Ep. 66: What will your divorce do to your teenager? And how to stop feeling Blah

Something a little bit different on the podcast today - we ARE going to talk about teenagers, and how they're affected by toxic relationships when things go wrong for their parents. But FIRST we talk about something a lot of us midlife mums (and dads) might relate to - FEELING BLAH. That's the title of my guest's book. Parenting author Tanith Carey writes a lot about the teenage brain. She had a tough time when her parents divorced, but it was midlife when she noticed that despite having a happy life on paper, she wasn't really feeling it. She researched this feeling that wasn't depression, but wasn't happiness either, and discovered a little used word for it - ANHEDONIA. Feeling Blah? Why anhedonia has left you joyless, and how to recapture life's highs [https://amzn.to/3NNLJpa]* is an exploration of what causes the lacklustre feeling so many of us go through at times. She explains the science behind it, and - better still - tells us what to do to move beyond it and feel excited for life again. *Affiliate link She also talks me through her parents' divorce, and the toxic atmosphere she lived in before they separated. We discuss the impact that had on her emotional development, and how she developed coping strategies that affected how she would feel about life decades later. If you've ever found yourself overthinking your feelings, this is the conversation for you. Who is Tanith Carey? Tanith Carey is an author who writes books which use the latest research to offer a lucid analysis of the most pressing challenges for today's parents. Her eleven books have been translated into 25 languages. She has written on the impact of competitive parenting on children and parents, plus friendship issues, and is one of the UK media's leading commentators on girls' well-being. As an award-winning journalist, Tanith also writes on psychology, social trends, childhood, adolescence and family relationships for a wide range of newspapers and magazines around the world including The Daily Telegraph, The Times, The Guardian and Daily Mail. Follow Tanith on Twitter [https://twitter.com/TanithCarey] and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/tanithcarey/]. More teenage parenting from Helen Wills: Helen wills is a teen mental health podcaster and blogger at Actually Mummy [https://www.actuallymummy.co.uk/], a resource for midlife parents of teens. Thank you for listening! Subscribe [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/teenage-kicks-podcast/id1501488455] to the Teenage Kicks podcast to hear new episodes. If you have a suggestion for the podcast please email teenagekickspodcast@gmail.com. There are already stories from fabulous guests about difficult things that happened to them as teenagers - including losing a parent [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/how-do-you-cope-loss-parent-when-youre-teenager-ryan/id1501488455?i=1000495564421], becoming a young carer [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/danielle-on-being-a-young-carer-for-her-alcoholic-mum/id1501488455?i=1000468538022], and being hospitalised with mental health problems [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/emma-bradley-on-being-hospitalised-mental-health-problems/id1501488455?i=1000470008123] - and how they overcame things to move on with their lives. You can find more from Helen Wills on parenting teenagers on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/iamhelenwills/] and Twitter [https://twitter.com/iamhelenwills] @iamhelenwills. For information on your data privacy please visit 

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.