Well, this tendency is displayed in a number of ways, from severe conditions like bulimia and obsessive-compulsive disorders, to staying up all night in your room with the music turned up to full volume, everyone's had their moments.



If you're a parent of a troubled child, be sure that most of the time the phase tides over. But if you begin to see an ensuing pattern which becomes more of a habit, maybe its time to take notice and step in for your teenager's sake.

The following are a few of the symptoms that your teenager may be bearing a serious problem.

A sudden change in weight or eating habits. This is especially true for teenage girls, when the pressure to look good is very intense. Most of the time this results in a wrong self-image, and the teenager opts for practices which may seem to her an affirmation of beauty, but in reality poses a serious physical and psychological hazard.

If your teenage daughter is becoming too thin for her health, she may be suffering from anorexia or bulimia nervosa, eating disorders which are closely linked to a warped self-esteem. This may also be applicable in the case of crash and fad diets; it's best to seek the counsel of doctor for treatment, but do make your daughter feel that she is well-loved for who she is.

If you're teenager is spending too much time online, that's one thing; but if he or she becomes consumed with it, it can be an addiction in itself. Engaging in online chats with anonymous contacts can also be a potential threat to your teenager's safety, especially if he or she is forced to intimate details which are practically off-limits to strangers.

There is also a possibility that your teenager is living a double life which includes amateur online pornography. Your teenager may be a qualified porn star even at the age of consent, a practice which is illegal in all states.

While there is practically nothing wrong with being a porn star if you are at the legal age and you do it at your own consent, doing it on the internet as a minor entails a variety of perils: the teenager becomes easy prey for sexual predators; this may lower his or her sense of self-esteem to a certain extent; and the evidence of the act is practically accessible to all, since footages and images can be shared with a few simple keystrokes.

If you believe that your teenager is engaging in activities related to those of qualified porn stars, step in and censor the content immediately.

Your teenager suddenly becomes moody or violent, or otherwise uncharacteristically quiet. These may just be signs of teenage angst, or they may be symptoms of a serious underlying cause.

Your teenager is possibly being bullied at school, or the identity crisis may be too much to bear that it's beginning to affect his outlook in life. In such cases, its best to talk to your teenager, even if he or she hesitates in engaging in an open conversation.

Sometimes just being there is enough assurance that somebody really cares. Be prepared to wait though; it may take some time before your teenager's concerns are opened up, but once the questions come in, do have some answers ready.