When a teen is in trouble their parents are naturally worried. Sometimes there may be only one parent who is there for the teen and this puts an even greater burden on the grown-up. But a troubled teen needs all the help they can get, certainly from their family and possibly from professional therapists as well.

A teen can be in trouble because they have failed. It might be that their academic grades have slipped and even slipped badly. It might be because they are suffering from unrequited love. A relationship has gone badly for them and so they are worried or even in despair. It might be because the teen is failing in their hobby or favorite recreation. It could be your teen is being bullied even via the internet as cyber bullying is quite common today. Or the problem may be in some other way but the failure can be, of itself, not the only area of concern. But rather the spin-off can. Failure to a vulnerable teen can mean depression. Or the teen could turn to drugs, alcohol or some other dangerous type of lifestyle. And don't make the mistake that what you think is a minor matter for concern to you can, for your troubled teen, be catastrophic. So, what can you do?

Well the first thing is find out what is wrong. It's no good thinking your teen has failed and then try to distract them. You must find out in what area they have failed and why. The why is just as important. Let's say your teen has dropped grades in their academic studies. That's the area of failure. Now you must discover why it has happened. It could be a failed romance where a crush on someone is not returned. It could be because your teen has a condition such as ADHD or depression. It might be because your teen is running with the wrong gang, with any gang, and has picked up some nasty habits.

Once you know the area and cause of failure, you are in the best position to help. And there are so many resources available today which are geared towards helping troubled teens who have failed in some way or another.

The first port of call for help is you. If you as the parent have an honest and open relationship with your teen, chances are you can have a private and frank discussion. Remember that often the best part of talking is listening. If your teen is able to open up and explain their difficulties, you may well have gone a long way to helping them overcome their failure.

The next person is probably your family doctor. Particularly if you have a long association with him or her, your teen may feel relaxed and able to say things to their doctor they may be reluctant to say to you. Every case is different but any worthwhile method is surely worth exploring.

Then there are the professional specialists, people who can examine and assess your troubled teen finding out why they are in their present state and then suggesting or prescribing behavioral changes or medications or counseling to bring your teen through their crisis.