Does Your Troubled Teen Need Help? Help for Troubled Teens

Does Your Troubled Teen Need Help? Help for Troubled Teens Related Information:

Very often parents do not realize that their teenage children need help and are very surprised when something happens. Some of the signs of a troubled teen are:

• one with a history of sudden outbursts of temper and violence
• one that uses abusive language to other teenagers and adults
• one who makes threats of violence when he/she is angry
• one who brings a weapon to school
• one who has serious disciplinary problems within the school and community
• one who abuses drugs and alcohol
• one who does not have very many friends
• one who is obsessed with weapons
• one who is cruel to animals
• one who does not have very much parental supervision or guidance
• one who has been the victim of abuse or neglect or has witnessed it
• one who is constantly bullied or made fun of
• one who is obsessed with watching violent TV shows and movies
• one who is part of a gang
• one with mood swings or exhibits signs of depression
• one who has threatened or attempted suicide

There are many factors that cause a teen to be troubled. Teenagers do get depressed, although many parents and adults laugh at the thought of someone so young having anything stressful to become depressed about. However, being a teenager is stressful with all the pressures of trying to fit in at school, have the latest clothes and toys and still obey parental rules and regulations. The signs of depression in a teenager include a general state of unhappiness, a gradual withdrawal from things that he/she once enjoyed, a preference for being alone, change in eating habits and self-neglect. Parents who notice these changes should make an effort to talk with the teen to find out about problems at school or with friends. A chat with the guidance counselor school may give parents some idea of how to deal with the problem, but parents should check with the teen before asking the counselor to speak with him/her because most teenagers resent this. A visit to the family physician to get things checked out is another possibility of getting help for the depression.

Teenagers sometimes turn to drugs and substance abuse as a way of trying to handle their depression problems on their own. Parents have to really vigilant to notice changes that might give them the idea that the teen is turning to other methods of dealing with problems so that they can keep on top of things.

When teens that usually have not had any problems at school suddenly start to get into fights and other kinds of trouble, this should be a warning sign that there is something wrong. Behavioral problems need to be dealt with and sometimes discipline is not the only way to handle things. Talking out problems, whether they are at home or at school, is sometimes the best way to get things out in the open.

Teenagers should not have any access to a gun or other weapons. When they are depressed or are abusing drugs or alcohol, suicide seems to be the only solution for them. When they can get easy access to weapons, it makes it easy for them to carry out their plans. No talk of suicide should ever be taken lightly and parents should not laugh off any suggestion of this or any other violent action. Parents who are open and talk freely with their children about all issues of their lives are less likely to have to deal with a troubled teen.