Just as a raging toothache would make you focus your attention on your teeth, so these waves of feeling further encourage the young person to become absorbed in them. A concentration on the self can have various unfortunate effects. The teenager may begin to see little oddities they haven't noticed previously and become convinced that something is wrong, or that they are unusual or deformed.

One of the great dilemmas drug availability has thrust upon parents is how to judge when to trust and when to intervene. On the whole, it is essential for young people to be able to know that their rooms are private territory. Nothing is quite as unsavory and contemptible as the parent who snoops around their son's or daughter's papers and belongings. However, if you have a genuine fear that they might be doing something that could seriously damage their health and put their lives at risk, you might feel that this justifies a search.

The argument that teenage love interrupts their studies is glib, but hardly reasonable. The fact that our educational system makes demands on them at the same time as they are experiencing their first strong attachment is society's bad management, not their fault. Nature is no respecter of examinations, and they cannot be blamed for finding their minds are engaged in more important things than schoolwork or jobs.