Dealing with the teenage years is a nightmare
in Students & Teens ·
So, I know this post was written quite a while ago, but I’m sharing it for anyone else who might stumble upon it today. I'm a 14-year-old girl going through puberty. Long story short, I drove my parents absolutely crazy. Since both of them are professors, there were always massive expectations placed on me. To be honest, I never really found a passion of my own. It didn't help that my brother was a complete superstar compared to everyone his age—and since I'm two years older than him, that just added to the pressure. It drove me nuts, though I kept it all bottled up. I struggled with deep insecurities back then, and honestly, I still do. I started lying about my grades as early as second grade. Things got heavy at home, too; my mom ended up in psychiatric care when I was in fourth grade due to her own struggles, which left me pretty traumatized. I should also mention that I dealt with bullying from the moment I started preschool all the way through elementary school, and it just continued once we moved into middle school. I never told my parents because I didn't want to overwhelm them or add to their stress. I never felt like I fit in anywhere, and because my dad pushed me so hard, I started running away from home. By age 11, I was already drinking, smoking, wearing provocative clothes, and acting out in ways I now realize were just plain foolish. I hung out with much older guys and got into all sorts of trouble. My room was a total disaster zone. My parents were genuinely lost when it came to handling me. They would lock me in, they'd get physical, and they'd take me to see psychiatrists. But nothing worked; my grades just kept slipping, and I kept spiraling. My dad even started taking tranquilizers. If they asked me anything, I’d snap. They always had these condescending comments, acting like they had all the answers to everything. I hated every social circle I was part of. I just despised them all.
My teachers hated me (and they still do—you can tell by the way they treat me compared to other students)! Even if I earned an A, they’d find a way to give me a C. Because of that, I grew to loathe school, which led to terrible anxiety and massive mental blocks. I eventually started skipping classes. My parents truly had no idea how to reach me. However, this past summer, they sent me away to a different part of the country to experience a totally new environment. I spent a month and a half there, and I came back like a completely different person. I even stopped wearing those revealing clothes and all that black attire. I cut my hair, too. I can't quite explain what happened, but I changed fundamentally. I stopped lying about my grades, I rarely fight with my parents now, and I actually keep my room clean—though, thanks to hormones, I still have the occasional mood swing. Overall, I’m much more calm and positive. I think sometimes people just need a change of scenery, because you never truly know what someone is hiding beneath the surface. It was incredibly hard for me growing up because my peers constantly targeted me and bullied me relentlessly. I recognize my mistakes now, but back then, I didn't know how to defend myself, so I just took my frustrations out on everything else. I hope my story helps someone out somewhere.
My teachers hated me (and they still do—you can tell by the way they treat me compared to other students)! Even if I earned an A, they’d find a way to give me a C. Because of that, I grew to loathe school, which led to terrible anxiety and massive mental blocks. I eventually started skipping classes. My parents truly had no idea how to reach me. However, this past summer, they sent me away to a different part of the country to experience a totally new environment. I spent a month and a half there, and I came back like a completely different person. I even stopped wearing those revealing clothes and all that black attire. I cut my hair, too. I can't quite explain what happened, but I changed fundamentally. I stopped lying about my grades, I rarely fight with my parents now, and I actually keep my room clean—though, thanks to hormones, I still have the occasional mood swing. Overall, I’m much more calm and positive. I think sometimes people just need a change of scenery, because you never truly know what someone is hiding beneath the surface. It was incredibly hard for me growing up because my peers constantly targeted me and bullied me relentlessly. I recognize my mistakes now, but back then, I didn't know how to defend myself, so I just took my frustrations out on everything else. I hope my story helps someone out somewhere.