I need advice, and was hoping some of you moms out there might be able to help. Basically, I'm really worried about my little brother. He's 14, and over the past couple of years has been getting steadily angrier and angrier at the world in general for no apparent reason as far as we can tell. He's just all over the place emotionally, and seems to be getting worse as he gets older. My parents have no idea what to do; he doesn't really listen to them anyway. I'm about the only one who can calm him down when he really gets worked up...anyone else just makes him angrier. Anyways, things have been worse than usual lately. He's currently refusing to eat (he's living on gatorade and chocolate milk because he claims he's got a cold sore that hurts too much to eat), and spends almost all of his time up in his room playing halo while listening to angry music. And this evening, he and my mom had a disagreement....he took off on his bike almost an hour ago and still isn't back. My mom's going out of town tomorrow for a week, and she's crying because she doesn't feel like she can go off and leave my brother like this. I feel like I should be doing something...anything...to help, but at the same time, I just want to get as far away from it all as I can. What on earth should I do?
He sounds like a normal 14 year old boy to me. I was like that at his age, as were lots of other guys I know. Its just part of him growing up I'm afraid
I don't think its normal. I would probably try some natural remedies first and then look into medical intervention.
I actually don't think it bothers him too much that my mom's going out of town, though that might be part of it. He did come back last night about an hour later, and had a long talk with my parents. And he's in a better mood this morning as far as I can tell. Maybe getting some sleep helped....maybe yesterday was just a really bad day for him. Who knows.....
He sounds like my nephew, who is BiPolar, not saying he is bipolar, but maybe he's got some kind of a chemical imbalance that is causing this. Either way he should go see his doctor, if you have the right doctor, they will try other alternatives if you don't want the medication route. Medication should only be done if it's absolutely necessary.
mmm....I think there are a lot of points whilst being a teenager that you could say compare to the behaviour of someone being bi-polar...however with all those hormones racing round ones body I think it is a bit scary to be presuming that moodiness, mood swings, argumentiveness, withdrawl or other such things as she described are necessarily signs of a mental disorder...rather I think they are signs of a normal teenager dealing with the world and their place wihin it changing... anyhow I am glad to hear that he seemed a bit chirpiertoday, I remember my brother a few years ago going on about us all leaving him..he was about 14 and we had started leaving home one by one and it obviously affected him in ways that I didn;t know at the time...you don't have to take care of him however it sounds like you really care and that is the best hing I think that anyone could do.
I think that it is just normal teenage angst. When I was a teenager I was diagnosed as bi-polar but by the time I got to college apparently the diagnosis was no longer needed. I think that kids get upset that sometimes adolescence is harder on some than on others. It translate to all the "symptoms" of a disorder but is really just a temporary malady. Long jaunts on his bike or trips away to think and stew and just feel whatever he is feeling sound normal. H
I don't think you have much to worry about Barefoot. My little sister is 15 and for the last two years she's been holing herself in her room and she won't talk to anyone (especially me). She'll sit on the computer and listen to music. She gets mad easily. It's just being a teenager. When I was younger I used to sit inside and read all the time...rarely went out and did anything and I turned out just fine. Just sort of keep an eye out for him and since you two communicate the best, just sort of talk to him once in awhile and let him know that you're there if he needs to talk about anything, then just leave it at that. He'll appreciate the fact that you're staying open with him, yet still giving him the space to be a teenager. No medication is needed...maybe a smack on the head every once in awhile...LOL
Yeah that is true, Bi Polar is hard to diagnose in teens, because of all the hormonal changes. Those dang hormones anyway.
i'd say just be there for him. let him know that if he ever wants to talk to anyone, you'll listen and you won't be judgmental of him or his feelings. it's normal for teens to listen to angry music...nirvana and NIN were a couple of my favorites as a teen. they spoke to the angst in me. i think that's the first time in your life that you become aware of just how FUCKED the world is. plus, it's the first time you find people sexually attractive, but you're the most gawky and awkward looking...think of it! try to remember how YOU felt at times it's not the end of the world. do keep an eye out for him, though. don't totally dismiss it as being normal teen angst. if he needs you, be there
