1.

Mood Swings and Depression

Because of rapidly changing hormones and the sometimes-caustic environment of high

school, it is common for teenagers to have mood swings and even experience
depression. While mood swings are normal and should be expected, depression is not
normal—again, seeking out a professional can be the most helpful route.

2. Eating disorders

These are surprisingly common among teenage girls and are becoming more common
among teenage boys. If you suspect or know that your teenager has an eating disorder,
seeking professional help is the best way to go.

3. Issues With Body image

During the transition from childhood to adulthood, while their bodies are morphing into
new shapes and sizes, teens are struggling to come to terms with their bodies and get
comfortable inside their own skins. The cherubic child is gone, and they are left looking
at a stranger in the mirror: gawky, gangly, hairy, zitty, and unfamiliar.

4. Social and Parental Pressure

Oftentimes, parents live through their children and expect their kids to achieve
everything they wanted but did not have. Expecting the teenager to get good grades,
have great friends, excel in extracurricular activities, and be well-behaved, responsible
for themselves, and sometimes for their younger siblings is a lot of pressure.
Added to this is peer pressure. To be accepted among peers and to become "popular,"
teens feel pressured to conform in their tastes, behaviors, and appearance.

5. Pressure

Pressure comes in a number of different varieties and from a number of different

sources. Teachers put a lot of pressure on students not just to do their school work, but
to get good grades, in addition to doing plenty of extra-curricular activities. Friends may
put pressure on your teenager, to drink, do drugs, or have sex—though peer pressure
isn’t always negative. Pressure of any kind can cause your teenager to have anxiety and
even act out against you, teachers, or his friends. Being supportive, rather than putting
even more pressure on a teenager, is a good way to remain his ally.