The transition to college isn’t just a milestone for teens—it’s a major shift for parents too. Whether you’re sending your first child off to school or preparing for a quieter house as your last teen launches, it can feel like there’s no roadmap for what this next chapter looks like.

If you’re parenting a teen, chances are you’ve had moments where you questioned everything.

You snapped during a stressful moment. You brushed off something that clearly mattered to your teen. You said the “wrong” thing, even though your intentions were good.

Have you ever watched your teen go from zero to sixty emotionally over something that seemed, at first, like no big deal?

For many adolescents, social situations can trigger intense anxiety. Some experience racing thoughts, struggle to keep them internal, and begin to verbalize every worry aloud. In some cases, these internal storms become so overwhelming that teens turn to self-harm as a way to release emotional pain. While alarming for caregivers and professionals alike, these behaviors are often signals—clear indicators that the teen’s nervous system is overstimulated and struggling to regulate.

You’re sitting across from your teen. They’re angry. Maybe they’ve slammed a door. Maybe they’re crying and telling you they feel alone. Or maybe they’ve gone quiet and withdrawn, refusing to say what’s wrong.

If you’re raising a teen who’s been told to “just use your coping skills” but still melts down, shuts down, or lashes out when emotions run high, you’re not alone.

Most teens know about coping skills. That doesn’t mean they know how to use them.

Ever asked your teen how they’re feeling only to get a shrug or an eye roll in return?

You’re not alone. Teens often act like they don’t care, but under the surface, big emotions are flooding their system. They just don’t have the tools to process them. And when they don’t have the words or the regulation strategies to deal with all that intensity, they shut down, blow up, or tune out.

Your teen sends an angry text, then regrets it. They lash out in arguments, shutting down when they feel overwhelmed.