Teen Isolation

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Does your teen frequently appear depressed and isolated? Are you unsure on what you can do to help your teen? To help understand common reasons a depressed teen may isolate themselves and what you can do to help your depressed isolated teen, I have interviewed therapist Kim Plourde LCSW. Tell me a little bit about yourself. "I have worked with children and families in variety of settings, for the past 20 years. I have been in clinical practice for the past 6 years. I enjoy working with families as they grow together in love." What are some common reasons a depressed teen may isolate themselves? "The biggest reason I believe is that they are scared of being rejected by either their peers or their parents. That fear can seem so overwhelming …show more content…

When trying to regulate the fear their brain actually goes into survival mode and they will either become hypo-aroused or hyper-aroused. Which means that they will either hide (hypo) or act out (hyper). These behaviors then scare peers and parents as well as other professionals. We need to look beneath the behavior and empathize with the teen's emotional state of fear then listen to what the teen is saying." How can a parent help their isolated depressed teen? "Parents need to stay in a relationship with their teen children. Yes this is a difficult developmental time for relationship but that is critical for a teen that is isolating or depressed. A parent first needs to be aware of his or her own emotional reaction to their teen's behavior. I suggest to parents to sit down and breath slowly until they are calm and can identify what emotion they are experiencing. Then I ask them to identify what that emotion is connected to within their live experiences. Once they identify that then I ask them to set their 'stuff' aside and think about what their child may need at that very moment. It is often that their teen needs somebody to love them, understand them, support them and …show more content…

For more information on Kim Plourde or her work you can check out her website on www.thetalkzone.net. Recommended Readings: Disciplining a Rebellious Teen How to Help Your Teen Overcome Depression Risk Taking Teen and Parental Behavior
As a teacher of students that deal with depression and the mother of five boys, I can tell you that it is hard to assess if your child is suffering from the blues or is clinically depressed. You're the mom or the dad and you worry. Who doesn't, right? Here are some ideas you can try to see if the depressed mood is temporary or more significant. The important part is taking an active stance in making a change. A good solid support system in place is vital for healthy and well adjusted teens. In fact, research does show that a good solid support system is instrumental in curbing and sometimes stopping major depressive episodes. So, here are some things to try to bring back balance: LISTEN This sometimes is the toughest thing for many of us to do, especially with your child. Trying to solve the problem may not be what your son/daughter

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