Teenagers go through a variety of emotional ups and downs: With peer pressure, parent approval, school studies and sports, stress is one certainty in the lives of many teens. Teenagers may not express their feelings as readily as adults, so identifying signs your child may be under stress can be challenging.
Step 1
Consider your child's work load both academically and outside of school. It could be that he is taking on too many difficult or challenging academic classes along with after-school activities. Grueling sports practices that take up most of his free time can easily interfere with his school work and his social life. This brings on added stress and can trigger things such as difficulty concentrating and chronic worrying behavior, explains Lifespan.org.
Step 2
Discuss day-to-day life with your child. If your child is difficult to read, sitting down and talking with her may help you identify signs of stress. Having a relaxed and open discussion may get her to open up about her feelings. If she is having peer conflicts or feels misguided with friends and family members, she may share she is starting to withdrawal from certain people or engaging in her usual activities -- a sign that stress may taking over.
Step 3
Look for signs of stress and depression. There may be subtle signs he gives off that could easily go unnoticed such as a change in eating habits, an unusual sleeping pattern, irritability, low self esteem, reckless behavior, violence, feelings of guilt, anger, anxiety, feelings of hopelessness and talk of suicide or hurting himself.
Step 4
Remain in tune to her life. If your daughter is stressed out, she could turn to drugs and alcohol to sooth feelings of anxiety. Make her responsible for where she goes and who she spends her free time with. Instill boundaries about where she is allowed to go and what time she should return home. Enforce rules and holds her accountable for her actions.
Step 5
Look for signs of severe stress and depression such as him saying he is sad and severely depressed, overwhelmed or has spoken of suicide. If so, seek help from a licensed therapist or medical doctor. Involve your son's school principal, teachers, counselors and school psychologist to come up with the best overall treatment plan.
Step 6
Learn to identify signs of addiction such as changes in behavior, asking for more money than usual or slurred speech. Your daughter may be using drugs or alcohol to sooth her stressful lifestyle. Check for the smell of liquor on her breath and for empty alcohol bottles in her room. Also look for remnants of marijuana, empty aerosol bottles and unidentifiable substances or pills.
Tips and Warnings
- Offer positive advice for your teen to deal with his stress effectively such as exercise and making healthy food choices.
- Do not ignore signs of drug or alcohol abuse. If you find drug paraphernalia in your daughter's room, destroy it immediately. If your son is severely stressed, contact your local hospital for medical assistance.
