Signs Your Teen Child Might Need Counselling

Adolescence is a stage of life full of ups and downs caused by the search for identity, the loss of innocence, and the sudden awareness of the fragility of life. Therefore, it’s crucial to focus on children going through their teenage years. Although melancholy, social anxiety, and mood instability are normal during teenage years, you should realise if your child needs help to cope with some situations. Knowing if your kids are going through developmental depression or atypical depression can get tricky when they're teens due to the lack of communication. 

To help your teenager to go through this stage with better tools and to avoid more serious emotional instabilities, you can seek the help of an NDIS provider or psychologist. If you’re not sure whether or not your teenager is going through a hard time, you should keep an eye on certain things.

1. Participation in drug use or other illegal activities
   Even though experimentation with alcohol and drugs in teenage years is common, having your kid coming back home frequently drunk or high is a red flag. Drug or alcohol abuse can lead to serious problems, and you should act immediately. Kids going through atypical depression are more prone to develop an addiction to substances.
   
   
   Also, being involved in illegal activities is an attention call that something is going wrong. Try not to blame your teenager for their behaviour because it can make conflicts go from bad to worse. A professional should be the one taking care of the matter and helping your kid to find other ways to blow off steam. 
   
   
2. Poor sleep schedule
   If you see that your adolescent is having a hard time going to sleep, it can be an indicator of anxiety. For instance, insomnia is an indicator of atypical depression too. Also, your kid's performance can be affected by this issue, so don’t forget to ask your son or daughter how well they’re sleeping.
   
   
   On the other hand, sleeping a lot or being in constant fatigue can be a sign of something not going right. So, if you realise that your kid is suffering either from poor sleep or extreme fatigue, then it would be time to ask for professional help.
   
   
3. Changes in their school performance
   If your teenager used to have good grades in school, and suddenly that changes, then you should be alert. The reasons for a change in their school performance can be plenty. Try to communicate and ask your kid if he/she needs help with any subject in school. A tutor can be the solution if your teen is struggling.
   
   
   If you have already tried private lessons, but things don’t seem to get better, then it would be time to call an NDIS support coordinator. 
   
   
4. Changes in their friend circle or relationships
   We know that people change, and it’s common that friendships might end. However, facing this type of scenario in the teenage years can be hard to cope with for some kids. Therefore, it’s important to seek professional counselling so your kid can develop useful tools that will help to regulate their emotions and build better relationships.
   
   
   As well, pay attention to the behaviour of your teen’s friends. Some relationships can’t end well if they’re being victims of manipulation, not respecting their boundaries, etc. 
   
   
5. Shows anxiety about the future
   Feeling overwhelmed when thinking about the future is common but can lead to mental health issues. For example, a teenager can experience panic attacks in cases of severe anxiety, and they can get worse over time if you don’t seek help. If you realise that your kid is having a hard time coping with thoughts about the long-term or mid-term future, then don’t wait any longer and ask for the help of professionals.
   
   
   There are great coping mechanisms that will decrease the levels of anxiety of your teen. Hence, your kid will live his/her life with more peace of mind.
   
   
6. Poor diet and lack of exercise
   A typical depression can be followed by a lack of appetite or a sense of upset stomach while eating. That can be dangerous because being malnourished can affect your kid’s health. Also, a lack of exercise can contribute to turning a development depression into an atypical depression. Exercising will liberate dopamine and endorphins that will play part in improving the state of mind.
   
   
   If your kid doesn’t seem like eating or doing any type of physical activity, then try to encourage him/her to do so. If that fails, then professional counselling can be the solution.
   
   
   Well, when you realise that your teenager doesn’t enjoy the activities that they used to, is a red flag. The lack of interest is an indicator that something is not going well in their life. So, if you find that your kids are experimenting with one or more of these points, then don’t lose more time and ask for professional advice. Make your kids know that you’re there to be their support no matter the situation and that you care about them.