Thriveworks raises awareness on World Teen Mental Health Day

HEALTH DAY AND IT’S A CHANCE TO RAISE AWARENESS FOR THE VARIETY OF MENTAL HEALTH OBSTACLES THAT TEENS FACE EVERY DAY. AND JOINING US THIS MORNING WITH MORE IS STEPHANIE GURKA WITH THRIVEWORKS BALTIMORE. THANKS FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. TELL ME ABOUT THRIVEWORKS. SO THRIVEWORKS IS AN OUTPATIENT MENTAL HEALTH CLINIC. WE ACTUALLY HAVE ABOUT 13 LOCATIONS IN MARYLAND, BUT WE HAVE A FEW HUNDRED OVER THE COUNTRY. TEEN MENTAL HEALTH DAY IT’S JUST A DAY TO REALLY RAISE AWARENESS, BUT YOU’VE SEEN SO MANY ISSUES THAT TEENS ARE FACING RIGHT NOW. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. I THINK THAT, UM, IN GENERAL, IT’S HARD TO BE A TEEN, RIGHT? THERE’S A LOT ON TEENS PLATES WITH SCHOOL, WITH EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES. UM, AND WITH JUST THE PRESSURES OF FINDING FRIENDS AND FITTING IN AND FIGURING OUT WHO THEY ARE IN GENERAL. WELL, BULLYING HAS NEVER BEEN WORSE. THERE’S STILL PULLING THROUGH THE PANDEMIC. IT’S BEEN DIFFICULT ON THEM. SO WHAT OTHER ISSUES ARE YOU SEEING? YEAH, SO DEFINITELY ANXIETY, DEPRESSION ARE TWO BIG ISSUES THAT WE CONTINUE TO SEE. SELF-ESTEEM CERTAINLY PLAYS INTO THAT AS WELL. UM, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, RECENTLY WE JUST SAW A STAT THAT SAID 130% INCREASE FOR, UM, MENTAL HEALTH MEDICATIONS FOR TEEN GIRLS IN GENERAL. AND THAT HAS TO DO WITH A LACK OF ACCESS TO CARE. SO WHEN YOU DEAL WITH THE MEDICATIONS, THERE ARE SOME TEENS WHO ARE VERY PROACTIVE. AND IF THEY GET PUT ON SOMETHING FOR ANXIETY OR DEPRESSION, IT’S REALLY VERY HELPFUL FOR THEM. OTHERS, THEY STILL SEE A STIGMA WITH THAT AND THEY DON’T MAYBE WANT TO TAKE MEDICATION. WHAT ARE YOU SEEING? SO MEDICATION IS GREAT TO BE HELPFUL TO ADDRESS SYMPTOMS, BUT IT DOESN’T NECESSARILY ADDRESS ROOT CAUSE OF OF THE ISSUES. RIGHT. SO SO WHAT WE ALSO RECOMMEND IS A TALK THERAPY. AND SO IT’S REALLY DIGGING INTO UM WHAT IS CAUSING THAT CONCERN FOR THAT PARTICULAR CHILD OR TEEN. UM AND THEN WE CAN GO FROM THERE AND FIGURE OUT WHAT SORT OF COPING SKILLS MIGHT HELP TO, TO ADDRESS THOSE AND FIX THEM FOR, FOR THE FUTURE. SO A THERAPIST IS GREAT IF YOU CAN FIND ONE. ARE YOU GETTING MORE SUCCESS WITH HOOKING THERAPISTS UP WITH CLIENTS? YEAH, DEFINITELY A CONTINUED CHALLENGE ACROSS THE COUNTRY. UM, BUT THRIVEWORKS IN PARTICULAR, WE’VE BEEN SEEING A LOT MORE HIRING AND AVAILABILITY FOR CLIENTS. WE GENERALLY HAVE ANYWHERE FROM 10 TO 15 CLINICS OPEN DURING THE WEEK. UM, AND YOU CAN GET AN APPOINTMENT SAME DAY OR SAME WEEK. SOMETIMES IN PERSON OR VIRTUAL OR BOTH. BOTH ACTUALLY. SO AS I SAID, WE HAVE 13 DIFFERENT LOCATIONS IN MARYLAND. UM, ALL OF THOSE OFFER BOTH IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL TREATMENT. WHAT TYPE OF ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR PARENTS WHO MAY BE DEALING WITH A TEEN WHO IS DEALING WITH SOME MENTAL HEALTH STRUGGLES BECAUSE IT CAN BE HARD TO START BROACHING THAT CONVERSATION? YEAH, DON’T IGNORE IT. DO NOT IGNORE IT. LET’S TALK ABOUT IT. UM, AND MODEL THAT FOR OUR OWN KIDS. RIGHT? SO IF WE’RE THE TYPE OF PEOPLE THAT WANT TO ACT AS IF EVERYTHING IS OKAY ALL OF THE TIME, OUR KIDS ARE PROBABLY GOING TO FEEL THAT WAY AS WELL, THAT WE HAVE TO PUT ON A FRONT, THAT WE HAVE TO SHOW THAT EVERYTHING’S ALL RIGHT AND IT’S OKAY TO NOT BE OKAY. YEAH, IT SURE IS. YOU KNOW, AND STILL PEOPLE SAY, WELL, THE PANDEMIC IS OVER. EVERYTHING SHOULD BOUNCE BACK TO NORMAL. TELL YOUR BRAIN THAT. RIGHT. EXACTLY. THAT’S RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. WELL, IF SOMEONE’S INTERESTED IN THRIVEWORKS, HOW DO THEY FIND OUT ABOUT YOU? SURE. YOU CAN JUST GOOGLE THRIVEWORKS MARYLAND. UM, AND YOU’LL FIND ALL OF THE INFORMATION THERE AND OUR OPEN CLINICIANS.