How Residential Treatment Centers Focus on Mood Regulation

We can all be moody at times. That’s just a part of being a human juggling life, work, responsibilities, and feeling like we’re running on empty much of the time. There’s also often the idea that teenagers are just moody, whether due to hormones or as a part of growing up in a stressful world. In truth, while teens can be moody for any number of reasons, there are some situations where a teen struggles to manage his moods. He may appear to be overreacting to something that doesn’t warrant an intense outburst or reaction. He may get angry, frustrated, upset, and even tearful when the situation doesn’t seem to match up to how he’s reacting.

Being unable to regulate moods can lead to several problems for your teen now and as he grows into an adult. Getting him the right kind of help is important in guiding him to the behaviors and mood regulation he needs. 

Understanding Mood Issues in Teens

It’s quite normal to see variations in mood, even from hour to hour. Our moods are typically related to our thoughts about the things happening around us, or about things that happened recently. Teens can certainly have big reactions to these situations and events. This doesn’t always point to an underlying issue, but this may be the case in some situations.

• Depression may be one of the contributing factors to your teen’s moodiness. If your teenager is displaying some of the signs of depression, it’s important to take him to see a mental healthcare provider so that he can get evaluated and treated.
• Developmental changes in both the activity in the teen brain and hormonal fluctuations can result in teens having a heightened interpretation of the situations around them and the things that people say.
• Struggles with bullies and peer pressure. Teens may not know how to best handle these situations so it may come across as moodiness and irritability.
• Mental health and behavioral concerns such as reactive attachment disorder (RAD). Getting the right type of treatment for concerns such as RAD is an important part of helping your teen learn how to regulate his moods and emotions.
• Difficulties with parents and siblings in the home. Whether your teen is combative with one of his parents or a sibling or is perhaps having a hard time dealing with changes within the family, it can all lead to him acting out, being angry, coming across as moody, and even displaying aggressive or violent behavior when he doesn’t know how to regulate his moods.

These factors can all come together to make a teen’s emotions and moods seem unpredictable or volatile. This can certainly be disruptive and unsettling for parents and others caring for the teen. However, for many teenagers, it’s quite often considered to be a normal aspect of their development to see intense and rapid changes in mood.

How Treatment Can Help Teen Moods

Treatment for your teen should help him to learn the best methods of mood regulation. In treatment, your teen will learn several strategies that will allow him to cope and heal.

Some of these strategies may include the following:

• Learning how to identify and reduce the situations that trigger his moods and outbursts.
• Recognizing how to tune into the physical symptoms he experiences when he is triggered.
• Learning how to pause and make the right choices when responding to situations or conversations.
• Identifying positive emotions and tuning into them when things are getting challenging.
• Learning how to engage in positive language and self-talk.

The sooner you get your teen the help that he needs, the sooner he will be on the path to better understanding his reactions. And better understand how to respond in a much more positive manner.

Outpatient Therapy For Teens?

Many types of therapy can prove highly effective in treating struggling teens. That said, some teens may need better focused and more intensive treatment to give them the best possible chance at learning effective mood regulation. Even in the most supportive of family situations, some teens simply can’t focus on treatment and making good mental health progress. If their concerns originate from school or peer struggles or difficulties within the home, a residential treatment center may be a great option.

How can a residential treatment center help?

• In a residential treatment center, teens will benefit from a structured environment that focuses on what they need as individuals.
• A thorough evaluation will be done when your teen arrives so that the best possible treatment options can be considered. The right types of therapy can be selected, and your teen can soon be on the path to learning how to regulate his moods and his emotions.
• They will be able to keep up with their education, which is an important part of helping them keep their life on the right path. 
• Teens will learn to build strong friendships and connections with other teens facing similar issues.
• Self-sufficiency, whether for physical or mental health needs, will be taught so that teens can focus on what they need. This is an important part of learning effective strategies for mood regulation. And also offers great skills that’ll help as they become independent adults.
• Treatment options will be tailored to meet each teen’s mental health needs, with group activities that encourage communication and learning from one another. As your teen’s needs change, or if the medical and mental health professionals caring for him see his current treatment isn’t effective, they’ll be able to adjust the treatment. 
• Family involvement is often a large part of the treatment teens get in a residential treatment center, which will help teens rebuild their relationships with members of the family.

Getting your teen the right treatment is the best thing you can do for him when he’s struggling with mood regulation.

Are you looking for resources to help your teen learn better ways to manage his emotions and regulate his moods? At HelpYourTeenNow, we will listen to your concerns and work with you to provide your family with the resources you need. Teens who are struggling with their behavioral and mental health need the right type of treatment and care. We can help get them on the right path.