Pages

Saturday, April 21, 2018

How To Deal With A Teenager Broken Heart

By William Fox


It is safe to say the occasional heartbreak is part and parcel of life. The experience can be dreadful, especially for one still in the throes of teenage life. Here are a few insights for parents looking for ways to talk to a teenager broken heart.

Convincing your teenage child to talk to you when heartbroken can be a hard sell. If it is his first experience, the emotions can overwhelm him, further pushing him towards the danger of self harm. To succeed in counseling him, you need to show that there are better days ahead despite the prevailing difficulties.

The rule of thumb as a parent is to be cognizant of the fact that males and females react differently to breakups. Boys have an inherent tendency to keep things bottled up and avoid speaking about their experiences. Girls, on the other hand, are always open to talk.

Sadly, many parents usually make the mistake of shrugging off the love experiences of their children as a passing thing. While the typical adult has had many experiences and may not be greatly affected after a breakup, the same cannot be said about a teenager. Teens have very little or no experience when it comes to love and heartbreaks, hence the prevalence of drug abuse and suicide amongst those who get dumped.

Telling a heartbroken teen that he will meet someone new may actually do more harm than good. The best way to go about it is to approach the situation with some sense of empathy. You want to give him ample time to go through the grieving, albeit while monitoring him. It would also be prudent to spend time listening to him.

As you counsel your child, avoid letting the conversation solely dwell on the prevailing situation. The conversation should be geared towards helping the person forget about it. It is advisable to adopt a wait and see approach, primarily to let the child gather enough confidence to ask for help. Forced conversations are never fruitful. Luckily, history has shown most teenagers make the first approach after they start grieving.

Parents can always strengthen the relationships with their children through trust. One trick to earning trust is conversing about similar experiences. This way, you help get the person out of feeling isolated and show that you understand what he is going through. Valuable life lessons are learnt through experience. All the while, ensure your tone remains non confrontational.

By all means, do not contact the person who caused the heartbreak. This also extends to his parents. Allow your child to build an independent mindset. Being confrontational will only worsen the situation.

Some teenagers take long to heal from heartbreaks. Sadly, extended grieving often leads to depression. This is a state that you do not want your loved one to get to. Mood swings and isolation are the hallmarks of depression. If the grieving drags on, go for professional counseling.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment