Need advice from parents of teenagers!

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  • LadyHawk1978
    LadyHawk1978 Posts: 2 Member
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    I'm going through a similar thing with my 18 year old son at the moment.

    The problem is we may have gone through similar things ourselves or with our kids. We can even tell you what did or didn't work for us. However, every individual is... individual! You need to speak to a medical professional to get the help you need that's right for YOU!
  • Archerychickge
    Archerychickge Posts: 606 Member
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    Um, my kids don't have that luxury of just not doing anything. They either contribute to the household, get decent grades ion school, or get a job. Period. Pull yourself up by the bootstraps and get busy. The longer you do it, the easier it becomes. Take it one day at a time.
  • Oi_Sunshine
    Oi_Sunshine Posts: 819 Member
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    Invite him on a walk or another activity. Get going and help him to get going, too. It'll give you time to talk about anything he might be bothered by and getting some fresh air usually helps lift me out of my SADS. I can get very down when it gets colder or drizzly rain. If it looks dark and dreary, that's when I need to make the most effort ir I end up in a weepy pity party for one.
  • LoneWolfRunner
    LoneWolfRunner Posts: 1,160 Member
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    I would say that you are 18 and going through a tough time... like most kids your age. I have two daughters (31 and 24 now) and went through lots of roller coasters with them. I always told them that life is about relationships and priorities and that if either one is out of whack, you will not be happy.... if you are depressed about your appearance, your image, then you need to decide if you want to do anything about it. If diet and exercise are too "painful" for you, then that simply means that staying how you are is more important than changing.

    Until the status quo is more "painful" to you than changing, you will not change and no amount advice, therapy, medication will change that. It may take a while and you may have other issues that need to be resolved as well, but it will always come down to what is most important to you.
  • farfromthetree
    farfromthetree Posts: 982 Member
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    I would say that you are 18 and going through a tough time... like most kids your age. I have two daughters (31 and 24 now) and went through lots of roller coasters with them. I always told them that life is about relationships and priorities and that if either one is out of whack, you will not be happy.... if you are depressed about your appearance, your image, then you need to decide if you want to do anything about it. If diet and exercise are too "painful" for you, then that simply means that staying how you are is more important than changing.

    Until the status quo is more "painful" to you than changing, you will not change and no amount advice, therapy, medication will change that. It may take a while and you may have other issues that need to be resolved as well, but it will always come down to what is most important to you.



    Smart man! this is so true for people of ALL ages.
  • suzreen
    suzreen Posts: 2,455 Member
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    Well, you have gotten a lot of advice here, hope it will be helpful. It might not hurt just to talk to someone to make sure you aren't depressed, but sometimes they are very quick to prescribe medication as a first resort, and that is not always a good thing. So other than the advice you have already been given, I would give you this advice: Fake it till you make it. That means even if you care about nothing, put yourself out there doing things -- school, work, helping others, connecting with friends, photography, writing, whatever. Try to have fun where you can. As you are doing these things you don't "care" about, you may get caught up in something you do care about. Wishing you all the best!
  • Skrib69
    Skrib69 Posts: 687 Member
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    Maybe I am missing the point here but I cannot see any reasons for depression or a thing else. There is no 'my parents are splitting up and my boyfriend has dumped me and I am 30 stone overweight' or such like. All you have said is that you quit MFP because you didn't want to log. Ergo, I see no reason to seek therapy or a doctor unless, as I say, I have missed the point. Your lethargy strikes me as a normal teenager, just like my own.

    They get told to walk away from the XBox, computer etc and spend some time with some friends. In the same room!! Get to sleep before midnight and get up before 8:30. If they don't get out of the house, they get jobs. And sitting in front if the TV all day is not acceptable!!
  • Meerataila
    Meerataila Posts: 1,885 Member
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    I will make an appointment with a counselor. Thanks to all those who replied.

    Good. Understand it's quite normal to have some blue years while your hormones are going crazy but that it's also courageous and smart to enlist any help you can find to deal with the issue.
  • farfromthetree
    farfromthetree Posts: 982 Member
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    Maybe I am missing the point here but I cannot see any reasons for depression or a thing else. There is no 'my parents are splitting up and my boyfriend has dumped me and I am 30 stone overweight' or such like. All you have said is that you quit MFP because you didn't want to log. Ergo, I see no reason to seek therapy or a doctor unless, as I say, I have missed the point. Your lethargy strikes me as a normal teenager, just like my own.

    They get told to walk away from the XBox, computer etc and spend some time with some friends. In the same room!! Get to sleep before midnight and get up before 8:30. If they don't get out of the house, they get jobs. And sitting in front if the TV all day is not acceptable!!




    You don't understand depression if you think you need a reason to be depressed.
  • RedArizona5
    RedArizona5 Posts: 465 Member
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    Um, my kids don't have that luxury of just not doing anything. They either contribute to the household, get decent grades ion school, or get a job. Period. Pull yourself up by the bootstraps and get busy. The longer you do it, the easier it becomes. Take it one day at a time.
    This is how it was in our house. The uncles were always saddling us up for work to do and even if we were playing outside we would get called in the back yard to clean up a bunch of wood my jadju had worked with to build a dog house. or help my grandma out in the kitchen with dinner or to clean up. We still had a lot of down time but when we looked bored and someone needed help around the cars they were fix in we would called to get it done no ifs and or butts about it…looking back if i had a choice to change things since to some of you it just sounds so unfair and cruel…no i would not…i am strong today for that ...
  • RedArizona5
    RedArizona5 Posts: 465 Member
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    I would say that you are 18 and going through a tough time... like most kids your age. I have two daughters (31 and 24 now) and went through lots of roller coasters with them. I always told them that life is about relationships and priorities and that if either one is out of whack, you will not be happy.... if you are depressed about your appearance, your image, then you need to decide if you want to do anything about it. If diet and exercise are too "painful" for you, then that simply means that staying how you are is more important than changing.

    Until the status quo is more "painful" to you than changing, you will not change and no amount advice, therapy, medication will change that. It may take a while and you may have other issues that need to be resolved as well, but it will always come down to what is most important to you.



    Smart man! this is so true for people of ALL ages.
    Deal with your junk or the junk will deal with you..but you are def. going through it and will get through it, you are aware of your feelings so many aren't that blessed OP so Good job

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