You know your child better than anyone. So when something feels “off” — when the teenager who used to text friends constantly now isolates in their room, when the young adult who was thriving in college suddenly fears professors, when your parental gut is telling you this isn’t just “normal” stress or teen moodiness — listen to that instinct.
That nagging feeling you can’t shake, the one that keeps you awake at 2 a.m. wondering if you’re overreacting, isn’t paranoid parenting. It’s often the first and most important alarm system for detecting serious mental health concerns like first episode psychosis.
As a counselor who has supported hundreds of families through these frightening experiences, I can tell you that the parents who trust their instincts and seek help early are the ones whose children have the best outcomes. Your intuition isn’t just valid, it could be life-changing…