INDIANA – As parents, we care deeply for our children and would do anything in the world to help them through difficult times. It can feel defeating when we realize our children may need outside help that we are unable to give them.
If you choose to get your child professional help, please know there is nothing to feel bad about; in fact, it speaks volumes that you care enough to take the step to get extra support for your child.
Every child is different, so while one child may come to their parent asking for professional help, others might not feel comfortable asking for help at all. This is where parents can step in if they notice signs that their child may benefit from professional assistance. Some of these signs could look like the child struggling to express emotions in healthy ways, substance use, sleep disturbances, changes in appetite, isolation, engaging in risky behaviors, or even persistent physical symptoms like stomachache, headache, chest pain, etc. Parents know their children best, so when our gut is telling us something is off, it likely is.
Some children may be resistant to the idea of seeking professional help. Although it has improved significantly over the years, there can still be a stigma or negative perception associated with needing extra support. If you want to introduce the idea of seeking professional help to your child but are unsure of how they will respond, consider the following points.
First, tell your child that you want to empower and strengthen them. Seeking outside help is all about growing stronger and learning the tools they can use in times of high stress or emotions. Remind them that the emotional discomfort they are feeling is something that does not have to be their norm, and that seeking extra help is a way to combat it.
Remind your child that seeking help may take time. Suppose your child can enter the process knowing that this is an investment in their mental health (and not necessarily something that will change overnight). In that case, it helps them think realistically about the process and avoid discouragement if they don’t immediately see drastic results.
A big thing we can do as parents is to remind our kids that they are not in this alone. Not only will they now have added support through an outside professional, but you, as their parent or guardian, will still be with them every step of the way. Let them know that you will still be as involved as they are comfortable with, and at the same time, give them space if that is what they need. As parents, we can show our children that they don’t need to feel uncomfortable about seeking professional help, and at the same time, they still have us to fall back on.
Amy Back, MSW, LSW, is a Youth First Mental Health Professional at St. Wendel Catholic School in Posey County. Youth First, Inc., is a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening youth and families. Youth First provides over 100 highly trained mental health professionals (primarily master’s-level social workers), prevention programs, parent engagement coordinators, and bilingual support personnel to 126 schools across 14 Indiana counties. Over 53,000 youth and families are served annually by Youth First’s school-based social work and community programs, which promote mental health, prevent substance misuse, and maximize student success. To learn more about Youth First, visit youthfirstinc.org or call 812-421-8336
