelines encourage pediatricians to talk to their young patients alone — teens may be more open about their feelings without a parent in the room — and then talk separately with parents or caregivers. If the doctor determines that the teen has moderate or severe depression, the pediatrician can offer treatment or consultation with a mental health specialist.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, other signs of adolescent or teen depression include:
* sleep problems (they often sleep more)
* loss of interest in friends
* changes in appetite
* hopeless or guilty thoughts
* changes in body movements, such as feeling edgy or slowed down
* frequent physical illnesses
But any of these signs could also simply be part of the emotional bumps of being an adolescent. An important clue is whether the symptoms last at least two weeks or longer.” Read more in detail here: https://www.today.com/health/all-teens-should-be-screened-depression-new-guidelines-urge-t123889
So please wake up for the babies need us. They need love, nurturing, self-love, and scoping skills. Hug them. Love them. Affirm them. Spend quality time with them. Pay attention. Ask the hard and uncomfortable questions. Be intrusive. Listen. Pull yourself out the self-absorption of trying to paint the picture of the perfect family and life. There’s zero room for pride, shame or ego. Remember one out of five, look to your left and look to your right. Avoid projecting your stress and worries on to your children. And, if you think they don’t know or don’t feel it, you’re sooooo wrong. Don’t act like you don’t know something is wrong. You can’t fix everything, seek appropriate resources. And, while we’re at it “How are you doing?” Yeah, you’re mental health matters too. See projecting statement. Oh! And, how is that friend or family member you speak with almost every day? Yeah, them too. We all need checking in on. Be well lovelies. Be well. #BeDoLove #AllRoadsLeadToMentalHealth #FindYourZen
BeDoLove 