'You're triggering me': How to understand your therapy-speak teen
Summary
Some parents say their teenagers use therapy-related terms such as “triggering,” “gaslighting” and “boundaries” in everyday disagreements. Mental health experts say social media may spread the language, and advise parents to listen, ask what teens mean and use ordinary emotional language; they also recommend seeking professional help when a teen reports symptoms of a mental health condition.Key Facts
- Carla Hoskins, a mother of six in Hertfordshire, says her teenage sons sometimes call her requests to study or do chores triggering or gaslighting.
- Shannon Salvatoriello, a mother in the United States, says her teenage sons also use therapy-related terms, which she finds confusing.
- Psychiatrist Suzanne Garfinkle-Crowell says social media is one way therapy language has entered everyday conversation.
- Garfinkle-Crowell says some young people use diagnostic labels such as ADHD and depression to describe their experiences.
- Garfinkle-Crowell says parents should consider why a teen uses these terms and consult a mental health professional if the teen describes symptoms of a condition.
- Psychotherapist Julia Samuel warns that using medical terms for ordinary distress may encourage young people to see themselves as having a disorder.
- Samuel recommends listening and reflecting a teen’s feelings in ordinary emotional language to build understanding.
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