Adolescent Mental Health

Teenagers are biological ‘work in progress’. They are neither adults nor children. The world is a confusing place for them. Where previously they were content taking advice from parents and teachers, they now wish to assert their own viewpoints and put their ‘foot down’.  

We commonly hear ‘ it’s my life’; ‘ don’t interfere’; ‘ I need my space’. There are doors slammed and walkouts threatened on a routine basis. So why does the above happen? Why are parents left feeling gobsmacked, their parenting skills feeling woefully inadequate? 

Teenagers are undergoing huge changes socially, physically, biologically, cognitively and emotionally. Their hormones are being secreted over time, they become acutely conscious of their bodies and sexuality. Friends mean the world to them and they have a need to feel accepted by their peers. Social media is being bombarded on them continually. There is a huge academic pressure on them, which is not to be underestimated. Also, different areas of their brain are being developed, polished, and pruned. While that is happening, they appear impulsive, rash, and over-emotional. Though they may have better abstract thinking and could debate and argue the life out of you, you would be amazed by their immaturity in other areas. So, their overall development is still incomplete, they are yet to attain full wisdom and rationality. 

This is an age when teenagers are most susceptible for severe mental illnesses like schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, and addictions. It is important for parents to get a balance between being encouraging and letting go. They do not require any more additional pressure than they already have. Be a friend in some matters and a guide when they approach you for advice. Don’t take their outbursts personally.

Take deep breaths, if you feel you are losing it! Remember it is a transient phase lasting for a few years though and there will be light at the end of the tunnel.