White Horse Ranch

Parents Corner

Problems occur in the life of a teenage girl with poor coping and communication skills, problems often manifesting themselves in such things as substance abuse, unhealthy addictions, unhealthy relationships, eating disorders, or other types of risky behaviors.

Below are some signs that your child may be in crisis

Emotional Changes

• Persistently sad and/or hopeless
• Cries suddenly and/or often
• Regular extreme angry outbursts that seem like an overreaction
• Phobias and/or fears that seem exaggerated
• She states she feels "controlled" by bad thoughts
• Excessive worry and/or anxiety
• Bizarre behavior, such as temper tantrums, rambling speech, paranoid

Behavioral Changes

• Dramatic decline in school performance
• She is no longer interested in activities she once enjoyed
• Isolates herself avoiding friends and family
• Changes peer group and avoids introducing new friends to family
• Suicidal threats or ideas being verbalized concerning suicide
• Significant change in how she expresses herself, possibly being more agitated or more depressed than usual. Possibly confusion in speech, often more unreasonable.
• Destructive toward self, others, animals or property
• Dramatic changes in appearance, such as clothing, body piercing, tattoos, accompanied by changes in behavior
• Change in level of hygiene where she no longer cares about personal appearance

Links

• United States Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration
• National Inhalant Prevention Coalition