Helping Kids with Anxiety and Depression - iBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women - November 14, 2024
"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ." Galatians 6:2 (NIV)
I'm not a parent, but as a teacher-turned-author, I've worked with 1,500 students over the last five years. Sometimes, helping them through their struggles felt like pulling teeth or giving birth. I don't want to know what either of those experiences feels like, but I know they're unpleasant.
Does helping our kids with anxiety and depression always have to feel this way? I don't think so! While helping teens and young adults with mental health issues can be challenging, there are three tools I believe we can use to better bear one another's burdens. (And it doesn't include hauling a heavyweight backpack filled with bricks along the way.)
In Galatians 6:2, we are called to “bear one another’s burdens.” These words are written by Paul in his address to the Christian churches in Galatia. Brothers and sisters in Christ, believers, are encouraged to help each other through difficult times, fostering a sense of unity and compassion.
Supporting our kids means doing the same. Not only should we uplift them, but we should help them know they're not alone in their struggles. We should help them find peace and balance in their emotions, and rely on Christ through the process. Here are three practical steps to foster open communication:
1. Encourage Open Dialogue: Create a safe space where your child feels comfortable sharing their feelings. Listen actively to understand their experiences. Remember, most of us listen to respond when what we need to do is listen to hear. Open dialogue means thinking before we speak and empathizing with their thoughts, feelings, and emotions. Your child won't want to talk to you if you're dismissive or act like their problems aren't real!
2. Seek Professional Help: While not all children, teens, or young adults who suffer from anxiety or depression will need professional clinical help, some very well may. There's a huge difference between a child facing typical anxiety as opposed to panic attacks or generalized anxiety disorder. You can learn to know the difference by becoming informed, talking to a school counselor or therapist, or talking with your child's medical doctor.
Normalize seeking professional help as a sign of strength. When worries or mood struggles persist, help and encourage them to seek counseling. I recommend getting recommendations and referrals and researching Psychology Today.
3. Teach Coping Skills: While many coping skills are taught in therapy, you can integrate simple practices like deep breathing and journaling into daily routines. These skills can help your child process their feelings and develop healthy coping mechanisms. And it also helps you as a parent or caregiver, too! I've never refused the time or opportunity to breathe deeply and realign my feelings.
One of my favorite coping skills includes using a feelings wheel. Children can struggle to identify what they're feeling, so using this chart can encourage them to name the emotion, process it, and then share it with you and the Lord.
During my fifth year of teaching, I learned that our role in supporting children and teen's mental health is vital. A student approached me with some tough questions regarding faith and mental health. Instead of offering generic advice, we explored these practical steps together. I shared my story and reminded them that spiritual disciplines are essential but so are actionable tools.
One of the best ways to help kids, teens, and young adults open up and heal is to share your experiences. Why? Because it models vulnerability.
There were many times students came and talked to me because I openly shared what I was experiencing with the class. I wasn't ashamed to share who I was and what I was going through. And you shouldn't be either. If you can do this with your child, it can help them feel less alone and more willing to open up.
Let's pray:
Dear God,
I pray for every parent, caregiver, grandparent, teacher, or child who might be reading this post today. I hope that these three tools will help them not only reduce anxiety and depression in their children but also help them feel less alone. We know that Christians aren't immune to these struggles, but living in a fallen world, we know that we may very well face them. Please equip, encourage, and strengthen them as they learn to bear one another's burdens, and let them know that you're walking with them through the journey. We love, praise, and thank you, Jesus. Amen.
Agape, Amber
Photo Credit: ©Juliana Libermann/Unsplash
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If you've been feeling tired, overwhelmed, depleted, or just quietly wondering where God is in the middle of a very full life — this episode is for you. And honestly? It might be for me too, because I'm recording this in one of those seasons myself.
Today we're doing something a little different. Instead of going deep in a passage, we're talking about what to do when deep feels like too much — when you need less, not more. Specifically, I'm walking you through one of my favorite practices for weary seasons: handwriting scripture.
Not typing it. Not scrolling past it. Actually writing it out, slowly, in your own hand — because something happens in your brain when you do that. The words land differently. They go deeper. And over time, they become part of that personal library of God's voice that the Holy Spirit can pull from when you need it most. That's what Psalm 119:11 means when it says I have hidden your word in my heart — it's scripture moving into your long-term memory, where it lives and stays even when you haven't opened your Bible in weeks.
I'm sharing the five verses I wrote out for myself today — and why each one hit me fresh even though I've known some of them for years. This episode is part of our How to Study the Bible Podcast, a show that brings life back to reading the Bible and helps you understand even the hardest parts of Scripture. If this episode helps you know and love God more, be sure to follow the How to Study the Bible Podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
