Stress Among Adolescents

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Majority of the adolescent undergo stress and it is called adolescents stress. Whatever the sources may be internal or external it hampers the major functioning of the body. Most of the youngsters face multiple problems in their life. Each individual has to cope with different kinds of pressure laid down by the society and family. On the verge of coping those pressures, an individual himself unconsciously frames a net and is caught in the same.

Parent’s expectation, sibling’s rivalry, status issues, financial issues. Most of the youngsters confront with these issues in which some problems are actually genuine and some are self-created. Youngsters need to reduce their level of expectations. These people build unreasonable expectation from their life. Most of the students are pseudo they keep their own self in a rosy world and when they are confronted with the actual situation, they are unable to handle and thus it throws them to a stressful situation.

Most of the youngsters are reluctant to share their problems with their parents this leads to depression and stress. Stress and depression are the serious problems for a youngster. Stress is categorized by feelings of tension, frustration, worry, sadness and withdrawal, which commonly last for few days. Depression is both severe and longer lasting. Depression is characterized by more extreme feelings of hopelessness, sadness, isolation, worry, withdrawal and worthlessness that last two weeks or more.

Common Problems faced by the Adolescence

   1. Break up with boy/girl friend
   2. Increased arguments with parents
   3. Trouble with brother or sister
   4. Increased arguments between parents
   5. Change in parents’ financial status
   6. Serious illness or injury of family member
   7. Trouble with classmates
   8. Trouble with parents

Home and school are the centers of these problems. Most of the conflicting issues arise because of the fear of loss of friends, parents. They become entangled in the grip of insecurity. Most of the time they have this fear that if they are not able to meet expectations of their near and dear ones then he or she will loose them. The additional burden of general expectations of parents, friend’s teachers etc stress the youngster and when confronted with failure hurts their self-esteem. Youngsters set up unrealistic goals for their own self.

Most of the youngsters are overambitious they set up unrealistic goals for their own self. They want to attain those things in their life, which are not possible through their present financial status. Youngsters compare them self with their friends whose parents are financially well and feel inferior. If their friends carry cell phone then they also want to use cell phone even if they cannot afford it. When the parents show disapproval on this front then youngsters become aggressive.

Youngsters are not able to handle relationships problems. Most of the time they make boy friends and girl friends just to please their friends. They get involved in a useless controversy, which again adds to the level of stress. These issues they are not able to discuss with their parents and thus keep cribbing over it. Most of the youngsters want to show their grandeur to their opposite gender.

Parents are generally unable to develop a friendly relationship with their child. Young people will keep on having problems and they will have to learn at their own pace, how to cope with them. However, it is imperative for parents and helping adults to be aware of the factors that put a youth at a particular risk, especially when stressful events begin to accumulate for these vulnerable individuals.

Most of the youngsters hide their problems from their parents. Youngsters want to watch diverse things in Television which parents consider it crap.

Reasons of Stress in Adolescents in a Family

  • History of depression and/or suicide in the family
  • Alcoholism or drug use in the family
  • Sexual or physical abuse patterns in the family
  • Chronic illness in oneself or family
  • Family or individual history of psychiatric disorders such as eating disorders, schizophrenia, manic-depressive disorder, conduct disorders, delinquency
  • Death or serious loss in the family
  • Learning disabilities or mental/physical disabilities
  • Absent or divorced parents; inadequate bonding in adoptive families
  • Family conflict; poor parent/child relationships

Change in Personality Traits

Personality traits, especially when they change dramatically, can signal serious trouble. These traits include: 

  • Impulsive behaviors, obsessions and unreal fears
  • Aggressive and antisocial behavior
  • Withdrawal and isolation; detachment
  • Poor social skills resulting in feelings of humiliation, poor self-worth, blame and feeling ugly
  • Over-achieving and extreme pressure to perform
  • Problems with sleeping and/or eating

Psychological & Social Events

Psychological and social events contribute to the accumulation of problems and stressors. These are:

  • Loss experience such as a death or suicide of a friend or family member; broken romance, loss of a close friendship or a family move
  • Unmet personal or parental expectation such as failure to achieve a goal, poor grades, social rejection
  • Unresolved conflict with family members, peers, teachers, coaches that results in anger, frustration, rejection
  • Humiliating experience resulting in loss of self-esteem or rejection
  • Unexpected events such as pregnancy or financial problems Predispositions, stressors and behaviors weave together to form a composite picture of a youth at high risk for depression and self-destructive behavior
  • Death or serious loss in the family
  • Learning disabilities or mental/physical disabilities
  • Absent or divorced parents; inadequate bonding in adoptive families
  • Family conflict; poor parent/child relationships

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