Ep. 11: Bonus episode: Bitesize Hacks to Support Teenage Mental Health, with Dr Lee David GP

In this bonus episode I talk to Lee David, a GP with a specialist interest in young people's mental health, and in using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to help with anxiety and depression. I chatted to Lee about how distressing the Covid 19 pandemic is for teenagers and young adults; many have had the rug pulled out from under them, missing exams, proms, and important rituals of moving on from school. Lots more are missing education at an important stage of their lives, and worrying about what their next steps - university, 6th form, or job security - are going to look like. There's so much that's unknown for our teens right now, and to add insult to injury they've lost their social freedom, and control over their own lives. That's incredibly unsettling at an already quite stressful point in their lives. Lee talked me through her free online programme, and what parents and teens can do to conquer any difficult emotions they might be feeling due to the lockdown and coronavirus pandemic. Best of all, Lee's strategies can all be completed in 10 minutes or less - totally bitesize! I tried the programme myself and found it really easy to run through, and I've added some of Lee's tips in to my daily stress-management. Lee is a director of 10 Minute CBT, an educational organisation that provides training to help GPs and other health professionals use bite-sized skills from evidence-based psychological therapies in their routine consultations. Lee is also the author of a textbook for GPs and is co-writing a new book for teenagers on 10 Minute Steps to wellbeing, to be published later this year. You can find Lee's website at www.10minuteCBT.co.uk [http://www.10minutecbt.co.uk/] and the introductory video programme: 10 Minute Steps to Survive Lockdown [https://elearning.10minutecbt.co.uk/courses/10-minute-steps-to-wellbeing-during-covid-19-young-people-and-families] for young people and parents to understand emotional wellbeing and ways to encourage positive mental health. What's coming next? Thank you so much for listening! Subscribe [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/teenage-kicks-podcast/id1501488455] now to the Teenage Kicks podcast to hear about the new series when it begins. I'll be talking to some fabulous guests about difficult things that happened to them as teenagers - including losing a parent, dealing with dyslexia, and battling an eating disorder - and how they overcame things to move on with their lives. I'd love it if you'd rate and review the podcast on iTunes too - it would really help other people to find it. You can also find more from me on parenting teenagers on my blog Actually Mummy [https://www.actuallymummy.co.uk/], and on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/iamhelenwills/] and Twitter [https://twitter.com/iamhelenwills] @iamhelenwills. For information on your data privacy please visit Podcast.co. [https://www.podcast.co/privacy] Please note that I am not a medical expert, and nothing in the podcast should be taken as medical advice.

Om Podcasten

Welcome to the Teenage Kicks podcast, where we take the fear out of parenting - or becoming - a teenager. The internet is full of parenting advice, from when you feel those first baby kicks, until they reach secondary school. And then it stops. No one is talking about teen parenting problems; so we’re going to. Essential listening for teenagers and their parents, as well as those who work with young adults; Teenage Kicks has teen mental health at its core, and each episode will empower young people to tackle their own problems, and give parents the guidance to know how to help them. Each week Helen speaks to real individuals who've experienced the issues that young people are dealing with now, and they don't sugar-coat it. From exam nerves and career worries to issues around sexuality and consent, we get tips and advice from expert guests who understand what it’s like to be a teenager today. Helen will also be chatting about tough teenage problems like cyberbullying and self-harm, drugs, alcohol and teenage pregnancy, all with a heavy dose of reality from someone who's been there and made it through to the other side. Teenage Kicks for Parents: As parents, we understand some of our kids’ struggles, but let’s face it, it’s been a while, and things have moved on since we last panicked over a detention! Teenage choices today can seem alien to their parents because teenage life has changed so dramatically since we were young. Teenage Kicks helps you unravel topics like social media, sexting and teen self-esteem so that you can figure out what your child needs support with, and what’s just normal teenage behaviour.   Teenage Kicks for Teens: Teenagers and parents come at things from different angles, we know. But teenage life can be challenging, and the support of your parents can make navigating tricky dilemmas easier. Teenage Kicks guests aren’t adults who’ve read a textbook; nor are they heavily invested in your day-to-day safety, like your mum and dad. They are real people who’ve been through what you’re dealing with, and they have the inspiration and advice you need to handle it yourself. Join Helen each week as she chats to a different guest about topics affecting teenagers in 2020, and helps parents and teens to open up a dialogue that will make life easier to navigate on all sides. You'll also find me chatting about teen parenting here: * Actually Mummy [https://actuallymummy.co.uk/] - my personal blog * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/iamhelenwills/] * Twitter [https://twitter.com/iamhelenwills] Useful websites: * The Mix [https://www.themix.org.uk/]- good information for under 25's * Shout [https://www.giveusashout.org/] - for anyone struggling with anxiety or depression This series of the Teenage Kicks Podcast is sponsored by Blue Microphones [https://www.blue-designs.co.uk/], who gave me the fabulous Yeticaster mic for all my recordings. It's really straightforward to use, and gives me great sound quality without too much editing.