Understanding Moody Teenagers

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Moody Teenagers by Jim Forgan, Ph.D. “My teen son has a hard time showing emotions and has a hard time to make friendships. He has a hard time to feel happy and contented. He even has a hard time to do activities that he considers useless or are mentally or physically demanding. Help me figure out what is wrong with him!”

Moody Teenagers

It’s not uncommon for teenagers to be moody since they are a ball of changing hormones, have variable sleep patterns, and are vying for independence.  All this occurs while your teen is dealing with the pressures of school, social media, and exposure to drugs and porn.  As the mom wrote, her teen was withdrawn and his behavior changed within the past few months.  Prior to this he was a happier person and a decent student.

The Root Cause

Our testing revealed this teen was depressed.  Mom had wondered if he was depressed but thought looking down at him from the 30,000-foot view he had a good life.  He had an intact family, a cell phone, nice place to live, and he was doing well in school.  She thought, “What is there to be depressed about?” Testing revealed he had very strong feelings of inadequacy and was struggling with his identity.  He believed he was not in control of his outcomes so, “Why should he try?”

It took mom a while to get dad to recognize the struggle but after our results review meeting he understood additional support was needed.  Dad actually initiated the conversation with his teen by saying, “I feel that our relationship is strained. It may not bother you but it bothers me and if you would, I’d like you to meet with a counselor. I will as well because I need some help knowing how to help you and our family.”  The teen agreed to dad’s request.

Answers

School neuropsychological testing was the process which provided answers.  Call (561) 625 4125 if you are concerned about your child and would like understanding moody teenagers. Testing is completed in one day and we test children through young adults for autism, dyslexia, ADHD, anxiety, and depression. Our approach can help you.