As an adult, we want to look after our youth. We find it our duty to keep them safe and out of harms way. When that harm is not from an outside source, it’s hard to know when you need to reach out. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness,1 “one in five young people ages 13-18 have, or will have, a serious mental illness in their life. Half of all lifetime cases of mental illness start by age 14.” 

Caring for a child is challenging and stressful, and becomes even more taxing when that child struggles with emotional and/or behavioral issues. When this is the case, your family will be working through many worries, fears, and concerns about your child’s future and general wellbeing.

“13 Reasons Why” is a show created by Netflix depicting a high-school student who commits suicide and leaves behind a set of pre-recorded cassette tapes that describe her painful experiences with peer pressure, bullying, and sexual assault. Jay Asher, the author of the book released in 2007, shared in a recent interview, “When we do or say things, we can never know exactly how another person is going to take it because we don’t know what they’ve already dealt with.”

Information about mental health and well-being is more accessible than ever before, but many people are reluctant to admit they are unhappy or unwell. Negative stigma and misperceptions of mental health conditions leave people afraid to ask for help.

Many people think Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) shows itself in non-intrusive behaviors like washing their hands constantly or turning lights on and off a certain number of times.

You can’t avoid the headlines about sexual assault, these days. Many women and men are coming forward to make their abuse known. But sexual assault is just as likely to happen to a child or adolescent.

Social media is a large part of our society today, but is the everyday use of social platforms harming our young kids and teens? According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, families should be aware of the potential negative effects of social media. Here are six key points about how social media may be impacting your child’s mental health.  

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, some “40 million people aged 18 or older in the United States, 18 percent of the population, will suffer from an anxiety disorder each year.”

Clinical depression is a very common condition. In fact, “approximately one in five Americans experience an episode in their lifetime. However, despite its prevalence, only about 50 percent of people who suffer from depression actually receive treatment.”

The phrase isn’t uncommon. It is used so much that most people don’t know exactly what it means or if there is truly a cause for concern. According to Medical News Today, a “nervous breakdown and mental breakdown are dated terms describing emotional or physical stress that temporarily makes someone unable to function in day-to-day life.”