Guide helps parents recognize teen stress signs, triggers, and impacts. It highlights benefits of counselling, professional support by Melbourne psychologists, and services by Your Mind Matters, including telehealth.
People can be scared of many different things, such as dogs, aeroplanes, needles or insects. And the degree to which we’re fearful of these things can also vary. For example, I personally am scared of birds (this is also known as ornithophobia). Yes, I know…terrifying. However, it’s a mild fear, as this does not stop me from walking through a park where I know birds will be present, or walking down the sidewalk when I see them on the footpath in front of me. I may not like it, but it doesn’t interfere with my life. Unfortunately, this may not be the case for everyone, because, as mentioned above, the degrees of fear can vary. Many individuals will go out of their way to avoid that which causes fear. Some may never go on a desired holiday, or see family interstate due to being frightened of flying. Others may avoid going outside in spring and summer due to their fear of bugs. In these circumstances, seeing a psychologist can be helpful, in order to help tackle this issue.
One way to do this, and my preferred way, is through systematic desensitisation. This involves gradual exposure to that which causes fear and discomfort. To start off, I work with my clients to develop a hierarchy, starting with what causes the least amount of fear, or anxiety, and building up to that which causes the most fear. It’s important that clients follow these steps in an environment that is safe and predictable. Let’s use fear of dogs as an example. Depending on the severity, step one may be just talking about dogs. Believe it or not, this alone can be enough to cause uneasy feelings for some. I ask my client to rate their anxiety level for step one (1-10). The idea is that the more the client is exposed to this step, they will become desensitised, leading to their self-rating to drop over time. Once the client is comfortable and essentially bored with this step, we then move onto step two. Step two may involve looking at pictures of dogs. For example, I would advise against going to a dog park to observe dogs there, as this is an unpredictable environment, as we cannot control or stop a dog from running up to the client, which could lead to more distress. Moving on, step three may involve looking at videos of dogs. Once again, the client would continue to rate their level of discomfort, and eventually, once this drops to an extremely comfortable level, we move on to the next step. Eventually, the aim and goal would be to have the client comfortably sitting in a room with the dog, and even interact with a dog.
In addition to a hierarchy, it is beneficial to work on breathing strategies in sessions as well. These help ease some of the discomfort within each step. Learning to challenge unhelpful and unrealistic thoughts via CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) is also very helpful, as often, we overestimate the level of threat, and are more fearful of certain things than necessary.
If an individual has an animal-related fear, such as the above, it can be beneficial if the psychologist they are working with utilises animal-assisted therapy. Therapy dogs are generally quite well-trained and love people. Exposure to therapy animals is done in a safe and predictable environment, and it’s reassuring to know that the specific dog is friendly, and that the handler (in this case, the therapist), has an understanding of the client’s fear, and can work with the client in a manner in which they are comfortable. As opposed to attempting to interact with a dog at a dog park, or on the street, which is less predictable. However, it is important to ensure that the psychologist and therapy animal you choose to work with are suitable for your own level of fear, as some dogs can be more excitable than others and may not be suitable for someone who has trouble even being in the same room as a dog.
Luna in her therapy dog vest.
If you think working with a psychologist would help you tackle your fear, give us a call to find a psychologist that is suitable for you. Please note that Johana is able to assist with clients who have a moderate fear of dogs, as Luna is an excitable dog.
Our Blog Author
This post was written by Johana Xanthopoulos, Clinical Psychologist at Your Mind Matters. Johana works with children and adolescents, with particular experience in autism, anxiety and depression, and has completed Animal Assisted Therapy training with her dog Luna. She is fluent in English and Greek. Meet our team.
Adolescence is the peak age of onset for many mental health conditions, with half of all mental disorders usually starting by mid-teens. Despite the increased awareness of mental health issues through a number of initiatives, almost a quarter of Australian teenagers exhibit symptoms of mental illness.
If you’re an adolescent, or the parent of an adolescent who is struggling with mental health issues, here are some tips to work towards improved mental well-being.
Getting sufficient amounts of good quality sleep is integral for mental health. Inadequate sleep has been linked to depression and substance abuse problems. Teens aged 14–17 require 8 to 10 hours of sleep a night, but it is common for this to not be attained due to school pressures, social life commitments and use of electronic devices.
To achieve better sleep habits, try developing an evening and bedtime routine, turning off all electronic devices at least half an hour before going to sleep, limiting caffeine after midday and trying to get some exercise and sunlight during the day.
Spending time with friends and family is a vital part of mental well-being. Regardless of how busy your study, work and social schedule is, make sure you make the time to be with people who elevate your mood.
Relationship breakdowns can trigger negative feelings and depressive symptoms, but these feelings should improve over time. It’s important to seek out the support of others during this time and avoid using drugs or alcohol to cope with the pain.
The food you eat has an impact on your mental as well as physical health. High sugar and fat diets have been linked with emotional and behavioural problems in young people and may negatively affect mood, concentration and general mental health. Adolescence is also a peak time for developing eating disorders, with most young people knowing someone who might have an eating disorder.
A healthy relationship with food is vital to reducing the risk of developing eating disorders, but also to prevent conditions such as obesity, which may result in low self-esteem and also physical implications.
Slowing down your pace and mentally removing yourself from everyday worries can help you to deal with stress more easily and prevent you from becoming overwhelmed.
Deep breathing, mindfulness meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, creative visualisation and yoga are all effective relaxation strategies which are simple to learn and readily accessible on the internet and through phone apps. A simple warm bath, time outdoors in nature, calming music or pursuing hobbies are all excellent distractors.
Alcohol and other drugs can briefly make you feel an improvement in your mood, but they can have detrimental impacts in the long run, particularly if there are pre-existing mental health issues.
Using drugs and alcohol as an attempt to self-medicate for depression, anxiety and other issues can increase risk of self-harm and also lead to more chronic substance use problems in the future.
Family and friends are a great source of support, but sometimes things can seem so overwhelming even for them. In those cases, seeking professional advice and support from a trained psychologist can assist young people and their families to work through their challenging situations.
If you or someone you know is going through difficulties and needs support, our team of psychologists are here to help. Call us on (03) 9802 4654 or book an appointment online.
If you need support right now
If this is an emergency, call 000. For 24-hour support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or text 0477 13 11 14. Kids Helpline is free and confidential for anyone aged 5 to 25, on 1800 55 1800. For support with eating and body image, the Butterfly National Helpline is on 1800 33 4673. More options are on our resources page.
Our Blog Author
This post was written by Lana Lubomirska, Senior Psychologist at Your Mind Matters. Lana works with children, adolescents and adults from a range of cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds, and is committed to providing a client-centred, safe environment for every individual. Meet our team.
