A Message for the Parent of a Depressed Teen

Mike Veny

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A Message for the Parent of a Depressed Teen

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I was recently asked, “What do you wish your parents would have done differently to help you as a teen with mental health challenges?”

And you just brought me back to like being in my bedroom as a kid at night and feeling the pain of depression and just not knowing what to do with it. You know, just angry, overwhelmed with emotion.

Here’s what I wish looking back would have been done by my parents. And my parents did the best they could. I’m beyond grateful and I’m getting a little emotional as I talk about this, but it’s an important thing here.

One thing that I really encourage parents to do if you have a child who is struggling is to get help for yourself. Let me say it again. If you have a child who is struggling with mental health, get help for yourself because you going to therapy as a parent is going to teach you some things about yourself that are going to help with helping your child or young adult in your life.

So it’s really, really important to do that.

The other thing, when it comes to parents, and I’m just going to say it: If you have a child who is struggling, it does not mean that you are a bad parent. Let me say it again. If you have a child who is struggling, it does not mean you’re a bad parent. It simply means that your child is a human and that’s okay.

 

Mike Veny

Mike Veny won Corporate LiveWire’s 2022 & 2023 Innovation & Excellence Awards for his work as a Certified Corporate Wellness Specialist®. He also won NAMI New York State’s 2023 Leader Of Mental Health Awareness award. As a PM360 ELITE Award Winner, he was recognized as one of the 100 most influential people in the healthcare industry for his work with patient advocacy. Determined to overcome a lifetime of serious mental health challenges, Mike’s career began as a professional drummer and evolved into becoming a change maker in the workplace wellness industry. Mike is the author of several books, including the best-selling book, Transforming Stigma: How to Become a Mental Wellness Superhero. He is currently furthering his knowledge at Maharishi International University, pursuing a Consciousness and Human Potential degree.