D r. Charleen Wilder, clinical director of Upside Therapy and Evaluation Center in Plano, Texas, may be earning a living as a clinical psychologist today, but at an early age, she was cultivating her gift of counseling through journaling.
Her high school journals bear witness to daily accounts of advice, triumph, and stressful teenage ups and downs that led the way to her life-long mission. Every pen stroke revealed the truth of the day. It exposed setbacks and progress. It built wisdom and memorable moments for future reflections.
Journaling became her end of the day self-expression that closed another chapter or opened a new one.
Her ability to be a good listener and show empathy has always revealed her purpose to become a psychologist. As an observer, I enjoyed watching her greet others with a hug and a warm smile. It became her superpower that her friends and family never saw coming. Within minutes, her warm personality made you feel comfortable and safe to speak freely. The same kind of freedom desperately needed today to help teens feel seen and heard, combined with the willingness to listen with an open heart, can help many avoid falling victim to mental health pitfalls.
In 2024, Mental Health America reported that in America 20.17% of youth aged 12-17 experienced at least one major depressive episode in the past year. They reported that girls are twice as likely as boys to experience clinical depression. Children who identify as more than one race have a higher rate of depression (16.5%). And suicide is the third leading cause of death for people aged 15-24, with one adolescent dying by suicide every 100 minutes.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
According to Wilder, journaling can be a valuable tool in managing stress, but it does not work for everyone. It depends on the individual’s personality and preferred method of self-expression. Many people do not enjoy journaling their feelings and experience stress relief through other means. But journaling can be beneficial to those who enjoy self-reflection and writing. For others, they may prefer activities like exercising, crafting, deep breathing exercises, yoga, etc., to manage their stress.
Journaling can also be used to figure out how you feel about something or think through a situation. However, it is not one size fits all and would not necessarily be the most effective problem-solving strategy for all situations.
It’s also important for teens to be aware of a few stress triggers. Some triggers include loneliness, feeling like an outsider, being disconnected from people around them, not feeling good at anything.
Some tell-tell signs of stress include prolonged changes in mood, irritability or shift from normal behavior, such as, if they are normally interactive and now, they spend more time alone and withdrawn. If they are eating less or sleeping less. All of these are signs to pay attention to.
It’s also important to distinguish the difference between unhealthy stress and healthy stress. Wilder said healthy stress is related to a task that feels motivating and achievable. Unhealthy stress is attached to endless and overwhelming tasks, with no resources to achieve the outcome. Also watch out for burnout situations that become burdensome and feel more high stakes.
Keep in mind that managing stress is the goal, not eliminating stress. Some stress can help you become resilient and able to manage future tasks and challenges. But in some cases, it may be hard for teens to effectively advocate for themselves in various situations because they often do not have much of a voice.
One step in advocating for themselves, however, is developing relationships with those that can be their ally such as parents, teachers, counselors, doctors, or peers; people who can help them develop and execute a plan.
So, if you have a child that gravitates toward writing, encourage them to journal. Even consider making it a family activity. It can be a bonding activity, but it also can be a way that the parent can model managing stress.
More importantly, there is help. If you need support during a mental crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Brenette Wilder, formerly of Altheimer, is a blogger at wordstoinspire105953116.wordpress.com and author of Netted.