Adolescents Problems

Mrs.R.Ramani Kannan, MA(Psy) MBA,

PGDip in G&C
Vivek Institutions,Nagercoil-3
 Adolescence
The period during which a child grows and
develops into an adult is called
adolescence .
The adolescent period is from the age of
thirteen to nineteen and is named as
teenage period.
Maximum physical development of the
internal and external organism of the body
is attained.
Major physiological changes meant for
teenage period are fast and completed at
the end of this period.
The adolescent is nervous and unsteady
because of the sudden and major physical
changes
Everybody's different. There are early
bloomers, late arrivers, speedy
developers, and slow-but-steady growers
In other words, there's a wide range of
what's considered normal
Most of us think of puberty as the
development of adult sexual
characteristics: breasts, menstrual
periods, pubic hair, and facial hair.
These are certainly the most visible signs
of impending adulthood
But there are also bunch of changes that
aren't readily seen from the outside. These
are the changes of adolescence
Many kids announce the onset of
adolescence with a dramatic change in
behavior around their parents.
They're starting to separate from Mom and
Dad and to become more independent.
At the same time, kids at this age are
increasingly aware of how others,
especially their peers, see them and are
desperately trying to fit in.
Peers may seem important
Remember Parents are also more
important
They are more experienced
They are more loving & permanent
 How to bring interest in
studies

Fix your goals

We should know what is our interests and
capacity , according to that the goals can
be fixed.
Tell your parents about your goals , this
will make them to have a clear idea of your
goals and they will help you in achieving
your goals
Every parents will be having high
expectation about their children in getting
good grades
We should analyze why we are unable
to score good marks.
Is it physical illness ,
Is it undue school pressure or other
pressure from others- inform your parents.
Tell yourself that you will do your best and
will not worry about the results.
Organise yourself.
Teens are unhappy with expectations their
parents place on them.
However, you should understand and need to
know that your parents care enough about you
to expect certain things such as good grades,
acceptable behavior, and adherence to the rules
of the house.
If the parents have appropriate expectations,
why should we reject them.
Set attainable goals and make action
plans which are realistic.
Make short term goals and so that it will be
easy for you to achieve..
Identify your abilities.
Identify your interests like sports or music
Motivate your self to achieve high in the
field of interest.
Achievement is not only financial ,
Intellectual and emotional achievement is
also important
 Too much concentration of
physical appearance.
Physical appearance is very important for
all human beings.
Our appearance itself makes us to be
more confident.
The way a person dresses shows his type
of personality and behavior.
But there is limitation for every thing.
Adolescents will be more interested in
dressing fashionable, having their nails
paint, and dye their hair in different colors.
Mainly guided by the impression of your
friends, teachers, and movie stars
physical appearance.
You see many beauty products in the TV
so it induces you to experiment it.
There are many beauty parlor in and
around and the parents may be going to
these parlors , so you also will be more
beauty conscious.
These sudden interests are temporary and
harmless-until affordable
But remember your parents are adults and
they also use those products and they will
be knowing what is right and wrong.
Tell your likes to your parents, but accept
their advice.
In TV we are seeing many fashion shows and
beauty contest for small children to very old
people
These shows give us a wrong message
TV and Cinema are not real
One may praise Aishwarya rai and Katherena for
their beauty
Beauty is important and it gives fame to them
Beauty is temporary and life is a lot more than
physical attraction.
Are you noticing any changes in your body?
Are you having any strange feelings?
Are you sad sometimes and don't know why?

Extreme physical consciousness

is the reason why Girls aged between
15 and 19 make up to 40% of
Anorexia nervosa cases.
The best person to discuss about this is
your parents
They can only understand you well .
Dont hesitate to talk to your parents
Remember, they too have went through it.
They can easily guide you better than
anyone.
Teen years are the time of experimentation
Some times the experimentation includes risky
behaviors.
You want to try every thing
But Parents are concerned about your well
being and they object to things that really matter.
Like Tobacco, drugs, alcohol, Unsafe sex, car
accidents and youth crime, stealing.
Avoid the subjects of sex, or drug, alcohol,
and tobacco use if any of your friends
uses it.
Keep yourself away from them
If possible inform elders and make
arrangements to change your friends
addiction.
We can cultivate better habits by helping
our parents in some household works.
Involve in doing some hobbies ,join in
some music or dance classes according to
their interest.
 Peer Pressure

Peers have the strongest influence in this

period
Peers can encourage both
Pro-social behavior, which peaks at 11
12 years, and
Anti-social behavior, which peaks at 14
15 years
 Peer Pressure:
Adolescents are less likely to feel
depressed or anxious if the peer group
provides emotional support
Arguments between parents and children
increase considerably during adolescence
because of different goals set by parents
and peers
Adolescents in a peer group are less likely
to be depressed or have anxiety.
It is difficult for a depressed adolescent to
make friends. Though family does
everything within its capacity, peers often
influence adolescents about issues like
educational aspirations and performance.
In most cases there is an overlap between
family and peer influences.
And this is the reason why most of the
adolescents are confused about their
decision and often fail to conclude.
They take their friends decision as the
best .
Communication with your parents will help
you to have close relationship. They can
guide you better.
And you will have the confidence to
communicate in your peer group easily.
Those children who are having close
relation with their parents are not spoiled.
One has to face a lot of adjustment
problems. The most difficult problem is
related to social adjustment outside the
family and to peer group.
In western countries Teenage problems
are more and now due to influence of the
western culture we are also facing a lot of
teenage problems.
Adhere to our cultural goals
 Parental Pressure
Parents tend to forget that their teenage
child is a young adult capable of thinking
and making decisions on his or her own.
Thus, parents still try to exert control over
their teenager's life, including his choices
in music, friends, and hobbies.
Parents know the society better
They will and should give you conditional
freedom.
Conditional freedom makes you safe and
responsible.
So dont think your parents are not giving
you freedom.
Introduce your friends to your parents ,
this will help them to know your activities
and they will be stress free.
Know the fact that your parents are more
important than your friends.
Learn to compromise. More often than not,
parents try to lay down ground rules for their
teenage child. They were once a teenager
themselves, they know how rules make a
teenager feel rebellious.
It will be better to have a serious sit-down talk
with your parents, and together you can
negotiate rules that you can adhere to. It should
be clear to both you and your parents that failing
to follow the rules has consequences.
Every teenager wants to be treated as a
young adult
Allow your parents to give some young
adult responsibilities.
For example, Baby-sit whenever the
parents are out of the house.
Comparison with other children
Uniformity is against nature. Diversity is nature.
Eg: A tree will be having thousands of leafs and
but no two leaf is similar unless it is aplastic leaf
We compare our self with other child and other
parents.
No two persons are exactly identical and
everything in this world is unique in some
respect.
Know your familys capacities and
limitation
Do not try to imitate your friends and
procure costly things which may be
outside your normal family budget
eg: mobile , dress, shoes etc.
You should know that every family will be
having their own priorities for spending the
money.
Handling Depression and stress
Adolescents are easily depressed
Peer pressure, parental pressure and
other external pressures may make you
stressed.
It is common to see adolescents suffering
from neurotic illness like Depression ,
anxiety, Hysteria, Phobia.
 You may be depressed if
There is decreased attention and concentration.
Poor memory and poor learning.
Decreased or no interest in studies or work,
frequent failures in the examinations or in
completing the assigned tasks.
Losing interest in everything.
Poor self-image, lack of confidence,
hoplessness and helplessness, feeling guilt.
Try to convey your feelings to the parents
Participate in religious activities, yoga and
games.
Try to involve in doing some social
activities
Do something for others.
Have a nice feeling of having done some
good to others.
That will increase your self-confidence.
 TV & Net surfing
Movies, TV, video games, music, the Internet along with
social networking, have an influence on the mental
health of today's youths.
About 10-15% of youths will experience some form of
diagnosable mental disorder during their teenage years.
ADHD, depression, bipolar disorder, mental health
disorders common to adults, are being diagnosed with
youths and children at a steadily rising rate.
Many mental disorders and antisocial behaviours have
their roots in TV and Net.
Video games, the amount and types of films,
television and music an adolescent watches or
listens to, modifies the quality of his family life
Viewing pornography, spending excessive
amount of time on the Internet in isolation
damages the mental health
Nuclear families and working parents are in way
responsible for this shift to TV & Net instead of
real social interactions and play
One special education teacher said, "five
minutes watching MTV can undo everything [in
the way of values and character education] that
we have taught these young people in class."
Some teachers, programs and schools place
emphasis on character education, and many of
the music videos, as well as music itself, are
teaching exactly the opposite message.
Cyber world and TV are not real
Do not lose the real world and live in the
imaginary world of the screen
Remember all our ancient art forms aimed
at elevating the Human to Godliness
What we get now in screen takes us to hell
Shut down TV and Net and open the doors
of a better future
You have a long way to go
World is beautiful
Life is beautiful
Enjoy the roses
Look at the thorns only to avoid them
 Wishing You a Glorious Future

Thank You