Growth of Tension
Stress
Stress is defined as a natural human response to threats or situations that cause mental or physical tension; however, it is a key part of every human’s life. It means different things to different people, and it can be either positive or negative depending on the situation. More importantly, it is a key response in adolescence that has increased in the past couple of decades. Most recently, stress has gained much attention following the COVID-19 Pandemic, increased schoolwork, and environmental pressure. Following the cycle of surrounding environment and anxiety, it is typical for teenagers to trigger a stress response; and try to overcome the ongoing situation.
Symptoms
Stress is defined as a natural human response to threats or situations that cause mental or physical tension; however, it is a key part of every human’s life. It means different things to different people, and it can be either positive or negative depending on the situation. More importantly, it is a key response in adolescence that has increased in the past couple of decades. Most recently, stress has gained much attention following the COVID-19 Pandemic, increased schoolwork, and environmental pressure. Following the cycle of surrounding environment and anxiety, it is typical for teenagers to trigger a stress response; and try to overcome the ongoing situation.
Causes
Stress arises in many situations, and it also comes in different types (acute or chronic) but its causes vary depending on the person and any type of crisis, event, or trauma they might be experiencing. Some of the most common include:
-
According to the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, much of teenage stress arises from family situations. More specifically, challenges related to family conflict, divorce, illness, and financial hardships. Additionally, parental pressures regarding schooling, and their futures may also add unexpected stress upon them.
-
During adolescence, teenagers also go through many physical changes regarding their body and mentality. Since many of these are large and constant (due to puberty and development), they are hard to hide. In fact, it becomes substantially more complicated for teenagers not to compare themselves to those around them. This can lead to not only stress but possibly other mental health issues including those of eating disorders and mental disorders, which is why it is essential for teenagers to maintain constant communication and transparency with those around them. Regardless, this type of stress is normal for the time, as everyone develops differently from others; so there might also be a loss of sense of self, and a need to find one own’s identity amidst the continuous changes.
-
Friendships and relationships are also two major causes of teenage stress. Many teenagers feel like friendships and romantic relationships are at the center of their world, pushing them to try and find the ‘right’ way to aid those they care for. As many struggle with their own personal situations, it can become complicated for teenagers to properly aid them, creating stress in regard to the type of support for those they care about.
-
It is common for major life events to occur during adolescence, as it is a time recognized for changes and situations that form one’s sense of self. Some major life events include illness, accidents, bullying, family changes, and life situations. These are common for said age group and can stir up some type of stress for them. It is during this time when humans are also at their most vulnerable, and it is common for them to feel like they are unfit for certain situations, or find changes and events to be scary or traumatic (the transitions in school, reaching adulthood, reaching independence).
Effects
-
Procrastination: Some teenagers tend to resort to procrastination in response to stress. This happens because they often feel overwhelmed by tasks or fear of failure, leading them to avoid their responsibilities as a way to cope with their anxiety.
-
Low self-esteem: Chronic stress may lead teens to feel overwhelmed and unable to meet their expectations. When they struggle to cope with challenges, they begin to doubt their abilities, which leads to a negative self-perception. For example, academic pressure can make teens feel like they are a failure when they don’t meet their own or others’ expectations, ruining their confidence. Additionally, societal pressure to succeed socially, such as maintaining friendships or fitting in may cause teens to feel like they are not “good enough” leading to lower self-esteem and increased stress.
-
Unhealthy coping mechanisms: Wanting to relieve their feelings of stress, teens may resort to behaviors that temporarily ease them, like overeating, undereating, substance abuse, or self-harm. Teens usually turn to alcohol, drugs, or nicotine as a way to numb their emotional pain, as well as self-harming behavior to regain a sense of control. In addition, overeating and undereating are dangerous coping mechanisms that severely harm their physical and emotional development as young individuals. This happens as a way to cope with difficult feelings but in reality, these behaviors can lead to long-term health issues and distorted body image.
Correlation to Grief
-
Biologically, grief is associated with elevations in epinephrine and norepinephrine outputs, as well as many symptoms related to anxiety and stress. During adolescence, humans experience changes and losses that affect them more than in other periods of their lives; mainly due to their changes in hormones and their state of mental and physical development. When changing, they may feel like they are experiencing some type of grief, or loss, for the past; which might trigger some type of stress response. Grief and stress correlate through their work in the human body, specifically the intense emotions one might experience during grief. These emotions may trigger a massive stress response, enabling many dangerous and permanent (or temporary) repercussions for teenagers. These often overlap through the feelings, thoughts, and physical reactions that might arise from a feeling of grief, and its initiation or continuation with a stress response or trigger.
