Other Emotional Health Issues / Question
Published: April 2, 2008
Dear TeenHealthFX,
I think I might have an issue here. I'm pretty much desperate for attention. I know that may be common in teenagers, but it's more than that for me. I may be a bit of a hypochondriac at times, and I will do anything for it. I lie like a dog to get people to like me, mostly because I'm not satisfied with the way things in my life are going right now and I usually do it out of pure desperation. My relationships almost always fail because i'm so needy and the weird thing is that I don't appear to be that way at all. On the surface I look like I've got it all together but on the inside I'm screaming for attention and I don't know how to get it! I've been to therapy many times but I'm still not satisfied because it's like my parents are paying someone to deal with my problems. Are they even real problems? Or am I just making them up because i'm so lonely? I really don't know what to do. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
Signed: I'm Pretty Much Desparate For Attention
Dear I'm Pretty Much Desparate For Attention,
Sometimes the reason that children and teens can come across as so needy for attention from friends, significant others, teachers, and others outside the home – is because they are not getting the kind of attention that they would like inside their home from their parents or guardians. What FX recommends is that rather than your going to therapy on your own, that you and your parents meet together with a family therapist to talk about the parent-child relationships in your family. When thinking about what issues might be important to address, consider the following: Do you feel you get to spend enough quality time with your parents? Do you feel like your parents are interested in who you are and what you do? Do you feel that your parents are nurturing and loving towards you? Do you feel your parents treat you with compassion, understanding, and kindness? Based on your question and the feelings/behaviors you describe, FX wonders if something is missing for you in your relationship with your parents, and that this issue is something that needs to be addressed. As far as you relate to peers and adults outside the home, keep in mind that the healthier our relationships are with our parents, the easier time we usually have forming and maintaining healthy relationships with peers. In addition, feeling close to our families in a healthy way often helps us to generally feel good about ourselves.
If you live in northern
Signed: TeenHealthFX
Crash risk is particularly high during the first year that teenagers are eligible to drive.
