Warning signs that parents of teenagers just have to pay attention to

No parent wants to think that their child may harm themselves, but recently revealed data show that there is a real cause for concern.

Enlightened Foundation

10/06/2022

Friday, June 10, 2022, 12:30 p.m.

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The corona is disappearing from our lives, the masks have been removed, at least for now, and life is seemingly back on track.

But the youth in Israel are still recovering from the closures, zooms and masks, and in many ways the social distance is only getting worse.

Recently, additional data have been revealed that reveal an increase in distress, aggravation of the risk situations and extremes in the mental state of the youth in Israel.

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To the full article

Elam's recently published annual report reveals surprising and shocking data;

1,432 teens and young people tried to harm themselves in the past year, 1.5 times compared to 2019. 1.5 times reported drug use, 1.3 times alcohol use, and 2.2 times suffered from eating disorders.

All adversity is extremely serious and worrying.

But of these, there are a number of situations that meet the definition of self-harm and self-destruction, our situations as parents, as educators, as caregivers, it is especially important to be vigilant about them.

Every element that turns on a red light is a warning sign along the way - and it is important to act soon.

1. Cuts, independent tattoos and self-violence

Long-sleeved, self-made tattoos, cuts in hidden areas - these are just some of the examples of self-harm that teens do or hide and think no one knows.

Self-harm is a "tool" for teens, through which they can deal with difficult life situations and express feelings, such as:

• transferring the emotional pain to actual pain

• hurting themselves as part of self-hatred, guilt and / or self-flagellation

• experiencing a "hi" feeling, Catharsis

Self-harm is a "tool" for teens.

Sad girl (Photo: ShutterStock)

If we search well, we usually find a cause, life story, distress or trauma of some kind, that in adolescence the flood of that cause or trauma was so great, and is the one that actually led, in order to dissipate its strengths.

If we do not know how to look for self-harm then we will probably not find them.

2. Drug and alcohol use

While reality invites youth to return to the pre-Corona pre-routine, many adolescents have found themselves for many months in a state of apathy, lack of motivation for learning and development.

The closures, the anxieties, the economic pressure in the home and the conditions of uncertainty, intensified risky behaviors and escape to substances that obscure the difficulties and pressures that the corona created.

Since during the Corona, most frameworks did not function as usual, more teenagers began to meet in gardens and parks in an unsupervised manner, in spaces without boundaries and without mature and intentional figures.

Dramatic increase in risk situations and use of addictive substances (Photo: ShutterStock)

The result has been a dramatic increase in risk situations and the use of addictive substances, mainly alcohol, and its consequences are evident to this day.

As a result, we have seen in recent months an increase in discourse on issues of depression and suicide.

In addition, teens who started drinking alcohol while in the corona find themselves today in a cycle of dependence and continue to consume alcohol, sometimes at a level that significantly impairs their functioning.

3. Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are an injury to the body, a body that carries trauma, an injury, a story.

Through engaging in eating disorders one can not think about the real harm and convert all the thoughts in the day into matters of eating itself.

Like many other emotional difficulties, the last two years have led to worsening of symptoms.

At the same time, quite a few teens have fallen into the category of eating disorders or body image problems following the corona.

The prolonged stay of teens in the last two years on zooms and social networks has encouraged comparisons and much preoccupation with the visibility and absorption of distorted social messages that encourage unattainable external models, and it has damaged self-esteem and caused an increase in eating disorders.

This is part of the long-term consequences and damages of the Corona Age.

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Staying at home for a long time without a lot of occupations, has often made food a significant occupation.

The impairment of routine and feelings of uncertainty over the past two years has made food a means of dealing emotionally with uncertainty and instability and gaining imaginary control, at a time when teens felt deprived of the experience of control.

These consequences are evident to this day.

So how can we help our adolescents?

The adolescents of us all are in danger.

Whether it is adolescents who have already experienced difficulties in the past and these have worsened during the corona, or whether they are adolescents who have entered the circle of risk or are experiencing emotional difficulties as a result of the last two years.

It must first be recognized.

The difficulties of the youth cannot be silenced and they require an emotional response.

It is important to remember that teens express distress differently from adults.

They do not always know how to express their feelings in words and give them the right place.

They also do not always trust the adult world and will often prefer to approach the peer group or keep in the stomach.

If we identify something, it is important that we know how to ask about it.

How to ask?

Gently, in touch, when there is trust.

When these are held the youth will share us.

When they share they expect us not to panic or run away but mostly to listen.

Obviously the first thing we want to do is tell them to stop self-harming.

But, this reaction is not always effective enough, as self-harm serves them for self-calming or for the variety of reasons mentioned above.

So what is it?

● First express concern and empathy.

Do not try to solve or educate but be there for them, attentive and enveloping

● Think of initial ways to regulate and provide an informal initial emotional response - such as drawing, writing, running

● Turn to qualified therapeutic professionals, each case individually (family doctor, psychologist , Psychiatrist, rehab center, eating disorder center, etc.)

It is important to remember - self-harm usually tells us about another problem, rooted and deeper, and only over time and within a deep connection, will we share.

Distress can be expressed openly and demonstrably, or completely hidden from us adults.

Depressed girl (Photo: Giphy)

It is of great importance, especially in the post-Corona era, to pay attention to abnormal changes in adolescent behaviors, such as sleep and eating disorders, closure, depression, statements that indicate hopelessness and being trapped, statements such as 'no point in life', or more subtle statements that indicate depression and loneliness Gaza and the feeling that 'no one knows what I'm going through.

' Extroverted sexual behavior, weight loss or gain, etc. That is, distress can manifest itself overtly and demonstrably, or completely hidden from us adults. Of course, it should be remembered that part of adolescence is characterized by changes and dramas, A question or conversation and whether through an external approach to help.

. Elem's annual campaign is currently taking place (for donations click here), which floods the serious hardships of Elam youth centers, on the street, on the Internet, at shelters for homeless young people and in other projects the country runs.

To support Alem: https://bit.ly/3lGRB4W

• health

• psychology

Tags

• Teens

• Adolescents

• depression

• anxiety