our girl

I go back and forth.  Our 14 year old daughter is moody.  I don't know if she's moody because all 14 year old girls are moody.  Or if she's moody because she has other issues.  She is difficult to talk with when she's in "a mood".  But again, so are all 14 year old girls.

I don't want to miss something.  I don't want to find out, years from now, we should have taken her to a counselor.  I don't want her to suffer if there's help to be found.

Conversely, if she's simply being a little jerk, acting selfish and purposefully temperamental, I want her to take a deep breath and get over it. 

I'm afraid confronting her with the possibility of seeking counseling would throw her into a place I don't want her to go.  I imagine her reacting as though we think she's nuts.  Which we don't. 

Yet, with a father who's been diagnosed as bipolar, I wonder if simply seeking a few answers isn't out of the question.  Perhaps it's the wise thing to do.  She has his personality, many of his behaviors, his characteristics, etc. 

Again though, I wrestle.  I remember being moody at her age; lashing out at my parents.  I remember feeling depressed, lonely, upset.  Even into my adult years I have struggled with staying "up".  Maybe I need counseling too.  Maybe all of us have issues and we should accept it.

People are so fragile.  I don't want to damage her psyche.  Yet I want to help.  I so desperately want to help.