distress

1. They need to know it’s not punishment

Parents need to emphasize that their teen doesn’t need to get mental health or substance abuse treatment because they’re getting punished. Rather, they have to go because they need help and their life is unmanageable the way they are currently living. To get this message across accurately, don’t bring up the issue of teen treatment when you’re upset at your child. Stay calm and logical.

When experiencing intense negative emotions, it’s not uncommon to feel like “this will never end” or “this will last forever.”  It’s not surprising that when in this distressed state of being, one might resort to the use of unhealthy coping mechanisms (like binge eating, use of illicit drugs, self-harm) in an effort to self-soothe.  Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) founder Marsha Linehan developed distress tolerance skills that are easy to access and straightforward to help people use more adaptive, less destructive strategies when in crisis.