• Parenting OC Events
  • Calendar
  • Business Directory
  • Education
  • Ask the Experts
  • Family Wellness
  • School News

Parenting OC

  • Get an Issue
    • Latest Issue
    • Distribution outlets
  • About us
    • About the magazine
    • Contact us
    • The Press Room
  • Advertise
  • Archives
  • Contests
  • OC Woman
You are here: Home / Ask the Experts / Ask the Experts: Teenage Tantrums

Ask the Experts: Teenage Tantrums

April 2, 2014 Leave a Comment

daughter talking back to her mother

Q: [Teenager] My teenage daughter suffers from these recurring manic episodes that has me thinking it might be beyond puberty and the typical teenage physical and mental changes. How should I approach this and what are some things I should know?

A: Adolescence is a very tumultuous time for both parents and teens. It’s important to look at what a manic episode looks like in teens—because it presents differently than in adults. It will present with symptoms like: unrealistic highs in self-esteem; the ability to go without sleep for days without fatigue; high distractibility; and/or an increase in risk-taking behavior. These manic symptoms are often followed by depressive symptoms such as: frequent crying; increase of complaints about physical ailments; and/or a loss of enjoyment in favorite activities. Manic and depressive symptoms—commonly known as bipolar disorder—must occur every day for one week in order to be considered outside of the normal range of mood changes in adolescence. However, before we diagnosis them, here are a few suggestions for coping with it:

Get to know your teen. Engage them in their favorite activities and get to know who they are outside of the family. Let your child show you what it’s like in their world. Getting to know your teen will give you more information on how they react to situations, which in turn, will help you to determine whether these moods are abnormal for your teen.

Do some self-care. I highly encourage parents to add a self-care regimen. Take some time to breathe before entering a discussion with your teen. If in the middle of a discussion you feel triggered, ask for a few minutes to process what was said and return to the conversation later. This will help you to develop more patience and model healthy ways to manage big feelings.

Look for support. Whether it turns out to be bipolar disorder or just typical teen mood changes, you will need the support of other parents. When you surround yourself with parents who are empathetic about your struggles, it recharges you. Support groups can give you the energy to cope with the mood changes or the support and education you need about a diagnosis. Being in a group doesn’t signify weakness, it’s a human need to feel connected and supported. It is difficult, but patience and empathy will give you the energy to cope with your teen’s moods.


Mercedes Stanley head shotMercedes Stanley, MSW, is a Family/Parent Coach in Southern California who has been working with families for over six years helping them achieve results in parent-child bonding, decreasing power struggles and developing discipline strategies that foster nurturing relationships. shameproofparenting.com

Filed Under: Ask the Experts

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Parenting OC December 2019 Cover - Web
Read our December 2019 Digital Issue!

Socialize with Parenting OC

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Search Parenting OC

Newsletter Sign Up Button Stay up to date on current events, hot topics, contests and giveaways by signing up for Parenting OC's bimonthly newsletter.

Browse by category

Feedburner Sign Up Button Subscribe to Parenting OC email service.

Parenting OC Tweets

  • Want to find Santa? Here's exactly where to find him! https://t.co/5ReZRL27tt #parentingoc #wheressanta #findsanta… https://t.co/wPFshLmZNS December 10, 2019 6:30 am
  • The fast and furry-ous rise of San Juan Capistrano–based @ZOOMARS is a story within a story. #parentingoc #zoomars… https://t.co/MuddPGU4XY December 7, 2019 3:11 am
  • As we dive into the holiday shopping season, you won't want to miss these gift ideas — available from OC businesses… https://t.co/KfA3iofJa5 December 6, 2019 12:50 am
  • Follow Parenting OC on Twitter!

Recent Articles

  • Congratulations to all Teachers & Employees Nominees for the 2020 Awards!
  • Holiday Overeating Health Concerns

Upcoming Events

Oct
1
Tue
2019
all-day “Dimensions of Form: Tamayo and ...
“Dimensions of Form: Tamayo and ...
Oct 1 2019 – Jan 19 2020 all-day
Discover the boundary-breaking work of the Mexico-born artist Rufino Tamayo and the L.A.-based Mixografía Studio. Tamayo’s masterful three-dimensional works perfectly suit Mixografia’s printmaking technique, which lets three-dimensional prints feature elements of relief, texture and fine[...]
10:00 am “Dinosaurs!” Exhibit
“Dinosaurs!” Exhibit
Oct 1 2019 @ 10:00 am – Mar 1 2020 @ 5:00 pm
The Children’s Museum at La Habra’s new interactive, informative temporary exhibit lets visitors encounter a Triceratops, a Stegosaurus, and other dinosaurs in the Dinosaur Jungle Maze. Folks can also uncover fossils at the Paleo-Camp and[...]
1:00 pm “Dinosaurs!” Exhibit
“Dinosaurs!” Exhibit
Oct 1 2019 @ 1:00 pm – Mar 1 2020 @ 5:00 pm
The Children’s Museum at La Habra’s new interactive, informative temporary exhibit lets visitors encounter a Triceratops, a Stegosaurus, and other dinosaurs in the Dinosaur Jungle Maze. Folks can also uncover fossils at the Paleo-Camp and[...]
Nov
1
Fri
2019
all-day “Apollo 11: One Giant Leap for M...
“Apollo 11: One Giant Leap for M...
Nov 1 2019 – Jan 12 2020 all-day
Take a giant leap into aerospace history at this all-new hands-on exhibit. Commemorating Apollo 11’s 50th anniversary, it displays a fascinating combination of historic artifacts and cool recreations (an exact model of an Apollo mission[...]
View Calendar
Add
  • Add to Timely Calendar
  • Add to Google
  • Add to Outlook
  • Add to Apple Calendar
  • Add to other calendar
  • Export to XML
© 2019 Tierney Publishing · Contact · Advertise