Adolescence is the time in your teenager’s life when he or she begins their journey of separation from you, the parent, and learns to find their own way in the world. It is their time to discover their own true self and identity in the world. This is very natural and required during the adolescent years. Prepare yourself to deal with many extreme behaviors during this time including all of the behaviors on the list. Hormones are fluctuating as well and create many mood swings.

A troubled teen is a teenager who is having problems beyond the normal issues associated with maturing into a young adult. Usually these problems are the cause of negative behaviors that can be harmful to their lives and sometimes others. They need help and guidance. These problems can be as a result of an abusive relationship, a divorce, negative peer pressure, ADHD, a chemical imbalance and mental health issues- among many other things.

Every teen goes through trouble during their adolescent years and they learn to navigate through these difficult waters. It is a normal and necessary part of life. The job of the teenage years is for the child to slowly separate from the control of the parent and find out who they really are as an individual person with their own thoughts, ideas, values and desires. They are unsure about how to break away and move forward on their own so they often begin by rebelling against almost everything their parents stand for. This can be quite difficult for parents to understand and can produce rocky relationships.

If your teen shows more than 6 of these warning signs that persist for a while, you should seek help.
These warning signals are:

Extreme mood swings: volatile temper to extreme sadness. Mood swings are common during adolescence because of the fluctuating hormones of puberty. If these mood swings persist for a length of time, or if they are disruptive to the child’s life or the family’s life, then you should seek help. Certain drugs also cause mood swings. Be aware of other physical symptoms if you suspect drug use. Red eyes, isolation, lying, sudden weight loss and a sudden change of friends you don’t approve of are common signs of drug use.

Apathetic and disinterested in the usual activities. This can be caused by drug use, depression or just plain boredom. Be on the look out for other clues.

Falling grades. A child who was once a high achiever is suddenly losing interest in studies and gets failing grades.

Disrespectful of limits and rules. Teens are notorious for rebellion and a little is expected. But if your child is missing curfew, in trouble at school or even ditching school – be on the watch for other signs.

Changes in peer groups. If your child doesn’t want to hang out with his old friends and suddenly runs with a wild crowd or he's been an athlete and quits the team, or loses interest in any extra-curricular activities this may be a sign of deeper issues.


Experimentation with alcohol and drugs. Experimentation is very common in adolescence, but if is on ongoing problem – seek help immediately.

Sleeping a lot. Teens normally sleep a lot because of their changing body. You will know if its excessive.

Spending a lot of time alone. A teen may be depressed or using drugs. Isolation is common in drug use so other members of the family can’t smell it on their clothes or see their red eyes.

Lying. Sometimes teens lie because their parents are too strict and sometimes they lie to get money for drugs, go out and party or cover up something they shouldn’t be doing.

Defiant and rebellious. Again, a little of this is expected in the individuation of a child.
You know your child best and should be able to tell if he or she has crossed the limits of what’s normal and what’s not.

There are many places a parent can turn to for help. It can be devastating to learn your child is making poor decisions that can harm their life. There is a lot of help available –the important thing is you take action now. There are bootcamps, residential programs, wilderness programs, boarding schools, military schools, support groups and individual and family therapy. Many cities have sliding scale psychiatric counseling centers for low income families. The best place to turn depends on the individual child and what his or her issue is. All kids are different and you know your child best. Follow your intuition and if you think suicide is a question, seek help immediately. If you suspect drug use, get involved in Al-Anon and plan an intervention. Don’t wish it away as the clock is ticking and every minute counts. Ignoring the situation will not make it get better. You are not alone. Seek out a parenting support group where you can get advice from people in the same situation as you.