Help With Parenting a Teen Starts With Knowing What to Look For
It is no crime to ask for help with parenting a teen. But in order to ask for that help, one must first understand what problems your teen may face. Here is a brief overview of some of the more severe issues facing teens today, the issues that have faced them in the past, and the issues that will face them in the future.
Depression
Depression is not something a teen can ‘shake’ or merely grow out of. Depression can be a serious condition that may result in serious consequences. It may be minor depression (an extended depressive episode that is not permanent) or it may be major depression (a protracted depressive condition that may be the result of a serious psychiatric disorder)
Regardless of the type of depression your teen may be suffering, it is advised to speak with your teen and seek professional help. Do not ignore the problem and hope it goes away. Most of all, do not believe in ‘punishing’ your teen into getting ‘out of their funk.’
You do not provide yourself with help with parenting a teen when you downplay a severe problem.
Eating Disorders
There are eating disorders that have entered the public consciousness through a variety of TV, movie and book saturation since the early 1970’s. While we have been aware of the dangers of eating disorders for decades, we are no closer to truly understanding how to combat the disorders effectively.
In order to provide oneself with help with parenting a teen, one must be on the look out for the signs of an eating disorder such as rapid weight loss and a seeming aversion to food and a preoccupation with weight.
Drugs
Probably the worst example of help with parenting a teen occurred on a 1971 episode of the game show “To Tell the Truth.” A father appeared on the show and revealed he was the author of a book chronicling his son’s battle with heroin abuse. The book provided a guide book for parents looking for help with parenting a teen by outlining the signs of drug addiction. In an arrogant and defiant self righteous manner, one of the celebrity guests told the father something to the effect “Well, isn’t that great. You found a way to make a buck off of it.”
Mercifully, thanks to the pioneering efforts of that father, we no longer are in the dark as to the signs of drug problems. There are a multitude of books out there covering the topic of help with parenting a teen with drug issues. It’s not 1971 anymore so take advantage of the available information out there.
