Ian Spencer asked:


As a parent, one of the things that you want to ensure is that your child is happy. But what happens when you know that your teenage child is suffering from depression? This is a problem that many parents today face, which can be a huge cause for worry and concern. But the truth of the matter is that there are a lot of things that parents can do to help their children. As such, even before your teenager begins to struggle with depression, you ought to know all the things that you can and should do to manage and overcome such situations. And one of the most fundamental things is ensuring that you can recognize this condition.

Recognizing teenage depression can be difficult even for someone who has known the teenager for their entire life. It can be difficult to differentiate between actual teenage depressions from the general problems that adolescents face when growing up. Keep in mind that your teenager will be changing in many ways during these years, emotionally and physically, and it can be hard to tell what is “normal” and what a cause for concern is. Make sure, however that you do have regular contact with your child and that you are able to tell what he or her feels at various situations. Having a good relationship with your child is important in trying to help him deal with feelings and emotions.

There are some very common signs to look out for when identifying teenage depression. For instance, you might notice that he or she has been extremely hostile or angry lately, whether it manifests in bursts of temper or sullenness. They may seem sad or helpless, or you might find that they easily burst into tears. They might also appear very tired all the time and lack motivation to carry on with their lives, or they might even engage in extremely reckless or dangerous behaviors.

Essentially, you need to be on the lookout for changes in their behaviors. Make sure that you question them, and find out how they are periodically. For instance, if your teenager has suddenly lost interest in something that they used to love, it is an important warning sign that you should take note of. You might also notice a sudden drop in their grades or that they have simply stopped caring for themselves. Keep an eye out for anything that may seem morbid or suicidal. They can take the form of drawings, words or speeches, and they all represent a cry for help.

Another thing that parents can do is that they should always respect the thoughts and feelings of their children. Do not dismiss their feelings, and do not always tell them how good they have it now. One thing that everyone needs to understand is that the people around them, no matter how old they are, put some form of pressure and stress on your children.

Do not hesitate to get professional help if necessary, and remember that you should always be safe than sorry. Some of the symptoms above can be indication of a medical or psychological problem that your child is facing, or even a combination of the two.

Teenage depression is a serious issue that needs to be treated as soon as it is detected. Remember that your child, no matter how independent they might seem, will still depend on you in times of need. So make sure that you are able to respond to it well, so as to help your child manage teenage depression effectively.



AUBREY

Raymond asked:


Here are some essential ideas and suggestions to build teenagers self confidence.

First and foremost, just be yourself. If you follow these steps you will become a happier and wealthier teenager. You will have real friends who will always be there for you when you need them. You will have more teenagers self confidence than other teenagers have. People will get to know the real you, some may like you and some may dislike you, but you will always know that the ones who like you genuinely like you for who you are and they will always be loyal to you. You as the teenager with a lot of self confidence will attract more people want to be your friend.

Teenagers clothing. Stop wearing the same thing as everyone else, and wear clothes which are comfortable and make you feel good. Step up from the ordinary teenagers’ crowd and start to build more teenagers self confidence by wearing the right clothing at the right occasions.

Try not to follow others people idea or trends. Try to identify the friends around you. Mix up and communicate with those people who are more expert in your field. Exchange ideas with them and receive the valuable ideas and suggestions from them. During the process, the teenagers self confidence in you will be greatly increase.

Entertainment also can be a great tool to build teenagers self confidence. Listening to inspirational music or watching a movie that you enjoy the most. When you feeling down or something just not going well on that particular day, spend your valuable time listening to music, unwind and recharge yourself to face the reality world again.

Give your opinion confidently. If there is an argument don’t just side with the most popular person. Say what you actually believe. People will respect you more. Bring out your guts to present your ideas to the crowd. Make eye contact with the people you are talking to. Let them feels your unlimited teenagers self confidence in you.   

Do not tolerate yourself with the questions or problems that you faced. If you are in class don’t be afraid to answer a question because you are afraid of looking like an idiot. That is not other easy ways of learning unless we learn from our mistakes since we are teenagers and make asking question as part of our habits.

Body posture plays an important role to build teenagers self confidence. Don’t look at the ground when you’re walking. Walk faster and confidently no matter where you go. Live up your true teenagers potentials!

Your teenagers self confidence can greatly increase beyond your expectations by following these simple steps.



CHET

Graham Timson asked:


Alcoholism in teenagers is a rising problem that is affecting the younger generation, the world over, in the modern times. More and more teenagers indulge in drinking for fun and sometimes to deal with their personal problems, depression and anxieties in life. The pain and hurt that a teenager feels, when he or she is desperate and helpless in dealing with various problems, which occur in family and relationships result in he or she indulging in ‘drinking’. The effect of alcohol on teenagers is devastating and the brain chemistry of the teenagers is altered by alcohol.

Some teenagers drink for fun, then they indulge in persistent use of alcohol and become alcoholics. They consider it an enjoyment to drink and it provides them with an element of excitement and adventure. Alcoholism in teenager is rampant, since they consider the normal life boring. Teenage is the period of life, when youngsters are vulnerable to new emotions, situations and new experiences. Sometimes a little desperation, helplessness and rejection can throw them off-balance. So they find ‘drinking’, to be a temporary relief in life.

Peer pressure is also one of the reasons for the occurrence of alcoholism in teenager. Youngsters of today, drink sometimes to gel with their peers, who engage in the habit. To fit into a gang of people, who drink, teenagers drink. Teenagers become addicted to alcohol more than adults. The region of brain, which controls impulses and motivation, is not fully grown in a teenager. This results, in them, becoming addicted to ‘drinks’ easily than the adults.

The adults generally encounter four stages of alcoholism and it takes them, years to gradually and progressively reach the degenerative stage. Adult alcoholics reach the final stage of deterioration, which is characterized by delirium, tremors and blackouts, in the course of a few years. Teenagers, who go on a binge drinking spree, very often, reach this stage, in less than one year. Alcoholism in teenagers is the recipe for disaster!

Parents play a significant part in countering alcoholism in teenager. They must assume the responsibility of treating and rehabilitating their teenage children, who have drinking problems. Teenagers, under the influence of alcohol, sometimes do irreparable damage to the family, friends and the society. This can be curbed only by a responsible parent’s monitoring. Monitoring the teenagers for the symptoms of alcoholism, if their actions are dubious is a wise thing to counter serious repercussions that occur in future.

The Slurred speech and alcohol related fights or brawls are warning signs and parents should not shrug it off as ‘normal behavior’ of an adolescent or a teenager. Teenagers tend to experiment with new things like alcohol but if this trend continues, then parents have to monitor strictly. The peer group and the places they hang out with, feature an important role in any teenager’s life. Checking the hang outs and details of friends can help parents immensely. Disheveled physical appearance of the teenager and persistent bloodshot eyes are other symptoms that can be detected easily.

Youth of any country are vital for a better world tomorrow. So protecting the teenagers from indulging in anti-social and unhealthy practices is the responsibility of everyone. The reasons for teenagers indulging in ‘drinking’ has to be understood and appropriate measures have to be ensured to help them, deal with the situations. Stress is a primary factor that triggers the teenagers to find a temporary relief. Academic and social pressure to perform well leads to depression and loneliness. This in turn results in substance and alcohol abuse. Proper counseling can help the children to counter this problem and improve their self confidence.



GENE