As teenagers begin to
assert their independence and find their own identity, many experience
behavioral changes that can seem bizarre and unpredictable to parents. Your
sweet, obedient child who once couldn’t bear to be separated from you now won’t
be seen within 20 yards of you, and greets everything you say with a roll of the eyes or the slam of a door. These, unfortunately, are the
actions of a normal teenager.
As the parent of a
troubled teen, you’re faced with even greater challenges. A troubled teen faces
behavioral, emotional, or learning problems beyond the normal teenage issues.
They may repeatedly practice at-risk behaviors such as violence, skipping
school, drinking, drug
use, sex, self-harming,
shoplifting, or other criminal acts. Or they may exhibit symptoms of mental health problems like depression, anxiety, or eating
disorders. While any negative behavior repeated over and over can be a sign of
underlying trouble, it’s important for parents to understand which behaviors
are normal during adolescent development, and which can point to more serious
problems.
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