Reply #12: Ah, yes, how well I remember

[liberalhistorian]

what it was like to be a teenage girl; all the emotional ups and downs, the feeling that you'll never, ever get over a boyfriend, how every little thing felt like The End of the World and no one will ever, ever understand you and you just can't go on, etc., etc. I may have just turned forty, but sometimes the teen years feel like just yesterday!

The best thing you can do for her now is to just be there for her, to listen. Don't judge or lecture or parrot the usual trite parental teenage cliches, or anything like that. Just be there to listen and let her talk it out; make sure she knows how important she is to you and the family and that there's nothing she can't talk to you about. Make sure she knows you're always available to listen no matter what time it is, then just let her vent however she needs to. Keep a sharp eye out for anything indicating suicidal thoughts or preparations, and things like that, though. Teens tend to think they're invincible and that even if they're dead, they're not really dead, they'll still be around in some way.