Moody Teenager

[DavidMc]

My daughter had a falling out with a girlfriend at school. She is in the 10th grade and will be 16 this summer.  She is very very concerned over her looks - she is cute - but does not believe that - she has this thing about her hair not being straight enought - she even goes to school with a hair straigtner in her back pack.  -- really those are side issues - she is failing a couple of courses at school. She was doing well before this - probably a year ago - about the time that she got into Highschool.  She just does not seem to care.  She also indicates that she cant remember things -- for instance she insisted on staying home from school yesterday - One of her friends came over after school and said that our dau had missed a chemistry exam.  I asked her about it - and she notes that she did NOT know that she had an exam.  She thinks that we are just intruding on privacy. I seriously doubt any drug whatsoever.  
I am confused - is this emotional (hormones), is this depression - is this teenage angst?  The only things that she really seems to care about are her portable music player - and Johnny Depp Posters.  

What type of care should we seek for her - psy?, Obgny? -- Attention deficit ?? any speciality suggestions would be helpful.  

[mojo23]

that is typical teenage...you have nothing to worry about with her mental health. teenagers actually use a differnt part of their brain when they are assessing situations and facial expressions than adults use. therefore the communication barrier is pretty bad at this age it gets better with time though...just let her be herself......especially being a girl i understand the whole hair and self image thing. all girls are different some take it to a huge extent and others not so much. take care

[SadieSunflower]

Your daughter sounds like a typical teenager to me, and honestly your concerns sound a bit overblown. Sixteen is a very angsty and stressful time. It is normal for a 16 year old girl to obsess about hair, struggle in school, and even "forget" about a chemistry exam.

If you are really concerned, then I'd find a therapist who works with teenagers and families. If she is struggling in school then a tutor may be beneficial.

I remember from my own school days that it is important to get a tutor as early as possible before the grades get into big trouble. It is also important not to overly-stress about these things. A missed chemistry exam may be troublesome but it will not ruin her life.