You Think You’re Stressed! Let’s talk about teens, stress, and anxiety AG

What Stresses Your Teen Out? AG

Negative ways teens deal with stress Self-medicating Using drugs or alcohol Self-injury Avoidance Procrastination Over preforming AG

Stress is Real and it’s Here to Stay Stress comes from a primitive part of our brain that tells us to be afraid. So, some fears are worthy and some are not. Stress looks forward and backwards to the what if's and I should have's. BF

Types of Stress There are two types of stress: –Eustress (good, motivating) –Distress (bad, hard to cope with) It is important to identify causes of stress and manage them with either changes of behavior or attitude. How do you know when your teen is stressed? BF

The Science of Stress Stress is regulated by the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal gland. SS

What About Anxiety? Anxiety is a normal part of childhood, and every child goes through phases. A phase is temporary and usually harmless. Warning signs: Panic attacks Avoidance of places or situations Obsessions or compulsions Re-experiencing of traumatic events and avoidance of stimuli Persistent and excessive anxiety and worry SS

Other Mood Disorders Major depression Cyclothymia Dysthymia Bipolar I Bipolar II SS

Signs and Symptoms Disinterest in favorite extracurricular activities Problems at school and losing interest in school Substance abuse, including alcohol and drug (illegal and legal drugs) use Behavioral problems Withdrawing from family and friends Sleep changes Changes in eating habits Begins to neglect hygiene and other matters of personal appearance Emotional distress brings on physical complaints (aches, fatigues, migraines) Hard time concentrating and paying attention Declining grades in school Loss of interest in schoolwork Risk taking behaviors Complains more frequently of boredom Does not respond as before to praise Changing friend groups Isolating from friends and family SS

How To Deal Validation –I hear you saying you feel really sad. –That sounds very painful. Ask open-ended questions –Have you ever felt really depressed? –How long have you felt that way? –Has this happened before? How long did it last? Be in contact with your child’s therapist and psychiatrist Get therapy for yourself –Sending only the kid gives them the message: “I am broken, and they want this therapist to fix me.” –It is hard to watch your kids struggle! SS

Stress Management Tools Sleep Eat right Avoid caffeine Exercise Music Relaxation techniques Prayer/spirituality Set priorities Study smarter, not harder Planning/organization Compartmentalizing BF

Coping With Stress 1. Identify causes –What stresses you or your children? 2. Change what you can –Attitude…listen to negative messages, listen carefully to your child's negative messages –Gratitude…count your blessings, but recognize some things are just simply hard 3. Learn to let go 4. Teach your children these lessons as you go by talking to them about your process BF

Jesus' instructions from the Sermon on Mount Mt 6:25: ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? AG

The Message? “Don’t worry”… That’s easy for him to say! AG