Is It Time for Therapy? How To Know if Your Teen Needs Help

Your teenage son holes himself up in his room once again this evening, occasionally emerging for food or drinks. You receive nothing more than a few grunts as a reply to your questions and attempts at conversation.

But lately, despite what you understand can be normal teenage angst, you think you see something more. Is there pain in his eyes? Is it loneliness? Is he dealing with something significant at school?

Despite your efforts, he refuses to disclose anything to you, but your gut tells you that something is just not right. You consider enlisting the help of professionals for mental health support, but then wonder if you’re going too far.

Read further to understand why mental health support is so important for teens, and when you should pursue conversations with a therapist.

Table of Contents

• Why Mental Health Support Matters for Teens
• How Do You Know When Your Child Needs To See a Therapist?
• 8 Signs Your Teen May Need Therapy
• Don’t Wait for a Crisis — Kiwi Recovery Is Here To Help You Proactively Support Your Teenager’s Mental Health Through Therapy

Teens and young adults face a multitude of mental health challenges, which can easily lead to a decline in overall mental health, along with the potential to trigger negative or harmful behaviors.

The focus of mental health support is to address these challenges before they result in a crisis, serious behavior patterns, or addictions.

Mental health challenges that teens face may include:

• Academic expectations
• Athletic performance pressures
• Identity development
• Social media
• Bullying
• Eating disorders
• Self-harm
• Volatile home situations and family dynamics
• Relationships
• And more

Studies report increases in rates of anxiety, depression, and overall emotional distress — especially since the global pandemic in 2020. Professional guidance and early intervention are vital to diagnose and stabilize behaviors or conditions as quickly as possible.

Kiwi Recovery is focused on adolescents and young adults. Our clinicians and therapists want to aid in recovery and assist each individual to meet their goals. If mental health challenges are making life difficult, our programs offer assistance and pathways to sustainable recovery.

While mental health concerns can present themselves at any age, the years of adolescence and young adulthood are a common period of life where symptoms emerge.

Parenting is tough work, and even more so if you are concerned your child is struggling with mental health issues or instability.

Keep reading to understand more about what can be normal and what may require professional intervention.

#1: They Seem Angry All the Time

As teens and young adults, hormonal changes can wreak havoc on emotions, which is a normal process of maturing.

Explosive or aggressive anger, on the other hand, may require professional intervention. Assistance from a therapist can help individuals understand their feelings of anger and how to effectively regulate their emotions.

If bouts of anger continue to be uncontrolled, it can lead to further challenges with relationships, school, and work situations.

#2: Their Eating Habits Change

Adolescence is a difficult transition period for teens as they move through puberty and significant body changes.

Eating disorders often begin in adolescence and need to be addressed promptly to avoid long-term concerns.

Signs or symptoms of an eating disorder may include:

• Significant weight changes or fluctuations
• Eating in secret
• Binging and purging
• Negative comments about their body
• Negative comments about comparison of themselves to other teens
• Attempts to hide weight changes, such as wearing too-large clothing

#3: They Become Withdrawn

It is usually normal behavior for teens to hibernate in their bedrooms. However, if sudden withdrawals or complete avoidance from family occur, it may indicate a more serious problem.

Whether your teen shares concerns or not, seeking the help of a professional counselor can help them work through the problem.

#4: They Lack Motivation

If your child  was once self-driven and suddenly lacks motivation, it could indicate a larger concern, such as:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Stress
• Substance use
• And more

#5: They Are Overly Anxious

Anxiety and worry will surely creep up at times in life, but chronic anxiety, depression, or worry can indicate a disorder.

Professional support may help manage anxious disorders or situations such as:

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Test or school anxiety‍
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

#6: They Are Coping With Big Changes

Big life changes are difficult for individuals at any age, but an adolescent or young adult whose brain is not fully developed may have additional challenges.

Life events or changes that can be difficult to process may include:

• The loss of a loved one
• Parents get divorced
• Moving
• Change of school
• Gender or sexuality issues

#7: They Are Failing Academically

Failing classes or sudden changes in school habits can be a cause for concern.

Not only can academic failure be a present problem, it can also be a catalyst for further issues if a student is made to repeat school years.

There are numerous potential causes of a child’s grades suddenly declining, and a trained therapist may help identify the issue to get the student back on track.

#8: Your Gut Tells You Something’s Wrong

Your parental instinct is nagging at you.

It may not be something with life-altering circumstances, and instead could be something that your teen just needs some extra guidance to navigate.

Regardless of the potential impact, it is always better to err on the side of caution and enlist professional help.

At Kiwi Recovery, our clinical teams understand the mental health concerns and addictions that teens and young adults face daily. With the appropriate treatment, recovery can be achieved, along with skills to effectively navigate the tough times in life.

Clinicians at Kiwi can treat the following conditions:

• Depression
• Anger management
• Eating disorders
• Trauma or PTSD
• Anxiety
• Bipolar Disorder
• Dual diagnosis conditions
• Addictions

Outpatient care is individually tailored to the needs of each teen and their families.

The following programs are offered based on diagnosis and appropriate settings for care:

• Adolescent Program
  
  • Ages 12-18 years old
  • Afternoon or full-day programs
  • Individual therapy
  • Group sessions
  • Evidence-based approaches designed specifically for adolescents
• Young Adult Program
  
  • Ages 18-25 years old
  • Morning or full-day programs
  • Individual therapy
  • Peer groups
  • Holistic activities
  • Provides therapeutic structure during the time an individual is facing increased independence with decisions and significant life transitions

Allow mental health struggles to become part of your past and not your future.

Kiwi provides adolescents and young adults the support they need to take control of their lives—and we support their families every step of the way. At Kiwi Recovery, you’ll find more than a treatment team. 

Contact us today to find a partner in the journey to healing.

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The content in this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.