Being a teen is hard. You’re dealing with the stress of trying to find your place in the world, the changes that puberty brings, the frustrations of feeling like an adult but being treated like a kid and the pressure to excel in school. It’s normal for all teens to be moody at times, but when someone is actually struggling with mental health issues, it’s important to do everything possible to support them.
However, one parent decided that their daughter doesn’t deserve to go to therapy anymore, at least not until her grades start showing improvement. Below, you’ll find the full story that one father posted on the “Am I the [Jerk]?” subreddit, as well as some of the replies concerned readers shared.
After his teen daughter was diagnosed with anxiety and depression, this father started sending her to therapy
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But when he didn’t see any improvement on her report card, the dad decided the sessions were no longer worth it
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Later, the father shared that he had a change of heart after reading the responses his post received
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Over a fifth of teens struggle with anxiety
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When teens start to act out of character, it’s easy for parents to brush it off as regular teenage moodiness or hormones causing them to not seem like themselves. But mental health struggles are something that should always be taken seriously, regardless of how young a person is.
According to a 2022 survey on teen health, over one fifth of adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 report having experienced anxiety in the last two weeks. And 17% of these teens say they’ve experienced symptoms of depression. But not all adolescents experience these struggles equally.
Teen girls are over twice as likely to report having anxiety and depression than boys their age, and teens in the LGBT+ community are even more likely, with 43% reporting feelings of anxiety and 37% reporting symptoms of depression. And unfortunately, not everyone is in a position where they have access to therapy.
A fifth of teens said they weren’t going to therapy because of the cost, fear about what others would think and/or because they didn’t know who to ask for help. But it’s important that these mental health issues are not overlooked.
Mental health issues should always be taken seriously
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KFF reports that fatal drug overdoses among teens have more than doubled in recent years, and the vast majority of teens report spending over 2 hours a day on screens, which can be detrimental to their mental health as well. According to the CDC, suicide is the second most common way for teens and young adults to die. And 22% of high school students admit that they’ve seriously considered suicide during the past year.
It’s completely understandable for parents to be concerned about their children’s performance in school. But it’s much more important to have a child who is alive than to lose your little one due to the unbearable pressure of trying to balance good grades on top of everything else.
When it comes to why teens, especially those struggling with mental health issues, should be in therapy, CareSpace notes that it promotes self-awareness, encourages teens to improve their communication skills, provides healthy coping mechanisms, can build a healthier mindset and can reduce the risk of mental health issues in the future.
Teens battling depression need love and support
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The Child Mind Institute also recommends supporting depressed teens by making sure they have access to treatment. Parents should be supportive and focus on the positives and help their teens find the best therapy option for them.
It’s recommended that moms and dads do their research about therapists in the area, as well as different styles of therapy, and present their teens with a few options that might work for them. That might be interpersonal therapy (IPT), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), as all have been successful in treating depression in teens. As a parent, your job is trying to make the process as easy and smooth as possible for your child, so it won’t feel overwhelming.
It’s possible that a teen’s grades won’t improve after going to therapy, but as long as their mindset and mental health improve, that should be all that matters. We would love to hear your thoughts on this story in the comments below, pandas. Then, if you’d like to read another article from Bored Panda discussing similar themes, look no further than right here!
Readers were quick to give the father a reality check and call him out for ending his daughter’s therapy
