It’s easy to preach self-love or tell a person with anxiety that they need to put their needs first. It’s not that girls don’t hear these often enough; it’s just that they have no reason to believe that they deserve the love everyone says they should give themselves. It doesn’t come easy when they look at their monumental failures and compare these with seemingly minute victories. For girls, especially teenagers, everything seems to be an uphill climb.
Parents stand on uneven ground when it comes to helping their child. When you push your teenage girl too much, they might withdraw even more. If you don’t push them enough, they might feel neglected. If you have no idea how to approach the situation, perhaps it’s better to give them a productive outlet with the help of a therapist.
You’re No Expert
As much as you want to help your child, you may say something wrong even if you do not intend to. You can only do so much to help, especially with the limited knowledge you have.
Your good intentions are better spent looking for a therapist who specializes in anxiety in teenagers, or perhaps in checking Eva Carlston review articles before deciding to enroll your child in a program.
Given that programs aimed at helping teenage girls involve staying in a residential center, you’ll want a place where they feel comfortable. They should feel cared for, and their specific needs should be met. Otherwise, this will be yet another failed attempt at helping.
Art Therapy Has Long-term Effects
Your child may grow out of their teenage anxiety if a therapist has helped them during this trying time. However, this doesn’t mean that they’ll be immune to anxiety or depression in their adult years. Take this into consideration when choosing different treatment options. Aim for something that can help them now and can impart in them helpful coping and management practices that will serve them in the future.
A treatment center that offers art therapy as a way of dealing with anxiety, for instance, lets girls let out their emotions through art. This practice may even stay with them in adulthood. Everything they learn will be useful long after they’ve graduated from the program.
Your Support Matters
Though you’re deciding to let qualified therapists take the helm, this doesn’t mean you just have to sit back and watch. More than ever, your child needs your support. Though you’ve accepted that you’re not an expert in dealing with anxiety, let your child know that you’re still available in case they need to talk or they have fears about the treatment not working.
This is where all your speeches about self-love will come in handy. Show your child that you love yourself so they’ll know how to love themselves as well. Be a good example of putting your own needs first. When they see you in the best mental health, they’ll strive to be better as well. Your own struggles may even help your child accept that their struggles.
You don’t have to rely on your limited knowledge to help your child deal with anxiety. Sometimes, it’s better to admit you don’t know what to do, and let therapists take over.
