Young America: Dealing With Stress and Overcoming It
For young people in America, especially teens, stress comes in the form of peer pressure or physical or psychological abuse. Because of stress a young person can withdraw from family, friends, and neighbors due to depression and anguish. He or she may even turn to drugs or alcohol or violence for an illusion of relief.
Peer pressure is the essence of a young person’s life. No socially active teen can survive without being coerced by his peers to act tough, look good or prove something. The motive is to win the favor of friends and intimidate enemies. Peer pressure can only work when there is an obsessive desire to be liked by others.
Peer pressure thrives off “The Dare”. For example, a young person may be persuaded to throw a brick through a neighbor’s window or drink a half pint of vodka. Other times a young person may be convinced to experiment with cigarettes or crack cocaine. Nevertheless, the results of such activities will most likely lead to jail or worse.
Young people stress can also be a result of physical abuse of some nature. Each day thousands of young people are bullied by their peers. Bullying can occur at home, school or in the community. The motivation of bullies is instill intimidation into their victims by physical beating them. When this happens the bully can exercise a large degree of control over his subject. The victim is afraid to tell others out of fear that no one will actually understand or out of the fear of appearing weak. This is especially true when it comes to young males.
Lending Encouragement
Have You Ever Encouraged a Young Person Who is Overly Stressed?
Nevertheless, victimization leads to with drawer from people, depression and isolation on a grand scale. Many young people, overwhelmed by the bullies, have gone on to commit suicide, an event which have gained a lot of attention in the media as of lately.
Psychological abuse is another form of abuse, mainly mind-control. Abusers are attempting to control the thoughts and emotions of the victim. Many young people have grown up in homes where parents have verbally abused them since childhood. Because of an assault upon their self-esteem, these young people are unable to relate with other students or they are overly submissive to the wishes of others. Young people who have been victims of psychological abuse often hunger and thirst for acceptance and affection from their peers.
Possible Responses to Stress
If young people are not encouraged they will resort to ugly things such as:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Drugs
If the cycle of abuse is not addressed in the life of teen, the level of stress could be so overwhelming that his whole life will be a symbol of pain and desolation.
There are several ways the demon of stress can impact young people. But first, they must come forth and make known the abusive pain to a person of trust. That person could be a teacher, an adult relative, a nearby neighbor. No one will ever know the severity of psychological abuse if someone doesn’t come forward.
One way teachers can help young people in abusive households is to observe students who appear to be always angry, isolated or disconnected from others. They can establish a trusted relationship with the student and see if any comes out of it. A teacher who is passionate not only about a student’s academic achievement but also about the quality of a student’s personal life will be seen as someone to trust.
Adult relatives can also be a source of escape for a stressful teen. In forming an aunt, uncle or grandparent regarding the abuse can go a long way in receiving help. Because of the kindred connection, relatives can be a source of mental nourishment for the abused adolescents. Close relatives can even provide an alternative refuge for abused young people. In fact many adolescents live with relatives other than their parents.
Trusted neighbors can also be a source of help for a young person experiencing abusive stress, especially if that abuse is violent. Running next door or across the street to a neighbor can be a life- saving event. Concerned neighbors can offer refuge until the police is contacted.
All in all, something must be done about the stress of young adolescents, which is constantly on the rise due the absence of good ethical and moral teaching in the home. Young people must be ushered into programs that will teach them how to cope with the difficult experiences that life may bring. Parents, teachers and the community must think in terms of the future and the generation that will be left to run the country or rule the world.
