Caring for Yourself and Your Family

When one person struggles, the whole family feels it. This guide is for you: guilt, your own anxiety, your relationship, siblings, and how families change around a struggling teen.

We're not clinicians or doctors, and this practical guide isn't medical advice. For guidance about your teen, always talk with their doctor or therapist. If you're worried about their safety, call or text 988, or call 911.

9 articlesBy Jeremy MannéMore on the way

If you're new here, start with these

Start here

When One Person Struggles, the Whole Family Feels It: Family Systems for Parents

Family systems thinking treats a family as a connected whole, so when one teenager is struggling, every parent, sibling, and routine in the house tend…

Then

Guilt, Blame, and What Parents Need to Hear

Parental guilt is one of the most common reactions to a teen's mental health struggles, and a 2024 review of 32 studies found that parents often descr…

Then

Caring for Your Marriage or Partnership When Your Teen Is Struggling

A teen's mental health struggles often strain the parents' relationship, because both partners are frightened, tired, and making hard decisions with l…

Every article in this guide

Parents & Families

When One Person Struggles, the Whole Family Feels It: Family Systems for ParentsFamily systems thinking treats a family as a connected whole, so when one teenager is struggling, every parent, sibling, and routine in the house tends to shift around that struggle.9 min Guilt, Blame, and What Parents Need to HearParental guilt is one of the most common reactions to a teen's mental health struggles, and a 2024 review of 32 studies found that parents often describe guilt, helplessness, and sadness, with mothers reporting high levels of self-blame.9 min Caring for Your Marriage or Partnership When Your Teen Is StrugglingA teen's mental health struggles often strain the parents' relationship, because both partners are frightened, tired, and making hard decisions with little time to talk.9 min When Parents Overcompensate for a Struggling TeenOvercompensating for a struggling teen usually means rescuing them from discomfort, walking on eggshells, dropping limits, or doing tasks they could manage, and it almost always comes from love and fear.8 min Your Own Anxiety as a Parent, and How It Moves Through the FamilyFear and anxiety are natural responses when a teen is struggling, and parents of children and teens with mental health difficulties report average anxiety scores in the clinical range, according to a 2024 review in BMJ Mental Health.9 min Supporting Siblings Who Feel Overlooked When a Teen Is StrugglingSiblings of a struggling adolescent often hide their own feelings so they don't add to the family's stress, which makes them easy to overlook even when they are having a hard time.9 min Timing the Hard Conversation With Your Teen: When and How to StartA hard conversation with a teen tends to go better in a calm, low-pressure moment, because a teenager who is upset, exhausted, hungry, or embarrassed in front of others has far less room to listen.9 min When to Get Your Own Therapist as the Parent of a Struggling TeenParents of a struggling teen should consider a therapist of their own when stress, worry, or low mood has affected their sleep, health, work, or relationships for more than a few weeks.9 min Parenting a Struggling Teen Is Hard: You're Not AloneTeen mental health struggles are common, and in a 2023 CDC survey 40% of U.S. high school students reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness during the past year.8 min

When it's more than home can handle

You don't have to figure out the next step alone

We're not clinicians, so the Getting Help guide explains your options in plain language and points you toward people who can evaluate your teen. If you're worried about safety, call or text 988, or call 911.

Levels of care, explained →What level of care your teen needs →Crisis options →