2/15/11

What To Watch For When You Feel You May Be The Parent Of A Troubled Teen

By Gloria J. Shellane


It is not uncommon for even the most pleasant child to grow into a troubled teen these days, and it is important to know why. With all the changes they are going through it can be tough to figure a teen out. Their feelings, hormones, and social dilemmas get the better of them. Teens usually experience a time in their lives where they want to rebel and turn on their caretakers, but if you are not paying attention your little rebel can flip into a troubled teen with no warning. Luckily, there are a few indicators we can look for to know when teen help is needed.

More often than not a teenager will become incredibly depressed at this stage in life, so knowing the indicators of depression are a good start. Initially their emotions may fluctuate so much that it is hard to know what exactly is wrong, but soon enough a pattern will develop and signs appear. For many teens these sporadic mood swings and crazy behavior can be innocent enough, but after a few weeks you should start finding the teen some help.

Having a teen that begins to consistently defy his or her parents, fail grades, or drastically change their social situation is usually the first sign that parent's notice. When it comes to social situation changes this can include teens who completely change the lineup of their friends as well as teens who withdrawal entirely. When these things take place you need to question your child if possible and try to assess the situation. When a child gives up their studies and becomes rebellious it is time to be concerned. It occasionally seems normal enough for a teen to behave this way, but should it continue there is trouble.

When a child isn't getting the help they need they will try other methods of getting along such as illegal and narcotic substances. Teens are good at hiding their problems in some cases, but drug use is a troubling sign that something is severely wrong and your child is desperate for help. There are key signs of drug abuse that are impossible to miss if you know what to look for, so it's good to be familiar with these things. Youth who begin to display erratic behavior, sleep all the time or never, and who become very secretive are usually the ones who are participating in some sort of drug activity. They do not absolutely have to be doing illegal drugs to have a problem. The drugs that most teens first experiment with come from inside their own medicine cabinet. This includes prescription and OTC meds, cigarettes, alcohol, and several chemicals that are common in many households.

Any parent who suspects their youngster may be a troubled teen is probably right. Parents should pay careful attention to their teens and be ready to jump in and help at the earliest sign of trouble. Teenagers rebel and will often reject your help at first, but farther on in life they will certainly thank you.




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