44 GoodLifeFamilyMag.com SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2017 FINDING A STRATEGY FOR MENTAL WELLNESS By Natalie Croitoru | Contributor TAG, You’re It! In high school, I was a stressed-out teenager. I fixated on grades. I resented criticism. I invested in the wrong relationships. I was over-extended, and my stress eventually began to manifest itself in physical reactions and forgetfulness. Mental health was not on my radar. Then, a meaningful conversation with my dad set me on a course to think intentionally about my mental wellness. We were playing soccer when he shared an observation. He told me I seemed hyper-focused on controlling the movement of the ball and was forgetting to look up. “How does it feel to be so focused on just one thing, especially when it’s beyond your control?” My dad asked if he could coach me through changing my focus. As we talked, I realized that self-doubt had been interfering with not only my game but also my life. Over the course of a year, we practiced strategies to manage stress until I found my footing. It’s easy to persuade people of the need to know “stop, drop and roll” in the event of a fire. Convincing people to have a plan for a mental health crisis is much harder. Yet statistically, three in four Texans have a friend or family member who has experienced a mental health issue—making the odds far greater for mental illness than for a fire emergency. It makes sense to have a plan of action in the event of a mental health crisis. Winning teams have good game plans. They understand the rules, prepare for winning and losing scenarios and develop the patience and resilience to overcome obstacles. When it comes to your teen’s mental health, you’re the coach. It’s important to learn the signs, make a plan and maintain a coaching mindset. Whether your teen is effectively coping with life stressors or struggling with more deep-seated issues, their mental wellness should be a priority. The choice to either push mental health to the sidelines or approach it head-on is up to you. The ball is in your court. Editor’s Note: Natalie Croitoru is a student at Rice University and a summer intern at Grant Halliburton Foundation, a Dallas nonprofit committed to teen and young adult mental health and suicide prevention. GrantHalliburton.org RESOURCES: TED X TALK Search “Building Your Inner Coach”on YouTube for a TEDx talk by best-selling author Brett Ledbetter on turning your private voice of criticism into an inner coaching voice. WEBSITES National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Explore mental health topics from warning signs to advocacy to how to build a crisis plan. NAMI.org/ ULifeline is an anonymous, confidential, online resource center, where you’ll find information on mental health resources at your child’s college along with a self-test for mental health. ULifeline.org Half of Us. View videos featuring young people and celebrities talking about their struggles and how they overcame them. HalfOfUs.com The Trevor Project provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) young people. TheTrevorProject.org Here For Texas. Find local mental health providers that meet your criteria at HereForTexas.com. HELPLINE National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call the Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, a 24-hour crisis helpline that will connect you with mental health resources in your area. Crisis Text Line is a free, nationwide, 24/7 text line for people in crisis. Text HELP to 741741. SUPPORT Grant Halliburton Foundation offers free peer support groups for parents of struggling youth and educational conferences about adolescent mental health. GrantHalliburton.org It’seasytopersuadepeopleofthe needtoknow“stop,dropandroll” in the event of a fire. Convincing peopletohaveaplanforamental healthcrisisismuchharder.