Troubled Teens Resources

The typical teen of today is being bombarded from every direction.  They are under pressure to perform academically, to complete responsibilities at home, to compete athletically, and the list goes on.  It is not a widely known fact that the teen of today is more up to date on current events than generations past.  Today’s teen is aware of global problems and conflicts, the economic devastation, and the political separation that our county is currently working through.  When you add the typical teen issues to the increased information that today’s teen is receiving it is no wonder today’s teen finally reaches a boiling point.   

The teen implosion can manifest itself in many ways.  Some teens will become withdrawn and possibly work themselves into a full blown depression.  Some teens will begin to look for ways to relieve some of the pressure they are experiencing through drug abuse.  Very few will seek out a parent for help and advice.  The most frequent form of help sought by a teen comes in the way of advice from their peers.  If a teen asks a friend that is abusing drugs for advice the advice they give will obviously be to try some drugs.  The teen may begin to experiment in sexual activities.  The best advice and help is obviously the teen’s parents but if the parent does not have a close relationship with their teen they will never come to them with their problems.  It is important that a parent is vigilante to their teens changes in attitudes and moods. 

Even a good teen left unassisted will begin the downward spiral until they earn the label of troubled teen.  The troubled teen may not have a Mohawk or any visible signs of rebellion.  It is usually not until the troubled teen has hit rock bottom and is basically crying out for attention that they will begin to display extreme hair and clothing styles.   One warning signal for parents for a child that is moving in a negative direction is their choice of friends.  If you observe that your teen is hanging with kids with radical hair styles or clothing choices, it is usually only a matter of time until your child begins to dress and act like the peers he is “hanging out” with.  It is naïve to think that a teen is associating with a group of troubled teens and not engaging in the same activities the negative peers are engaging in.

When most people hear teen crisis intervention their first thought is about teen age drug abuse. Teens are at risk of more than just drug abuse these days, suicide , physical abuse from a boyfriend/girlfriend, parent or other family member can lead to the need for a crisis intervention. The number of teen suicides and drug abuse cases is something parents need to pay attention to.

The warning signs of drug abuse are easier to see most of the time compared to more emotional issues a teen might be having. Every teen is different and each parent is different but, that does not change the fact that teens are at a greater risk for suicide and drug abuse. Most teens do not know how to handle some of the things that happen in life and they don’t know where or how to ask for help.

Parents can help their teen by just watching and listening to start with, let your teen know that you are there for them. Let them know if they mess up you will be upset but, that’s okay you will deal with it and move on. Parents need to set aside time to spend with their teens, find out who their friends are, what their teen does when their not around. Knowing your teen and who your teen spends their time with will give you the best view of your teen and what they are doing. Being involved in your teens life means more than making demands to know everything they are doing at all times or rummaging through their drawers. If you start with a solid base relationship where your teen feels they can come to you for anything, they are more likely to stay out of trouble, or if they do get into trouble your teen may trust you enough and come to you for help.

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