‘ Help Me Figure Myself Out ’ : The Paved Road to the Adolescent Mind

“What do I do? I don’t know what to do with him anymore!” This is one of the many scenarios of a frantic parent knocking on the therapist’s door. Teenage years are tough, let’s not kid ourselves. We have been there, we remember. In my practice I’ve consulted numerous parents on teens’ presenting problems such as: indifference, apathy, resistance, verbal/physical aggressiveness, destructive behavior, mood swings and a complete emotional shutdown expressed by their teenage sons and daughters. “Where did my child go?” I would hear the parent ask during our consultations. “He was happy, balanced, easy going, comfortable in his skin, fast on his feet and easy to talk to!” This kind of pleading is a frequent case in the relationship frame “parent-teenager”. What are some of the most common parental expectations from their teenage sons/daughters? Being respectful, responsible, independent, a good student, loyal friend and a loving child to his parents. What do many parents see in return when their children enter puberty? They see resistance, non-conformity, demand for absolute autonomy and freedom of self-expression, moodiness, agitation, indifference (i.e, “I don’t care” or “whatever”) and sometimes, aggressiveness (verbal or physical). What are some of the worst parental fears in dealing with their teenage offsprings? Some of them are: depressed or anxious mood, aggression towards others, self-mutilating behavior (sel...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Children and Teens Family Parenting Personality Psychology Psychotherapy Psychotherapy Stories Self-Esteem Students Success & Achievement Violence and Aggression Adolescence Autonomy Communication Compassion Defiance Discip Source Type: blogs