The Pressure is on for Teens

Teenagers face tremendous pressure in each avenue of their lives. Without healthy outlets, willing ears from parents, and time to just simply be teenagers. Teens can take on physical stress as well as mental stress which can lead them to maladaptive coping behaviors. Striving to maintain all of their pressures, drugs, alcohol, and other forms of self-harm can become the only ways teenagers are able to take time for themselves and feel relief.

Pressure from parents

Academic Pressure:

Many parents believe that academic performance is the penultimate expression of success in their children. Grades, test scores, projects, sports, extracurricular activities- the desire for excellence is unending. Every moment of a teen's day could be filled with activities, activities to prepare for acts ities, and other activities to fill the time all for the sake of- something. Often, something parents cannot define. Is it a resume? Is it truly for the intention of cognitive development, skill building, and socialization? The best intention of parents and teachers can leave out the needs of teenagers and adolescents. Excess homework assignments, extra credit assignments, and more can be overwhelming with extreme amounts of pressure.

Performance Pressure:

Outside of academics a teen might be committed to sports, creative arts, or other activities in which they are expected to perform. What is supposed to be a labor of love, passion, and personal interest can turn into a burden. An immediate and obvious sign parents should look for in regards to anxiety, depression, or addiction, is the sudden loss of interest in these activities or a flat refusal to participate at all.

Home Life Pressure:

In addition to homework and many other activities, teens can face pressures at home as well. Different family systems have different expectations and requirements that can leave a teeny little to no time for themselves.

Pressure from peers

Social Media Pressure:

In the downtime that teens do have, they are typically found glued to their phones or other technological devices. Most likely, they are on social media platforms interacting with and comparing themselves to their friends. Much research has been dedicated to the effect of social media on teenagers. Findings reveal that teens are more likely to be depressed, anxious, self-conscious, develop eating disorders, and have body image issues the more time they spend on social media. Teens display the achievements of pressure they face in their personal lives to compare against one another.

Social Circle Pressure:

Friends online in social media circles are not necessarily friends in everyday life but acquaintances or passerbys in the hallways. Social circle pressure with close groups of friends can add another layer of stress to the teenage experience. Friends who are evolving to experiment in sex or drugs can create tension, friends who abstain can also create tension.

Stonewater Adolescent Recovery Center is a private residential treatment program in Mississippi, serving adolescent and teenage boys with foundation building, life-cleansing programming for recovery. If addiction has found its way into the life your loved child, call us today for information on our clinical and academic support: 662-598-4214

The Stonewater Adolescent Treatment Process

What to Expect When Your Child Goes to Treatment

More than half a million families put a child into residential treatment for adolescents each year. If your family is taking this step, you are not alone - even if it may feel that way. With a clear understanding of what to expect, and trusted guides walking alongside you, this moment can be transformed from a time of fear and uncertainty to the beginning of a new and positive journey. Let's begin.