Teenagers are stressful, unpredictable, and moody, but that is all because their bodies are changing in some very big and important ways. Understanding how puberty affects their bodies – and more importantly, their mental health – can help you as a parent care for them in ways they don’t know they need.

For teens, it can be challenging to disassociate how they feel from a hormone imbalance. They feel what they feel, and it is your job as a parent to understand the signs and get them to help if their mental health tips the balance into another disorder entirely.

From depression and anxiety to binge eating and anorexia, there are so many different concerns to worry about as a parent. Still, thankfully early detection and treatment can help your teen make a full recovery.

Learn About the Different Mental Illnesses with Your Daughter

You will need to approach this from a non-judgmental way. An excellent way to do that is, instead of saying you are both learning about this for her or because you are worried about her, but because knowing can enable her to help a loved one in the future.

By researching, you will both be able to spot the signs of a mental illness or addictive behavior, especially if your teen is acting suspiciously. Those who suffer from binge eating, for example, don’t exhibit many of the same symptoms as other eating disorders. Still, their habits can be equally destructive, and assuming that they are just overweight and need to go on a diet does not help and can actually make their disorder worse.

By understanding the symptoms, you can get your teen the help that she needs from centers like Eden Treatment. Approaching these issues with compassion and a real solution, rather than just forcing a diet or trying to shame her of overeating.

Be Supportive

If she gets drunk with her friends and needs a ride home, she should feel safe calling you. If she’s had a hard day at school, she should be able to tell you. You need to make it evident that you will help her judgment-free, no questions ask if she needs it. Punishment can come later, but the last thing you want is for her to be struggling and not come to you. Do this, and you can be the one she turns to when she is struggling with her mental health. You won’t always be able to spot the signs, but she will feel them first-hand, so you need both of you on-board with her mental health.

Work with Her Through Her Recovery

Detection and support are great, critical components to helping your daughter as she works on her mental health with a professional. Chances are, however, your help won’t stop there. From here on out, you are going to want to work with her therapist or counselor to provide the at-home guidance she needs. This might be something fun like going with her while she starts new hobbies that will improve her wellbeing in making sure she follows through with her at-home activities. Work with her therapist so that you can provide the care at home she needs.