Action

This can be complex and difficult to explain.

After considering some of the potential biological issues, any troubling behavior you have noticed, and the traumas your child may have experienced, taking action is next.  The main thing is to determine if your child’s moods or behavioral changes are simply situational and will pass, or are chronic or extreme issues requiring clinical help. Talk with your pediatrician or MD, find a therapist, psychiatrist, homeopathic doctor, a nutritionist, neurofeedback care, church/youth leaders etc…

Before you take action, PRAY!  Ask God to guide you, keep you calm, and direct you to people you can safely lean on through this process.

Each child’s steps to getting help will be different, and each will have a different result. Working with a team of professionals can reassure you of going in the right direction for more complex issues. 

 IF YOU NEED TO TAKE A “STEP FURTHER”

• Find a therapist or counselor (referrals are so helpful; ask your community)

• Consider a psychiatric evaluation

Some helpful things to ask before you commit to an appointment:

• What are your specialties?

• Do you have alternative therapies or approaches toward….?

• Do you see patients under 18?

• Will you collaborate with the team I want to put in place?

• Do you charge for consultations?

• Can you meet with the family, or just my child alone?

• Do you take insurance? If not, would you work for a discounted rate if needed?

• What are your core values and beliefs? 

Finding a good therapist or counselor is crucial.  Your child must feel safe and willing to share their true feelings and behaviors, so you may have to try a few.  Don’t settle.  It will be worth your effort!

Other Things to Consider

• Full blood panel, including thyroid, hormones, brain glands (pituitary, hypothalamus)

• Genetic mutation testing (MTHFR)

• Toxicity testing

• Brain mapping (Neurofeedback)

• Find an MD or pediatrician who listens and is willing to go the journey with you

• Diet change: Foods to add, foods to subtract

Nutritional Factors

What is your teen eating or NOT eating?  Some foods may make your child feel sick, tired, or anxious.  The environment may also play role in eating habits.  Creating a more peaceful, quiet space may be helpful. Lack of healthy, nutritious foods can wreak havoc on a child’s system and affect mood stability. Consider …

• Too much sugar

• Dyes

• Allergies to foods

• Not enough protein

• Not enough real food

• Eating the same foods without variation

Get Organized

1.     Get a notebook just for this situation. It will help you stay organized when connecting and asking questions from professionals, friends, and those you counsel with (my notes app just didn’t cut it.)

2.     List what issues have been identified (anxiety, depression, trauma, self-harm, etc.)

3.      Prioritize the immediate need.  Could be finding a therapist or MD, or making changes at home.

4.     Very Important - Write out your child’s journey in a brief explanation, in order to keep your phone interviews clear and to the point. This will save you lots of time when searching for the right fit for a therapist or medical/natural medicine doctor.

5.     Keep a list of who you call, what they do, and what they say.

6.     Keep track of referrals: I do strongly believe that personal referrals for a mental health specialist is best.

7. Pray and believe for them when they can’t.

8. Don’t take their behavior personally. Hard as it is to believe, this is not about you.

Through following these steps: observation, conversation, consideration, and taking action, families have gained clarity regarding the causes of their child’s mental health conditions, and have been able to turn their mental health and lives around in a shorter amount of time with great success and healing. 

I want to be completely real… Helping your child move toward greater mental health takes enormous dedication, prayer, patience, grace, and tenderness.  But you are the perfect one to get them through it!

WE HAVE SEEN AMAZING CHANGES ALREADY!

Through our conversations with parents, they were able to understand their child’s struggles, allowing for a different level of empathy, care, and support. This has helped families grow stronger rather than further apart.

• We are planning to provide a parent curriculum soon to make an impact for change and reach more troubled families. 

• We’ll be posting and connecting you to resources that will help you, the parent, to understand some of what is really going on with your teen, how to gently cope with them, and sort through the maze of care that’s out there.