21 Mar Teens with Self-Destructive Behavior: Could It Be More Than Just Rebellion?

Adolescence is a time of growth, maturity, and to an extent emancipation from the confines of childhood and requirements for family permission to engage the world.  To some, teenagers are  rebellious youths who cannot contain their impulses to cause trouble. Parents are often counseled to provide some “space” to their teens and to allow them to mature by learning via life’s experiences.  However, in some teens, their metamorphosis into adulthood is troublesome, concerning, and sometimes dangerous.  This behavior stems from somewhere deep inside them.

Self-destructive behavior can be dangerous and includes the following:

• Drug and alcohol use (including while driving)
• Texting while driving
• “Cutting” or self mutilation
• Suicidality, harm to self, suicide pacts
  

So as a parent, grandparent, neighbor, or friend what are you to do when you encounter these behaviors?  Does one wait and let them “grow out of it”?  Does one seek professional clinical help?  How do we go about talking to them?  

Let’s begin with safety first, always safety. Prevent harm, prevent suicide and then quickly get a professional try to figure it out for you. Once this is addressed then it is time to get everyone together to figure out what has happened and why. If in doubt call all; it is better to be safe than sorry.

What could the cause be? Teens who are self destructive are often described by their parents as having started out as good kids without causing any problems.  However, parents comment that over time they noticed a change in their teen’s behavior. There are many reasons that might account for the change.  Today we want to focus on one that is insidious and prevalent; depression.

Depression manifests itself differently in teens than it does in adults, which is why the parents of many teenagers are unable to recognize their child’s symptoms of depression. Teens with depression report feeling hollow inside, and often times this hollowness drives them to cut themselves.  When asked they say they want to “feel the pain”, to know that they are alive instead of feeling empty. Daredevils state the same, that danger, facing death, and even getting injured makes them feel a rush that reminds them that they are “alive”.

That archetype is not true for every teen; others experience depression in different ways. For instance, some express their depression by becoming complacent in school and in their hobbies.  Upon the onset of depressive symptoms, parents can notice that their teens become more pessimistic, show less motivation in school, or express low self esteem. These symptoms are equally self-destructive and may also come about because of depression.

Teenage rebellion does not have to be something that parents must simply accept. Getting your teen back to his/herself requires treating the problem at the source. If you believe that your child or teen is experiencing any of these symptoms, please call the Institute for Advanced Medical Research at 770-817-9200 for more information about adolescent depression.