Raising a teenager comes with many challenges, but when it comes to problems teenagers face, a lot of parents are seemingly oblivious.  On a daily basis our kids deal with drug abuse and alcohol abuse, family issues, and violence.

It is frightening that most parents, while aware that teenage problems exist, aren’t familiar with just how these issues affect their child and their behaviour.  If you want to understand where your teen is coming from and how their daily thoughts and reactions are being formed, it’s important to understand the issues first.

Problems Teenagers Face

Drug & Alcohol Problems Teenagers Face

Drug and alcohol abuse is arguably the most prevalent of the problems teenagers face.  If you think that your teen doesn’t know someone who abuses a substance or that they would have no idea to, for example, buy marijuana, you’re fooling yourself.  According to the Children’s Defense Fund, every day in American there are 211 children arrested for drug abuse.  Even more shockingly is the fact that every day there are 437 children arrested for drinking, or for drunk driving.  You may ask yourself, “Why are so many children using these substances?”  Many experts argue that dabbling in drugs and alcohol is a coping mechanism for our kids when dealing with the other stressors in their life.

Family Problems Teenagers Face

One of the most common problems teenagers face  is family issues. When we as parents fight with a spouse or with a child, our teenagers feel that they are somehow responsible for it or to fix it.  When we as parents are feeling financially stressed and overwhelmed, our teenagers have to deal with that too.  They feel and understand exactly what’s going on, but they often feel absolutely powerless to change it.  They feel the burden, but they are frustrated by the fact that no matter what they do, they cannot change it.  Home then becomes a place to escape rather than a place to escape to, but school life often isn’t a lot better.

Violence Problems Teenagers Face

Violence has become a huge problem in schools everywhere.  The Children’s Defense Fund brought another startling statistic to the table when they sited that 135 children in American bring a gun to school every single day.  Bear in mind that this number doesn’t include the amount of children and teens that are bringing knives or other weapons to school.   Teens in high school often feel intimidated and threatened, which causes them to act out. Some teens will become violent in the face of violence.  Others will skip school to try and avoid confrontation.  And any mix of teenagers may then start drinking, smoking and doing drugs to try and ease the pain, or to just “fit in”.  The problems teenagers face are not a whole lot different from those that adults face, except there is one thing that makes it more devastating for teens: they feel helpless and alone, and trapped in a world that they feel they cannot control. However teenagers do not have to face them alone. There are several problems teenagers face but options like hotlines for teenagers are available, this option provides great help specific to each individuals situation.

One of the most overlooked issues in today’s world is teenage mental health problems. An estimated 20% of children and youth in North American suffer from mental health problems, but we tend to shrug it off and let it go. Why?  Because we often mistake the sudden change in our teenagers’ mental state “normal”, that the changes are some sort of part of a teenager’s growth.  We think that our teens acting out and being rebellious is par for the course rather than recognizing it as part of a mental illness.

While this isn’t to suggest that a teenager acting out means that they are displaying teenage mental health symptoms, there are certain things that are a normal part of a teenager growing up and coming into their own, and then there are certain things that are a warning sign that your son or daughter may require professional mental health treatment.  Below we have created a list of what is typical and healthy teenager behavior, as well as what similar behaviors may be indication that your teen needs mental help.

Indication of Teenage Mental Health Problems

Typical Teenage Behavior: Your teen is going through some personality changes.  They have their own opinion, they’re speaking up a bit more, and maybe they’re interests are changing.  It’s not the end of the world if your teen doesn’t want to be on the soccer team any more.

Warning Sign:  A huge behavioral shift. Your once sunny, smiling teen is now forever dour and gloomy.  You find yourself asking, “Do I even know this person anymore?”  This is one of the strongest indications that your teen may have mental conditions that require professional mental therapy.  Large shifts in character can be an indication of suicidal tendencies.

Typical Teenage Behavior: Your teen complains about a teacher or two and they are struggling with a couple of subjects.

Warning Sign: If your teen is regularly missing classes and getting into trouble, such as talking back to his or her teacher, that is a warning sign.  Failing a lot of classes is also abnormal for the typical teenager.

Typical Teenage Behavior: A curiosity about drugs and alcohol is to be expected.  Knowing or finding out that your child has tried a beer or a cigarette is normal and isn’t a reason for immediate concern.

Warning Sign: No teenager should be going to school drunk or high. Any excessive use of alcohol, cigarettes and drugs strongly indicates mental health problems.

Typical Teenage Behavior: Staying up late and sleeping in late is normal for teens.

Warning signs: If they stay up past 2am on a regular basis and get home drop dead tired every day, this could indicate sleep disturbance, a strong sign that your son or daughter may be suffering from teenage mental health issues.

Troubled Youth

Troubled youth tend to scoff when a parent suggests that he or she may want to try a treatment program for youth at risk.  Most troubled teenagers are resistant to any type of change and feel that they don’t need help. They consider their bad behavior to be a part of their youth and development, and don’t see it as actually being a cry for help.

The good news is that there is help for parents out there who may have troubled youth and difficult teenagers at home.  There are a number of youth programs out there, such as at risk youth programs and even boarding schools and wilderness programs, but the first giant obstacle is: just how are you actually going to get your teen to go to the program?

Offer a Reward

Rewards and positive reinforcement can work on almost anyone especially troubled youth. Ask you’re teen what it will take for them to give a teen treatment program a try.  If it’s reasonable, then you can agree on it and hold them accountable. If you make it positive and something of a “gain”, they will be more likely to do it.

Listening to Troubled Youth

If a troubled youth is resisting therapy, listen to them.  Ask them to talk to you about what they think therapy will be like, what their concerns are, and then provide them with accurate information about how it is going to be.  A well-informed teen is going to be far more receptive to therapy than one whose head is filled with misconceptions.

Family Therapy for Troubled Youth

Sometimes just having the whole family around and discussing problems is what will be the most help for youth.  A troubled youth does not always want to do things by themselves, including therapy. Having the whole family there in therapy provides a sense of a shared responsibility, that the troubled youth’s behavior is not only their fault.

Suggestion from Someone Close To the Troubled Youth

As difficult as this may be for a parent to hear, the most influential adult in your teen’s life may very well not be you.  If there is a teacher, friend, coach, or anyone else who you know you’re teen considers being a reliable source of information then you should ask them to suggest therapy.  Your teen may give it more thought.

Let the Troubled Youth Know Of Your Concerns

Have you told your teen lately how much their behavior and actions concern you?  Make sure you tell them just how worried you are for them and how you know that they can have a happier, healthier life. Explain how therapy will be able to make a positive change in his or her life and together look at some different therapy programs for troubled youth.

Difficult teenagers are described as teenagers who display negative behavior such as not doing the right things, being destructively stubborn, engaging in a life that is dependent on alcohol and drugs, being unreliable and generally hanging out with the wrong crowd.  Parents dread having difficult teenagers and schools seek coping measures when difficult teenagers emerge.  However, understanding difficult teenagers can help parents, teachers and the society at large work collaboratively with these teenagers and potentially change their behavior.

Difficult Teenagers

There is so much we could learn about difficult teenagers.  There are definitely things that should be understood including who difficult teenagers are, how difficult teenagers generally feel, when teenagers become difficult and how to help difficult teenagers.  Parenting a teenager can be an uphill task.  Parents are told to dread the “terrible two” phase when two-year olds tend to throw mighty tantrums.  Parents are also warned about the not so glorious teenage years when developmental hormones kick in and appear to be raging.  Teenagers sometimes feel that they can rule the world.  Teenagers also sometimes feel that they are indestructible.  Alas! Parents were once teenagers too.  However, actually have to raise a teenager is another matter entirely.

Raising Difficult Teenagers

Difficult teenagers are unique individuals who need to be cared for and understood.  Unfortunately, the opposite can happen when a teenager becomes difficult.  Adults tend to become defensive in return and this can lead to decisions which may be perceived by difficult teenagers as uncaring or unnecessary.  Like a vicious cycle, teenagers may respond by being even more difficult.  Difficult teenagers are people who need care, attention and guidance. So do teenagers who are not difficult! However, when a teenager becomes difficult, do not withdraw quality time and care.  Advice can be given to difficult teenagers.  They may appear not to listen but mostly, they do.  Forums that are geared towards specifically helping teenagers may be established by family members, teachers and parents.

How to Deal With Difficult Teenagers

When dealing with difficult teenagers, it is important to understand that teenage behavior can generally consist of exploration and a newly found independence.  Difficult teenagers tend to include negative behavior as they gain more independence and awareness of their development.  Anger problems can also develop when teenagers are not clear about rules, guidelines and consequences.  Proper communication and guidance is essential in keeping teenagers on the right path.

Another tip for avoiding the problem of difficult teenagers involves providing adequate and early support for teenagers.  When teenagers are abandoned or left to fend for themselves, they do not always make the right decisions.  Unfortunately, parents try to get back into a routine of caring for and supporting their teenagers after the bonding link has been dissolved.  Parents should be involved in their teenager’s life and stay involved! Tips for helping difficult teenagers include plain communication that does not have a hidden agenda.  Typically, teenagers can smell a scheme a mile away.  However, they can also usually recognize a genuine person and genuine intentions.  To help difficult teenagers, the golden rule is to seek to understand, listen, appropriately support and offer realistic guidance.

Hotlines for teenagers can be an essential resource for all teenagers.  Hotlines for teenagers are established to provide help and support in a time of crisis or non-crisis.  In non-crisis moments, a hotline for teenager can provide guidance and advice.  There are hotlines for teenagers for a variety of help and support services including hotlines for depression, poison issues, suicide, career and professional development, health issues, domestic violence and many more areas.  Hotlines for teenagers serve a need in the society and help teenagers get support when needed.

Reasons to Use Hotlines for Teenagers

Teenagers go through a lot of developmental stages which can add stress and pressure to their lives. Outside factors and stresses can also lead a teenager towards crisis.  Dealing with many issues may cause anxiety and health problems.  This can also lead to depression.  When symptoms arise in teenagers that include a continual bout of anxiety, fatigue or excessive hyperactivity, extreme emotional episodes, suicidal thoughts and thoughts of harming oneself, help should be sought immediately.  Sometimes teenagers have no place to turn to.  A great way to get more information about next steps is to use a hotline for teenagers.

Availability of Hotlines for Teenagers

Support for depression, for instance, can be provided through a hotline for teenagers.  Qualified personnel at the other end of the hotline are able to provide information about medical professionals in the community or other types of information that can further assist the teenager and their family.  Hotlines for teenagers are usually available 24 hours a day and teenagers or their families can usually get access to hotlines for free.  Government or non-profit organizations typically take care of the costs of the hotline service.  The society recognizes that such services are necessary to enable a healthy and vibrant community.

Awareness of Hotlines for Teenagers

If teenagers have no adequate support from their families or friends, the hotline for teenagers is there to provide assistance.  This is also crucial when there is abuse in the teenager’s home.  Hotline for teenagers’ numbers can be advertised where teenagers are more likely to take note of the availability of such services.   People who provide help to teenagers such as guidance counselors at schools should also have a list of hotlines for teenagers and provide such information to teenagers as needed.  While providing advice to teenagers, the topic of available hotlines may also be mentioned, as appropriate.  If teenagers are going through problems such as depression or domestic violence, they should understand that they can seek help by calling one of the many hotlines for teenagers that are available right away.

A difficult time for parents is when they discover that their child is going to be a teenage parent and teenage pregnancy can be overwhelming, disheartening and confusing.  For teenage mothers and teenage fathers, an unplanned pregnancy can virtually turn their world and the lives of their parents and families upside down.  The impact of a teenage pregnancy is far-reaching and in communities with high teenage pregnancy rates, the entire community can be adversely affected by teenage pregnancies.

Addressing Teenage Pregnancy

To address the issue of teenage pregnancies, it is important for parents to understand that there are various factors that can contribute to teenage pregnancy.  Besides parents, other groups in the community including teachers, leaders and older relatives can benefit from information about unplanned pregnancies, teenage births, rates of abortions, the effect of teenage pregnancies on the society and other facts about teenage pregnancy.  To arrive at a sustainable solution geared at addressing increasing rates of teenage pregnancy, all hands must be on deck.  Parents, families, teachers and leaders need to get involved in addressing the problem.

Teenage Pregnancy Education

However, parents of teenagers can have direct influence on their children. Parents can avoid the occurrence of pregnancies in their teenage daughters by educating their children about unplanned pregnancies.  Properly educating teenage boys and girls about sex, lack of adequate protection and associated consequences can help prevent unplanned pregnancies and the subsequent abortions that occur as a result of such pregnancies. Teenagers may be unaware of the effects of teenage pregnancy and the resulting consequences.  The life of a teenage mother or teenage father can change dramatically with the birth of a baby.  Even with an adequate support system to help care for the baby, the impact of teenage pregnancies can be felt in the teenagers’ finances, schooling, education, social life and self-esteem.

Properly educating teenagers and creating awareness about teenage pregnancies can help reduce the occurrence of unplanned pregnancies. Pregnant teenagers are also more susceptible to birth-related problems including pre-term delivery, anemia and low birth weight for the infant.  For teenagers, there are also issues regarding access to adequate pre and post-natal care, adequate nutrition and an increased risk of death while giving birth. Another approach parents can use for avoiding teenage pregnancies in their children involves actually understanding the levels of sexual activity occurring in teenage populations.  Parents must be ready to have crucial conversations with their teenage children.  There is an increased likelihood that teenage girls will become pregnant if their sexual activity remains under the radar.

Teenage Pregnancy Awareness

If adults are aware that teenage boys and girls are sexually active, then steps can be taken to prevent teenage pregnancy.  Also, potential teenage fathers are not exempt from frank conversations about sex and pregnancy.  Monitoring occurrences of teenage sexual activity, where possible, helps to reinforce the message about sex, babies and consequences.  Abstinence or using adequate protection during sex can also prevent the occurrence of teenage pregnancy.  If teenagers are less likely to abstain from having sex, parents should consider discussing the option of contraceptives.

In some societies, teenage pregnancies are predominant as a result of a culture of early marriages.  However, where early marriage is not prevalent, early or increased sexual activity, alcohol and drug use, lack of information about contraception and lack of access to contraception can lead to teenage pregnancy. In other cases, problems teenagers face include sexual abuse and dating violence which may also be the cause of teenage pregnancy.  Where teenage pregnancies are avoidable, parents must be proactive in educating their teenage children.  This can drastically reduce the occurrence of teenage pregnancy.

Depression in Teenagers

While depression in adults may seem more common, depression in teenagers is slowly becoming common as well.  Depression in teenagers can be debilitating and extremely emotional.  With teenagers, there are other developmental stages occurring which can tend to compound symptoms of depression.  It is difficult to ascertain the exact cause of depression in teenagers, but a family history of depression may make teenagers more likely to develop symptoms.  Although depression is teenagers is a complex problem, existing health problems, an emotional disturbance, environmental stresses, relational stresses and personal traits such as inferior complexes or low self- esteem, can also cause depression disorders.

Symptoms of Depression in Teenagers

There are different symptoms and types of treatment associated with depression in teenagers. Symptoms of depression can include anxiety.  Anxiety and panic disorders in teenagers can cause depression and vice-versa. Other symptoms of depression involve a feeling of hopelessness or futility, tremendous fear, lack of sleep, guilt, lack of interest in activities, bouts of hyper-activity and suicidal thoughts. If these symptoms occur repeatedly and begin to cause some concern, a depressive disorder may be the cause and immediate medical attention is advised.  Signs of depression can occur suddenly.  Hence, symptoms that do not seem normal for the teenager should not be ignored. Teenagers can have bipolar disorder which is also known as manic depression with symptoms that include suicidal thoughts or thoughts of doing harm to oneself.

Bipolar disorder in teenagers can result in episodes of mania which is characterized by paranoia, hyper-activity, slurred speech, aggressiveness, hallucination and hostile tendencies.  Episodes of depression can also occur after manic episodes in which the teenager is emotional, unable to focus, has poor memory and thinks about death frequently.  Repeated cycles of mania and depression are hallmarks of bipolar disorder. Teenagers who are diagnosed as being bipolar may have symptoms that are not similar to symptoms from adults who are bipolar.

Effects of Depression in Teenagers

Effects of depression can result in a low quality of life.  Depression in teenagers can also lead to suicide.  Hence, seeking help for depression is extremely crucial.  There is no known absolute cure for depression in teenagers.  However, there are ways to manage the disorder.   A formal medical diagnosis of depression from a qualified medical practitioner is the first step in treating depression in teenagers.  Such diagnosis can occur in conjunction with the services of mental health professionals and psychologists.  There is also help for depression in the form of depression therapy which includes individual therapy, group therapy, cognitive & behavioral therapy and family therapy.

Treatment for Depression in Teenagers

Based on the level or type of depression the teenager is diagnosed with, treatment for depression in teenagers can include prescription medication such as anti-depressants.  Hospital care or out-patient treatment for depression in teenagers is also available.  There are depression rehabilitation centers and facilities which cater specifically to the needs of people who have depression. Psychotherapy and homeopathic treatments including acupuncture can also be used effectively to treat the disorder.  Information and education about depression in teenagers is valuable for teenagers living with depression and for care-givers or families who should monitor these individuals.  Depression in teenagers can be a difficult diagnosis to accept and close monitoring is necessary to successful manage the condition.   There may also be stigmas associated with depression in some societies.  Hence, adequate support is required to cope with depression in teenagers.

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