Teenagers and Stress: What Parents Can Do to Help

By: Sue Blaney
More and more parents are expressing their concerns about how to support their teenagers who are complaining about the stress in their lives.
What parents may not realize, is that what they do every day by providing healthy food, support, and a comforting home, provides the very stress-antidotes their teens need. Deborah Weinstock-Savoy, Ph.D.,a psychologist who specializes in working with families says “The basic nurturing that parents offer in providing a loving and comfortable home is the first line of defense.”
Weinstock-Savoy points out that home should be a place where kids can re-charge their batteries, feel safe and supported. When teenagers have the support they need, when they eat right and get enough sleep, they usually have much of what it takes to manage the stress they will confront.
Parents can help teens in some specific ways, too. Primarily this has to do with teaching, or coaching their teenagers toward problem solving. Parents need to “engage the teen’s owns sense of what s/he needs,” says Weinstock-Savoy. She says parents and their teenagers can explore this together, with the teen being asked to offer insight and suggestions, as usually kids have ideas about this. This is the direction parents need to take because it helps the teen develop necessary coping and problem-solving skills.
Assisting kids in becoming more self-aware is an extension of this thought. It may not be immediately obvious to kids, so parents should help guide them to a growing awareness of themselves, which will help them learn to identify situations, and solutions. Through this they begin to develop strategies that will be tools they will use for the rest of their lives.
While this family specialist makes these recommendations, she is quick to admit that sometimes parents are faced with “kids who won’t allow them to share their wisdom with them.” This makes it important for parents to help ensure their teenager has other adults in whom s/he can confide and go to for advice. “Parents need to identify for themselves who else is out there, who else will help provide advice, help their teens safe, and offer support.” She calls this “extending the mantle of support,” and points out that this is as important for parents as it is for kids. Parents should know the adults in their teens life to some extent; knowing that they share your families values and will be providing sound advice is another way of providing support for your child, only this time it’s from behind the scenes.
What are the biggest sources of stress for teenagers? “Peer relationships and managing school,” according to Weinstock-Savoy. She points out that kids need to have a sense of belonging with their peers. This provides an important buffer and helps them deal with the stress they confront. Missing this, the resulting sense of loneliness serves to increases their stress. School, and all that entails, is often a source of stress for teenagers. And thirdly, the important developmental steps they are taking during adolescence in developing their identity also create stress. Although this is a more abstract concept, it is an important part of the life of teenagers.
Parents who are tuned in to their teenagers, sensitive in providing support, encouragement, love and a nurturing home environment are doing all the right things to help their kids learn to deal with the stress they confront in typical situations every day.
© 2004 Sue Blaney
Sue Blaney is the author of Please Stop the Rollercoaster! How Parents of Teenagers Can Smooth Out the Ride and Practical Tips for Parents of Young Teens; What You Can Do to Enhance Your Child’s Middle School Years. As a communications professional and the parent of two teenagers, she speaks frequently to parents and schools about parenting issues, improving communications and creating parent discussion groups. Visit our website at http://www.PleaseStoptheRollercoaster.com

Share

Teen Suicide Statistics - An Epidemic Of Self Inflicted Death Among Canadian Youth

By: Beverly OMalley

The Canadian teen suicide statistics are alarming. Between 1952 and 1992 the national suicide rate increased by 78%. but by comparison the teen suicide rate for the same period increased more than 600%. If any disease or bacteria was causing such an alarming rise in the number of deaths it would surely be considered an epidemic.

Females account for 75% of attempted suicides, usually by drug overdose. But males are actually six times more likely to be successful and choose more violent methods such as shooting or hanging. About one-third of teen suicides are done by young people who have attempted it before.

Suicide rates are five to seven times higher for First Nations teens than other young people in Canada. The suicide rates amongst the Inuit youth are some of the highest anywhere in the world. They are 11 times higher than the Canadian national average.

Who is at risk for suicide?

Most of the signs of suicidal thoughts or feelings are similar to the symptoms of depression. Adolescents who feel alone, rejected, and hopeless are at risk. Alcohol or drug problems and parental discord (separation or divorce) can definitely play a part in teenage depression. Teenagers who have altered brain chemical issues, such as bi-polar disorder, are at a higher risk as well.

Watch for these signs.

You cannot always know what is going on inside a teenager's head, but you can see some outward signs of what is going on emotionally. An obsession with death; poems, stories, or drawings that depict death; irrational, bizarre behavior; a sudden change in personality or appearance; a change in eating or sleeping habits; major drop in school performance; giving away their belongings; a seeming sense of shame or guilt. These are all things to watch for as they are clues that a teenager is contemplating suicide.

Talking helps

Talking about suicide will not increase the likelihood that the teen will proceed with the intent. If you think someone you know is considering suicide you must talk with them about it.

Here is what you can say:

"You sound really depressed and unhappy. Are you considering hurting yourself (or killing yourself)?"

If the person answers in the affirmative ask them about how they plan to do it. Keep the person talking and reassure them that they way they are feeling is not a permanent state.

A teenager who is suicidal is not intent on dying. He just wants the suffering to end. He cannot talk himself out of how he is feeling or simply make the bad thoughts go away by thinking positive things. He is depressed.

People who are suicidal need your help and support but they also need professional help. If your friend was bleeding or suffering an acute infection you would not want to leave him unattended and you would help him to get medical attention.

If you or someone you know is thinking suicidal thoughts go and ask for some help from your parents, a teacher, or a trusted adult.

Most communities also have suicide or crisis hotlines that you can phone and talk to someone about how you are feeling. You can even phone this number to ask for help in dealing with a friend that you suspect to be suicidal.

Reaching out for help in situations of potential teen suicide is the first step on the path to healing.

Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com

About the Author:
Beverly Hansen OMalley is a health promotion specialist. At www.registered-nurse-canada.com Bev explores the uniqueness of the nursing profession in Canada including comparison of the nursing entrance tests for the US and Canada, and registered nurse salaries across the country.

Share

Teenage Stress

by: Trevor Dumbleton

It has often been said that the teenage years are the "best years of your life". However, anyone who says that does not remember what it is like being a teenager. Between school, life, parents, friends, and the fact that all of them want all of your time, there is no way to get away from the petty concerns and strains that can lead to serious stress. However, nobody seems willing to give up any of the time they demand from you, so you find yourself torn in a thousand different directions with nowhere to turn to for help. Fortunately, you do not need to deal with stress all on your own. Rather, you can find plenty of help, just as long as you look for it. Unfortunately, teenagers rarely look for help and many of the assets available to them are simply ignored. Thus, your teen stress keeps getting worse.

The first place to look for relief from teen stress is at school. There is a certain class of people who desperately want to help teens get through their problems and find solutions, but they usually sit in their offices waiting in vain for someone to talk to them. These people are guidance counselors and they are there to help you. However, it is very rare for someone to avail themselves of this prime opportunity for assistance, so actually sitting down with somebody is a treat for them and they will do all they can to help. True, most people think that guidance counselors are really just lost souls who can't seem to get out of school, but that is not the case. Guidance counselors decided on their career because they want to help others. Which means that they want to help you.

As well, you can get help for teen stress through your teachers. True, most of the help you get will probably be for your work in the classroom but, strange as it may seem, teachers are actually human beings. They want to connect with their students so that, when you go to see them, they will be happy to help you. If you go to them in order to get help with your schoolwork, they will happily give you assistance. They can help you through any issues or difficulties that you may be having and you will can learn more from them after class than you will during class. Such one-on-one sessions can help them narrow down issues in a way that they cannot while they are lecturing to a room full of students.

Additionally, once you sit down with your teachers, you may actually discover that you enjoy talking to them. After all, to repeat a point, they are people. And because they spend so much time in the company of teenagers, they understand teen stress. However, they also understand it from a philosophical perspective that can breathe some fresh air into the problems that you are confronting. Though you may not always enjoy the answers they can provide, they will be worth thinking about and, in the fullness of time, you will probably discover that they provided a very good insight into your problems.

Another excellent source for teen stress is with your parents. This is because of a simple fact that you may not want to accept. This is the simple fact that parents tend to have children who are very similar to them. No, it's really not pleasant to think about, since that means that you may turn out to be like your parents. But, let us put that aside for now.

Your parents were once your age (strange as that may seem) and teens often have to go through very similar problems. Thus, your parents have felt teen stress and they know what it is like. Sure, they may not want to admit that it was anything special, but they will, hopefully, remember that it was not easy at the time. So if you really need to get some sort of advice or help, sit down and talk to your parents. Not only will you get some sort of help, but you will also make their day. After all, how many parents get the chance to really connect with their teenage children?

Teen stress is one of the hardest things to get through, but you can rest assured that it has been done. Billions of people in the world have all had to go through the travails of the teenage years and they have through to the other side. So prepare yourself, get help when you need it, and look for help when you can. By relying on people who have "been there, done that" you can see your way clear to the other side. Then, you can safely look back on your teen stress and say stupid things like, "the teenage years are the best years of your life!"

About the author:
LowerYourStress.com: for everything to do with stress. Get a free ebook to help with your stress levels: http://www.loweryourstress.com/stress-book.html

Share

Acne And Stress

by: Michael Raetford

Stress - Since your skin in your largest organ, how you live can sure influence how healthy your skin is. And stress, not necessarily "bad" stress, but rather certain external and internal stressors, factor into this health equation. So let's take a look at how to handle these stressors with regards to acne prevention.

External Stressors- A goal of acne prevention would be to keep your skin pores clear from clogging and becoming infected and irritated, resulting in blemishes and inflammation. So you need to take a look at your external environment throughout the day for factors that could trigger skin pore clogging. Here are some examples of what to look for: grease, oils and sun, like being around open fryers in kitchen areas, or around machine oil and grease in workshops or factories, or out in the sun all day on a construction jobsite. Too much oil, grease or sun on the skin can clog pores and trigger acne and other skin irritations.

Minimize contact by wearing long sleeves and other protective wear and gear and discussing further options with your dermatologist or healthcare provider. With regards to being out in the sun, note that a small amount of sun each day can be fine and healthy. However, extended periods can trigger the sebaceous glands to create more oil as your skin dries out. At the same time, the dried out skin needs to be cast off or shed at a faster rate than normal. The resulting extra oils and dead skin make a wonderful environment for pore clogging. So here, too, use protective clothing for outdoor activities and apply sunscreen; oil-free products are best for acne-prone people, and those with a minimum protection of SPF 15 and both UVA and UVB protection.

Internal Stressors - Internal stressors like anxiety, fear, low self-esteem, depression and a variety of other internalized emotions, can trigger chemical reactions inside your body that can result in acne flare-ups and other skin irritations. What happens is that these emotions can set your adrenal glands to work creating more cortisol, the substance that in turn causes your sebaceous glands to produce increased amounts of sebum oil, excessive amounts of which can be blocked in pores. Same old story: extra oil + extra dead skin cells = blocked pores, triggering acne flare-ups. With internal stressors, though, the results are usually "inflamed papules" or small, solid inflammations (or skin elevations that do not contain pus), instead of whiteheads or blackheads.

To combat internal stressors and prevent acne problems, here are some suggestions. Get plenty of rest and sleep a recommended average of eight hours per night. Try to maintain regular hours each day, regardless of which shift your work. Some say to focus on reducing SWAT: reduce your stress, worry, anxiety and tension, so journal a little each day mentioning any "SWAT" stressors you've felt. And focus on those that may seem overwhelming or to be taking too long to "end," seeking help from others or other resources as needed for stress management. Check with your dietician or healthcare provider to establish and follow a regular well-balanced dietary and exercise plan of action to keep your body healthy on the inside and outside. Keep a check list of "Things that Calm You" handy for stressful times, like reading a book, resting, listening to music, taking a walk, going out for an ice cream cone, etc.

About the author:
Michael Raetford writes for www.acness.com
You will find a lot of very useful acne information together with news, articles and a huge range of resources. Take a look now!

Share