Ep. 81: What to do about teenage anxiety when they don't feel like they fit in

Dr Beth Mosely MBE talks to Helen about feeling different as a teenager, rebelling agains her parents to figure out her own identity, and trying to fit in with her peer group. We talk about what causes anxiety in teenagers, how it manifests, and what we can do as parents to help teens accept themselves in order to manage anxious feelings. 

We discuss: 

• Social media - why it isn't to blame, and what to do about it
• Why filters in photos might be a good thing
• Feeling different
• Why teenagers don't really trust their friends
• Preparing our children for the reality of growing up in a world we didn't experience
• How to understand how your child sees the world, and support it when we don't get it

Who is Beth Mosley?

Dr Beth Mosley, MBE, is a clinical psychologist who works with children and adolescents, and the author of Happy Families, a family handbook to help parents understand their child's mental health, and how to help them with anxiety. Beth is often asked to appear on TV and radio to talk about mental health on BBC News, ITV, Channel 4 news, as well as BBC radio.

Her book Happy Families is available now (affiliate link).

More teenage parenting from Helen Wills:

Helen wills is a teen mental health podcaster and blogger at Actually Mummy, a resource for midlife parents of teens.

Thank you for listening! Subscribe to the Teenage Kicks podcast to hear new episodes. If you have a suggestion for the podcast please email teenagekickspodcast@gmail.com.

There are already stories from fabulous guests about difficult things that happened to them as teenagers - including losing a parent, becoming a young carer, and being hospitalised with mental health problems - and how they overcame things to move on with their lives.

You can find more from Helen Wills on parenting teenagers on Instagram and Twitter @iamhelenwills.

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Please note that Helen Wills is not a medical expert, and nothing in the podcast should be taken as medical advice. If you're worried about yourself or a teenager, please seek support from a medical professional.