Highly Creative Adolescents Can be Emotional.
With all of the emotional upheavals that can arise during typical adolescent development, distinguishing the difference between normal tween and teen emotion disruption or a mental health concern that warrants intervention can be a huge challenge.
If you are a parent of a creatively driven tween or teen, this may be especially concerning. Creatives are often highly sensitive people. They are sensitive to the feelings of others and they are often in touch with their own feelings. They care very deeply about the people and world around them and how they are perceived and how they both present to others and if they are meeting the needs of others.
Normal Developmental Challenges or Something More?
Mental health concerns stress, emotional well– being, relationship challenges often start in a manner that feels manageable. First break-ups, hard classes, changing friendships, increased expectations, increased competition are all expected challenges and hurdles during middle and high school.
Combine this with the normal hypersensitivity and hyper self-awareness of tweens and teens, and you have a potential to become vulnerable to mental health issues. Fifty-percent of serious mental illness begins by age fourteen. Seventy-five percent will show signs by age twenty-four. As a parent, that is a very scary thing to see.
If you find yourself confused about whether high sensitive, deeply feeling, creatively driven tween or teen is simply going through normal adolescent upheavals, or if they are becoming overwhelmed or struggling emotionally, here are some things to consider when determining if intervention is warranted.
How is your adolescent doing in school?
Have you noticed any downturn in their grades? Are they putting in the same amount of effort into completing work as before? Are they getting into trouble at school – not turning in work or acting out with teachers and peers? Are they avoiding school? Is there a sudden uptick in the number of days they say they don’t feel well enough to go to school?
How are they doing socially?
Do they feel good about the social opportunities and activities they have in their lives? Have they expressed feeling left out or excluded from activities? Do they have a group of people who support them in the activities they enjoy? Are they avoiding social outings?
Has there been a change in friends?
Have you noticed a change or rift with their closest friend(s)? Are they angry with all of their friends? Do they complain that no one gets them or likes them? Are they suddenly hanging out with all new friends? Do they have no friends?
Has there been an increase in negative emotions?
Have you noticed increased anger or irritability? Do you feel they spend more time feeling anger or irritable than other more positive moods? Are you seeing increased sadness? Are they constantly worried about something? Does the worry overwhelm them at times to the point of not functioning or tears? Do these negative emotions interfere with their day-to-day life?
Have there been changes in health habits?
Have you noticed your adolescent suddenly sleeping way more or way less than they did previously? Do they report they are always tired or do they nap whenever there is any downtime? Any change in eating habits – eating far more or less than they used to? Demonstrating less concern about grooming, appearance or showering consistently?
Have there been changes in their interests?
Have you noticed a dramatic change in your adolescents’ interest in things that used to matter to them? A sudden disinterest in activities that they previously enjoyed? Are they avoiding that activity? Would they prefer to sleep instead of engaging in the activity? Do they suddenly seem miserable when engaging in that activity?
These are all signs that there may be a more serious issue occurring than just “teenage moodiness”, especially if you notice them occurring together. Getting a professional opinion is indicated to rule out any mental health concerns that require intervention and professional support. If you continue to have concerns if your adolescent is experiencing a normal tween or teen emotional disruption or a mental health concern, keep the following in mind.
Any of the following warrants immediate intervention:
- Participation in illegal activities
- Acting out sexually
- Self-harm including cutting
- Abusing substances
- Running away or disappearing for periods of time where you cannot reach them
- Excessive risk taking
- Thoughts of suicide, making a suicide plan or attempt
- Thoughts of harming someone else
