|
What can I do? Thanks a lot and regards, Hi, A number of things come to my mind as I read your email: wondering if an underlying Attention Deficit Disorder may be showing up now that she's a bit older--you sometimes first see this at middle school or junior high, when the demands of the academic environment for remembering and organizing greatly increase. I wonder whether she may be experiencing a clinical depression--the flavor of her anxieties suggests a pretty insecure inner world, even for a teen. On the other hand, she's 13!--a ghastly age for any girl (and for her mother). It's hard to diagnose pre-teens and teens because things that would be considered abnormal at any other time of life are perfectly normal during this growth stage. You know what I think I'd do if she were mine and I had the wisdom, when my own daughter was that age, that I have now? -- I think I'd just make maybe a one-time appointment with a really good clinician experienced with teens and just talk to her about what I'm seeing, hearing, and feeling. It doesn't hurt anything to check out your fears--your daughter need not know you've done so--and maybe you can have your fears more or less instantly relieved. Or, you may find that a brief course of psychotherapy or some other intervention is in order. You may be able to get a referral to therapists in the area who are good with teens and preteens from your school counselor, or ask your family doctor, or check the phone book under 'counseling,' or consult our Directory of Clinicians. Hope this helps a little. Jean. Disclaimer: Ms. Walbridge's
response to your question is |
behaviour
is worrying. She has very short memory, forgets easily, does
very badly at school when with some effort she can achieve average
marks, is obsessed with having friends who do not quarrel with
her, and sometimes I think she gets paranoid about it. She worries
her friends would shun her when there is no evident reason! I
don't know if this is normal for her age or whether to check
her out with a specialist. She is a genteel girl with the rest
of the world except us and that is understandable in a way but
she seems to gets angry for no reason whatsoever, she bursts
out crying even if we say that there is a change of plans. I
know she is at a disadvantage when compared with her brother
who achieves very well at school, but when I try to build on
her strengths, it seems she doesn't have any interest in anything
whatsoever and we have tried a number of things, which we start
and never continue. She doesn't seem unhappy but surely has a
lot of insecurities such as an earthquake happening or going
to the wrong place after death. It looks like my reassurances
aren't working with her.