How to Help a Teenager with Behavioral Problems

How to Help a Teenager with Behavioral Problems

Behavioral problems are difficult to deal with, but they often occur when your teen cannot deal with how they are feeling. Negative emotions that build up inside can result in low frustration thresholds, aggression, a lack of empathy and even violence. Behavioral problems can be very frustrating, but understanding that they might be a symptom of a much more serious issue is a good place to start. 

In some cases, behavioral problems will be due to developmental challenges. In others, it might be due to childhood trauma, or a bad home life. And in some cases, it still might be a side effect of a mental illness of even trauma your teen has experienced without you realizing it. 

When your teen has behavioral problems, the best thing you can do is seek out professional guidance. 

Seek Out Professional Guidance 

IgniteTeenTreatment.com is a great place to start looking into behavioral treatment and understanding exactly how you can help your teen overcome their behavioral issues and get to the root of the problem. 

1. Parental Guidance

It is okay to not know what to do. That is where parental guidance comes into play. This is not only in regards to your teen, but you too, will learn behaviors and strategies, no matter what the source of those problems may be. 

2. Family Therapy

Family therapy can help teens whose behavioral problems stem from a poor family dynamic. Just being heard in a safe, open environment can do wonders and help everyone — including you — heal and become better. 

3. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

CBT is a very effective therapy method for a wide variety of mental disorders and illnesses, and helps teens learn how to control their feelings in a positive, healthy way. It is often cited to be one of the most effective therapy methods out there. 

4. Anger Management Therapy

If your teen’s behavioral problems are due to a behavioral disorder, then professionals will help them learn how to deal with their anger in healthier ways. Anger management is difficult to deal with for both parties, but with professional help — and in some cases, medication — behavior can be improved. 

5. Social Training

Social training teaches teens with behavioral issues not only how to manage their feelings, but how to better treat those around them. Empathy can be hard for teens with behavioral disorders, but with social training they can learn to treat others around them better and with more care. 

6. Medication

Behavioral issues can be a result of disorders like ADHD, which require medication to help balance the chemicals in their brain and enable more focus. Not every case of a frustrated, overactive child is due to ADHD — also, assuming it’s ADHD can be very dangerous and reckless. Leave the professional diagnosis to a specialist. 

Behavioral problems arise both with behavioral disorders and without. Trauma, abuse, addiction, and mental illness can also result in behavioral issues, and in every case, professional help can give you the tools, resources, and knowledge necessary to support and care for your troubled teen.

About the author
Mrs. Hatland is a 30-something married, mom of 7 and the face behind the popular online publication, Motherhood Defined. Known as the Iowa Mom blogger by her local peers and “The Fairy Blogmother” worldwide. She has professional experience in working closely with clients on brand ambassadorships, client outreach services, content creation and creative social media advertising exposure.

10 Comments

  1. Great tips! Teenagers can present different challenges where sometimes additional help can prove very beneficial.

  2. My daughter will soon be a tween. These re great suggestions in case we encounter any problems as she grows up.

  3. Those look like great treatment options for helping to overcome your teen’s behavioral issues and get them the help they need.

  4. My son had behavioral problems while he was growing up. We found a school that only excepted kids with ADD or other behavioral problems & it turned him around.

  5. I really like the approach, “It’s okay to not know what to do and seek help”. This applies to all of us from the kids to the parents! I have a few years before my oldest is a teen (I’m seeing glimpses now of what that will be like). But. I am trying to instill in them the idea that it is always okay to ask for help. Good advice.

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