Teenage Angst

My rotation on Child and Adolescent Psychiatry reminded me of a time in my life I would like to bury forever, but my family will never let me forget...my troubled teens. I was your typical bratty 13-16 year old girl, emotionally labile and overly dramatic. Insecure, but with an over inflated sense of self importance. Luckily I had loving, strict parents and understanding sisters to keep me grounded and out of trouble. I wish the same were true for some of the children I worked with during my rotation.

Of course I had my fair share of patients battling your run of the mill teenage angst, but there were others whose sad eyes and sadder stories will stay with me forever. The social situations some of these kids were born into were the stuff of nightmares and Lifetime movies. I couldn't even imagine how some of these kids were still standing. One girl I worked with had tried to kill herself when the flashbacks of the sexual and physical abuse that her own mother and father inflicted upon her became too strong to bear any longer. I helped one very sweet 13 year old girl deal with the repercussions of her first manic episode, which included a  pregnancy scare and a difficult reintegration into her family. During many family meetings it became evident that the parents were in greater need of psychiatric treatment than the children.

Overall the experience reminded me of just how lucky I was to have a relatively normal upbringing and family and friends who always had my best interest at heart. That makes all the difference in the world. Thank you.