If they have vague symptoms like a headache or stomachache, we may tell them to lie down, when what they really need is someone to talk to. If we listen, we can see common things happening. The more we talk to students, the more we realize there has been a gap. Teachers are too busy to talk, and parents aren't always available. It is partly a matter of semantics, explains Dr. Affonso.
Teens have a very different way of expressing themselves.
They may come to school everyday, groom themselves, eat, and talk normally, yet they may want to kill themselves and we don't even know it. Yet no one is suddenly ill. They have distress symptoms that are not being addressed. Adults don't understand. We almost deny the challenges and the life being of teenagers.