Troubled Teenagers and Parents

Troubled teenagers are an increasing part of the modern teen demographics. As folks who have been there, it is vital for parents to lend all active support they are capable of before the matter gets out of hand and enters the teenage suicide statistics. Teenage is a time of dizzying ups and downs where emotions, physical changes, hormones, and even friends and finances are concerned. The one thing that remains steady and lets this rocking boat harbor safely should be the home.

Troubled teenagers are often loners who have lost all hope and see nothing good ever happening to them. They may resort to drugs, alcohol, and dangerous behaviour to alleviate these horrible feelings or numb them. These are the only sources of help available to them when faced with the absence of love, support, and empathy that should be forthcoming from parents and caregivers.

Often all it takes to ease the pain of troubled teens is a good heart to heart talk with someone who cares. The demons these kids are fighting may not seem all that powerful to adults who have been through worse or may even be actively fighting gigantic adult versions themselves. The issues depressing a troubled teenager may seem trivial when compared to the vagaries of the economic recession or the appearance of wrinkles. But even so they need attention, help, and support.

Troubled teenagers may not actively approach their parents for help for a number of reasons. They may gravitate towards peers, especially those in the same sinking boat as them. This compounds their woes. It is therefore up to the parents to spot symptoms and offer help. Sometimes this has to be done unobtrusively and managed wisely without appearing to interfere too much or taking away control from the teen.

Some symptoms to watch out for maybe

• Tempers flaring for little or no reason
• Bouts of tears and slamming themselves shut in their rooms.
• Staying awake into the wee hours and sleeping in till afternoon
• Inexplicable weight gain or loss
• Talking about dying, killing, running away
• Grades go for a toss
• Don't care about appearance, friends, family, or anything in particular
• Speech is full of negative patterns of hopelessness, losing, giving up

Troubled teens often work things out for themselves and grow out of this phase, but some are not that fortunate. However, the amount of support they get during this difficult time often decides how they turn out. 

Parents cannot afford to sit back and think they'll grow out of it. That's a form of denial. Parents cannot compare their own teenage with that of their teenagers, for modern teens have a whole set of different problems to deal with. 

Individuality may be the anthem of the times but teenagers have never needed a set of sensible parents as much as they do now in this period of history. Parents need to be the structure of support that holds up and strengthens troubled teenagers in their hour of need. 

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