Difficulties in adolescence can be overwhelming but are common. As a teen, there are so many pressures in your life and so many things are changing. Your body is changing, your hormones are raging, you want to fit in at school, your teachers are overloading you with work, and home life is just as hectic. Adolescence is one of the biggest transitional periods you will go through in your life. The good news is it eventually ends, leaving you as a confident, knowledgeable, and responsible adult.
Feelings About Yourself
One day you looked into the mirror and started to see a different person looking back at you. Your body has developed because of puberty. Girls and boys all go through this change sometime during adolescence. However, some teenagers have a hard time accepting their new body.
Changes in Your Body
When you observe yourself changing, you may not always be happy with what you see. Many teens have a tendency to add weight to their childlike frame. This is because your metabolism is slowing down and fat tissue accumulates at a faster rate during puberty. If you are girl, your breasts begin grow. For some this may be embarrassing, especially if your friends have not developed yet. If you are a boy, you may start to grow facial hair, which can be equally awkward.
Keep in mind that everyone goes through these changes eventually. You are not going to be the only one who develops. Be proud of your body because it is doing exactly what it is supposed to do. It is bringing you closer to being an adult.
Finding Friends
Some of the issues you face are dealing with social groups. You want to fit in but sometimes it is difficult to break into certain groups. They may be tight knit and not accepting. This can be hard to accept and make you feel depressed.
Acceptance in Peer Groups
The best thing to do in this case is to step back and let them come to you. Speak to members of the group individually and if they accept you, great, if not, leave it alone. If you try too hard to get into a group, they will think that you are desperate and resist you more, for fun.
A better option is to find accepting friends who you enjoy speaking with and feel comfortable. Being accepted is so important during this stage in your life, finding friends who will like you for who you are, is the best thing you can do for yourself.
Peer Pressure
Resisting peer pressure is another part of being a teen. Your friends may not want the best for you all of the time, especially if your friends are involved in risky behaviors. These friends may be having sex, doing drugs and alcohol or committing crimes. Just because they are engaging in these activities does not mean you should. Of course, your friends may not accept you if you do not do the same things but in the end, you are the one who will have to deal with the consequences of your actions.
Pressures in School
Teachers are preparing you for the outside world of work or college, which means they are increasing workloads. Not only are you dealing with your hormones changing and your social life, but you have more schoolwork as well. The first thing you need to do is take a step back and breathe.
Teachers want you to succeed, they do not want you to graduate and feel unprepared to take on the world as an adult. Teachers are going to care whether you go to class and do your schoolwork. In the real world, your employer fires you if you do not show up or do your work. In college, if you do not go to class or study your professor will fail you. As an adult, you will not have anyone telling you what to do anymore. Take this time and use it to your advantage, speak to your teacher about your struggles.
Difficulties in Adolescence and Home Life
Along with all the demands at school, you may also have more at home. If your parents have high expectations for you, they may pressure you about what your plans are after you graduate from high school. Remember they only want the best for you. Their mission is to guide you to succeed in life.
However, how overwhelming is it to please everyone in your life? You want to satisfy your friends, your teachers, and your parents but something has to give. Let your parents know some of things that you are going through. They may surprise you, since they went through something similar at one time.
In turn, you may be on the other side of the spectrum; your parents may be uninvolved in your life. They may not care about who your friends are and about your education. You may be going through other issues at home such as domestic violence, alcohol and drug use or neglect. You are feeling scared, unsupported, and overwhelmed.
Finding Support
If you cannot turn to your parents, find another adult to confide in. A teacher is a great option to discuss any issues you are having about yourself, your friends, schoolwork, or home life. All schools have guidance counselors and they are there to help you. So take the time and get some support at this difficult time.
Key Points
There are many difficulties in adolescence. It is good to know that this period in time will only last for a few short years. It is all to prepare you to enter into adulthood with knowledge and self-confidence. Get the support you need from the people you trust and hold on, it will be over before you know it.
