Parenting a teen is never straight forward, even at the best of times. Even when your child is happy
and independent, you still worry about what they’re getting up to, where they are, and who they’re
spending time with. Everything is a whole lot worse, though, when your son or daughter struggles
with a real problem, be it with a physical plight or a mental issue.
In order to help your child face and deal with whatever it is that is plaguing them, you need to be
able to spot the initial signs of them needing help. Only then will you be able to provide them with
the assistance they need, exactly when they need it.
Here are six of the signs you need to be looking out for:
1. Hostility
If your teen becomes increasingly hostile, then this may be a call for help. They may, unknowingly,
be lashing out at others to fill a particular void in their life.
2. A social withdrawal
Withdrawing from their social crowd is a tell-tale sign that your child is struggling. When they
alienate themselves, it means teens no longer feel themselves worthy of having friends or people
around them.
3. Persistent feelings of worthlessness
Is your child constantly complaining that they aren’t good enough? Does he or she continuously
worry that they are going to fail, be it in their next exam or in life? If so, they could be suffering from feelings of worthlessness or depression.
4. A difficulty in concentrating
A lack of concentration on your teen’s part is a sign that they have things on their mind that they
are struggling to deal with. Even if what they are worried about turns out to be something as
inconsequential as teen relationship troubles, you should act whenever you notice a lack of
concentration just to ensure that nothing more serious is plaguing them.
5. A major drop in their school performance
Again, a drop in school performance could be a sign that your teen’s state of mind isn’t as healthy
as it should be. Act on this sign early to ensure your child isn’t scarred forever by their internal
problem.
6. Joking about suicide or the romanticization of death
The most serious sign of all is your teen joking about suicide or romanticizing death. If your child
ever does, in fact, display such a sign, no matter how jovial they may seem in their approach to it,
you should take action right away. At the very least, you should sit them down to talk about why
they talk about death and suicide in such a light-hearted manner.
If problems persist and you ever fear that your child is on the verge of taking their own life, you
should get them professional assistance. This could mean checking them into a mental health
rehabilitation center, such as that offered by Forward Recovery, who can be found at
Forwardrecovery.com, and ensuring that they remain enrolled on the program for the duration of
their course of treatment. You may also consider online counseling. By doing so, you could end up saving both their life, and yours.
If your teen ever displays the six worrying signs listed above, make sure to take action. It is
important to have an open dialogue with your teen and to have them know that they can speak to
you whenever they need to; however, you should never pressure them. Such pressure can cause
them to close up.
This post was written by Bill Clark. Bill is a freelance journalist who specialises in writing about culture and the arts, however will write about anything that piques his interest including business, travel and lifestyle. He can be reached on Twitter @BilboClark01.