It was the right call.
Five years later, Marie says her son is doing well.
What is your child or teens baseline?
If you see those patterns changing, err on the side of caution.
Its better to give your child a support system than wait it out.
What happens in a psychological evaluation?
It typically consists of interviews, tests and questionnaires, Duffy says.
A provider might conduct it all in one session, but Duffy prefers to meet several times.
Where do I start?
If you know ofor have a relationship witha therapist, Duffy suggests starting there.
Ask them to recommend therapists who specialize in evaluation work.
I always encourage parents to talk to them.
They will have names and numbers and people they prefer over others.
Hurley suggests reaching out to your parent web connection or pediatrician.
They will have resources at the ready, Duffy says.
What should I tell my kid?
Make it part of a bigger conversation about the importance of mental health in general.
If you are having a hard time emotionally, we are responsible for that, too.
This is just part of taking care of you.
How do I know if its an emergency?
Your child may actually tell you they are in crisis, Duffy says.
If your kid is telling you they are in trouble, listen and take action.
Evidence of self-harm, such as cutting.
Your child is clearly struggling but refuses to talk to you at all.
Dramatic shifts in behavior that are negative.
What do I do if its an emergency?
Call 911 right away, Duffy says.
Hurley warns parents not to sleep on any serious concerns.
Thats not a risk that anybody should be willing to take, she says.
We tend to minimize our childrens mental health issues, because we place the blame on ourselves.
A good place to start is your city or county behavioral health department.
There is no situation in which you are powerless, Duffy says.
If you are not offered a plan going forward, you should demand it, says Marie.
After a few months of the family therapy, things started looking up, Marie says.
Within the first year, she began to feel hope that her sons condition would improve.
Now, five years out, life is more or less back to normal for the family.
There are several hotlines nationwide staffed by teens who are trained in peer support.
One of the biggest isTeen Line.
TheQPR Instituteoffers a technique to draw someone out who is expressing suicidal thoughts.
