Later this month, on November 16, schools and other facilities will be honoring the contributions that parents make in the lives of their children on National Parental Involvement Day. A parent is a child’s first teacher and is also usually the person who will be concerned about and rooting for their child for a lifetime. At Paradigm, we also honor the importance of parents in the lives of their teens.

The Impact of Parent Support on Teens

If you are the parent of a teen who has struggled with or is currently struggling with depression, anxiety, an eating disorder, a substance addiction, or any other condition, we’d like to thank you for your devotion to your child and also remind you of how your support helps your teenager.

1. You provide emotional support to your struggling teen.

It’s very difficult for anyone, regardless of age, to cope with a mental health condition. When it comes to adolescents, they are learning how to become the people they will be as adults in addition to coping with a challenging condition. Your love and emotional support during the good times and the bad times is something that they will look back on throughout the rest of their lives, even if they might not show their appreciation right now.

2. You set an amazing example for your child.

Not only are you sticking by them during the hard times, but you’re also learning about their condition and learning how you can best help them. They see those hours you spend researching and talking to doctors. They know that you are worried and that you are not giving up on them. This is the type of sacrifice and love that they will remember and emulate as they grow into adulthood, have relationships, and maybe have their own children someday.

3. You make recovery more likely.

Without a good support system, it’s more likely that a recovering teen will relapse and not have anyone to catch them when they fall. Simply by being there and being involved, you are poised to notice the signs of a relapse in your child’s condition and you are in the position to get them the help they need to continue on their road to recovery.

4. You help defeat the stigma of mental health issues.

By supporting your teen and talking to others about your experience, you help spread the word that mental health issues are not the fault of the person who has them. You also encourage your teenager by believing that they will get better!

Thank you Parents!

The mental health professionals at Paradigm know that a loving family makes recovery more likely for struggling teenagers. On National Parental Involvement Day, we’d like to not only thank you for all that you do but also encourage you to stay involved as your teen approaches adulthood. He or she will need you for years to come as a steady source of support.