Grief is a complex emotion that can be challenging for teens to navigate. According to the Childhood Bereavement Estimation Model (CBEM), 1 in 12 children and teens in the U.S. will experience the death of a parent or sibling by age 18. While grief is usually...
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Residential Treatment Length for Teens: How Long Is It?
If your child is about to begin a stay at a residential treatment center, you’re bound to have a lot of questions. What types of therapy will be involved? Will our family be allowed to visit? And, of course, how long is a teen residential treatment program? A...
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If you’ve never engaged with residential treatment centers before, it’s common to ask: is residential treatment considered inpatient or outpatient? Our residential teen treatment centers are considered inpantient because teens stay at our houses during the course of...
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When seeking help for your teen, it’s important to know which mental health conditions can be treated by residential treatment. For teens suffering from mental health disorders, behavioral disorders, psychological disorders, or addiction issues, there are a variety of...
Does Insurance Cover Teen Residential Treatment?
How Much Does Residential Treatment Cost? Cost of Residential Treatment The cost of residential treatment varies between each Residential Treatment Center (RTC). It may range from free (which is very uncommon) to tens of thousands of dollars per month. And if you are...
3% of Teens Identify as Transgender or Gender Nonconforming in America
How Many Transgender Teens Are There? Approximately 150,000 American teens (ages 13 to 17) identify as transgender in the United States today. Of course, there is no general age in which people typically “discover” or “come out” as transgender. Nonetheless, more and...
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It is very common for young people to experience occasional moodiness or periods of sadness. Yet with depression rates on the rise amongst adolescents and teenagers (approximately 12.5% of youth today have experience at least one major depressive episode), it is vital...
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Social Anxiety in Teens: Signs, Symptoms, and How to Help
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What is A Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility?
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What Causes Eating Disorders in Teenagers?
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Body Dysphoria
The Epidemic Behind Gender Dysphoria
Imagine you are an insecure teenager and your body is rapidly going through changes. When you look in the mirror, you don’t like what you see. Although unlike standard insecurities teenagers deal with, this is different. You aren’t happy with what you see because your outsides don’t seem to match your insides. Maybe it’s because you have always felt more like a boy growing up? And now, you’ve started developing breasts. Or the other way around. Since you don’t feel safe telling anyone what’s going on, you begin feeling overwhelmingly depressed.
Trapped Inside Your Own Body
According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the Williams Institute, 51% percent of transgender and gender nonconforming individuals attempt suicide within a given year. Adolescents with identity issues are more likely to be depressed, anxious, or suicidal. This is because they have feelings of varying degrees of being mismatched between their preferred gender and their developing bodies.
Gender dysphoria is a complicated subject for some individuals. It is essential for parents to be supportive when a child is struggling with these types of body issues. Congratulations if your son or daughter has decided to share their true self with you on this topic. It is a gift because they want you to know who they really are. But if you are asking yourself as a parent, what now, here are a few tips we’d like to share:
- First, and most important of all, tell them you love them. Let them know how proud you are of them for sharing themselves with you. Unconditional love should be the foundation for all children, despite what they are going through.
- Stay away from giving your children labels, such as ‘tomboy.’ Let them define themselves when they are ready.
- Be supportive and let them know they can dress any way they want.
- Help them find a support group with other kids that have similar non-conforming issues.
- Seek a professional therapist who can support the adolescent through the process.
- Be sensitive and ask your son or daughter what pronoun they want you to use. If by habit you forget and use the wrong pronoun, just apologize. Don’t make a big deal out of it.
- Be aware if your child is being bullied at school or within the community. Take steps to keep them safe by contacting the school counselor or principal.
- Educate yourself on gender nonconforming behavior. You can do this by finding material that offer parenting strategies. Experts don’t always agree, so find what works for you and what doesn’t work.
- Make sure to see your own therapist so you have the support you need to navigate unfamiliar territory.
Polaris is a residential treatment center that specializes in treating LGBTQ teens. Our hand-picked staff have a proven ability to diagnose and treat gender dysphoria in adolescents. Discover the Polaris difference. and learn about our individualized approach to recovery. For more information on our programs or to get in touch with an admissions specialist, contact us today.
Polaris Teen Center is a residential treatment facility for teens and adolescents suffering from severe mental health disorders. Our highly accredited facility is fully licensed and certified in Trauma Informed Care and is a part of the Behavioral Health Association of Providers (formerly AATA).
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A Parent’s Guide To Navigating Grief In Teenagers
Grief is a complex emotion that can be challenging for teens to navigate. According to the Childhood Bereavement Estimation Model (CBEM), 1 in 12 children and teens in the U.S. will experience the death of a parent or sibling by age 18. While grief is usually...
When to Choose Residential Treatment Over Other Treatment Programs
When seeking help for your teen, it’s important to know which mental health conditions can be treated by residential treatment. For teens suffering from mental health disorders, behavioral disorders, psychological disorders, or addiction issues, there are a variety of...
Does Insurance Cover Teen Residential Treatment?
How Much Does Residential Treatment Cost? Cost of Residential Treatment The cost of residential treatment varies between each Residential Treatment Center (RTC). It may range from free (which is very uncommon) to tens of thousands of dollars per month. And if you are...
3% of Teens Identify as Transgender or Gender Nonconforming in America
How Many Transgender Teens Are There? Approximately 150,000 American teens (ages 13 to 17) identify as transgender in the United States today. Of course, there is no general age in which people typically “discover” or “come out” as transgender. Nonetheless, more and...
How To Treat Teen Depression (A Guide for Parents)
It is very common for young people to experience occasional moodiness or periods of sadness. Yet with depression rates on the rise amongst adolescents and teenagers (approximately 12.5% of youth today have experience at least one major depressive episode), it is vital...
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Teen Depression Prevention: Parent, Friend, and Support Tips
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How to Talk to Your Teen About Depression
Talking to your teen about depression can be a difficult and intimidating task. The adolescent and teenage years are some of the most difficult, due to the immense amount of changes going on in both the brain and the body. These changes affect how teens think, learn,...