How Grief Counseling Can Help A Teen Get Back On Track Academically
No matter how much a teenager may wish that he or she didn't feel anything, emotions are an inevitable part of the human experience. While emotions are ever-present in human beings of all ages, they can seem more severe and overwhelming to teenagers. When teens experience a loss, their grief can feel even more deeper and unbearable because they likely haven't developed great coping skills to handle those complex feelings yet.
Also, even without grief, most teenagers have a tough time handling their emotions at least some of the time. That can wreck an otherwise great academic record. Here's how therapy can help a teen regain their previous academic glory.
Teens Need Help with Perfectionism
With the idealism of youth sometimes comes unrealistic expectations of one's self and others. Although a teen can realize that they need to stop being so hard on themselves and giving in to perfectionist tendencies, it can be a lingering problem unless the young person seeks professional help for the issue. When they are also grieving, they may even be harder on themselves than usual. It's normal for teenagers to try to be perfect during a loss in the family to avoid being a burden to others.
Therapy can help the teen let go of the perfectionism that can be so detrimental to their ability to thrive in school. It can also help some teens work through their pain with eating disorders that sometimes happen when teens have a teen to control a life that feels like it's out of control.
Teens Feel Empowered with Impulse Control
Impulse control can plague some teenagers. That's only natural with all the difficult emotional and hormonal changes that are inevitable as well as the temptations that may be introduced into their lives. Decision-making skills are important for teenagers to develop, and therapy enables them to better manage their impulses, so that they can act in a way that is truly in their best interests.
Oftentimes, after a loss, a teen may be tempted to do something self-destructive, but therapy can help them avoid that. It can also help them focus on schoolwork without demanding too much from themselves. When teenagers work on their struggles with impulse control in therapy, they can see improvements in many areas of their life. It can help them avoid making bad impulsive decisions that could have changed their life for the worse.
Teens Need Help Finding Balance
Few times in a person's life are likely to feel quite as imbalanced as the teen years. A teenager may face pressure from their parents to do well in school, stress from friends who introduce peer pressure into their lives, frustration from siblings who may challenge their place in the pecking order of a family, and confusion at how to please their teachers.
That's not to mention additional stress from extracurricular activities, jobs, volunteer work, and their changing bodies. Add in a major crush to the mix or something as profound as a deep loss, and it's easy to see how any teen's life can feel out of control. A therapist can help a teenager in their quest for balance by dealing with their emotions and planning to take actions that will best serve their life.
Finally, keep in mind that your teenager cannot simply bypass emotions because they don't feel good. They need to grieve their loss. If a teen tries to ignore their issues and continue you through life, they may start to have chronic problems. The neglect of emotion needs even sends some teens down the path of addition, eating disorders, and other behavioral problems. Be sure to make a therapy appointment for your teen who is struggling emotionally to see what kind of help may be available. A funeral home, like Brown Funeral Home, can help with grief counseling.
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