Therapy for Adolescents

It's no doubt that the adolescent years can be a challenging time, with a combination of hormone and body changes, social pressures, pressure to make choices about the future and navigating the transition into adulthood.

Of course, all adolescents go through turbulent times, but sometimes these changes can be overwhelmingly distressing, and the help of a professional is needed.

Unless your teenager has expressed concerns, it's hard to differentiate between normal teenage behaviour and a potential behavioural problem or mental health condition.

Therapy can offer vital support if your teenager has expressed difficulty coping emotionally. Offering a safe place to express themselves can help them better understand their thoughts and emotions and learn adaptive coping skills, such as emotional regulation.

What are the benefits of therapy for adolescents?

Therapy provides trauma support.

Trauma can be described as any deeply distressing or life-altering event. It can harm a person's mental health, self-esteem and ability to cope with everyday situations.

There are three types of trauma:

• Acute trauma resulting from a single incident such as an assault, crime incident, accident, natural disaster or traumatic loss.
• Chronic trauma results from an ongoing series of traumatic events, such as emotional, physical or sexual abuse, experiencing neglect, ongoing bullying or due to a medical illness.
• Complex trauma results from multiple traumatic events over a long period.

Therapy can help your adolescent by giving them a safe place to express themselves, a deeper understanding of how their trauma has affected them and how to overcome negative feelings associated with trauma, such as loss, guilt and shame.

Therapy provides support for mental health and behaviour conditions.

The World Health Organization estimates that 1 in 7 adolescents experience a mental health condition, many of which remain untreated.

Common mental health disorders in teenagers include mood disorders, such as depression and bipolar disorder, anxiety, ADHD, eating disorders and substance abuse disorders. Therapy can help adolescents develop new thought patterns, understand their feelings and assist them in making positive changes.

For example, suppose you notice that your teen has shown a change in behaviour, which may be highly destructive and challenging. In this case, therapy can help them understand the root causes of aggressive and/or other unhelpful behaviours, how and when they arise and how to respond to triggering situations, thoughts and feelings.

Signs that indicate a possible behavioural problem or mental health condition

• Stating that they feel hopeless or depressed.
• Increasingly isolating themselves, showing no interest in the hobbies or interests they previously had.
• Significant changes in sleeping or eating patterns.
• Trouble focusing and performance in school and sports diminishes drastically.
• Teachers or school bodies complain about their behaviour or performance.
• Drastic or risky behaviour, showing signs of extreme anger or aggression.
• Expressing a wish to die or stating that death would be an easier solution to their problems.
• Deliberately hurting themselves by cutting, burning, pulling out any hair on the body and picking on scabs to prevent healing.

Therapy is not only beneficial for managing negative feelings and disorders, but it can also be beneficial for developing healthier self-esteem, learning healthy boundaries, and learning communication skills.

In cases of an emergency

If you cannot reach Dr Aqeela and feel that you cannot wait for her to return your call, please get in touch with your general physician (GP) or the nearest casualty and ask for the psychologist or psychiatrist on call.

Alternatively, you can contact:

• South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG): 011 234 4837
• Akeso Psychiatric response unit (24 hours): 0861 435787
• Suicide Crisis Line: 0800 567567

If your teen has expressed a wish to harm themselves or active plans to take their own life, or you require immediate medical attention, please go to the police station and your nearest hospital.