ADOLESCENTS AND YOUNG ADULTS: SOME MAJOR CONCERNS THAT MAY GO UNNOTICED

Adolescence and young adulthood are one of the most significant phases of an individual’s life. The impact that a person has upon himself/herself during this time may have long lasting impressions on that individual. It is this phase that may make or break an individual.

Adolescents and young adults, by and large, face many problems, such as emotional problems and problems related to adjustment, in this earlier phase of their life. This becomes troublesome when they are unable to recognize them. They know that something is wrong or improper, but they do not have much of a clue about it. They do not know what do about it or whom to talk about the things that they experience.

It is in adolescence that an individual leaves the safe environs of their home and family and go out to explore the tough, competitive and challenging outer world. During this time a good, satisfying relationship can do wonders for the person. Being in such a relationship can be very helpful in coping with many of the problems he/she may face, in more ways than one. However, due to various reasons this may not happen.

The individual maybe having problems of social skills deficits that may interfere with having an intimate relationship with his/her peers. The person may also have social anxiety, which makes him/her anxious in a social situation. Likewise, loneliness is also a major cause of concern for adolescents. Although loneliness is found among people of all age groups, it is most prevalent in adolescents and young adults. There may be some individuals who are introverts. Introversion is of course not a problem, but it can be one if the individual does not know about it and is unable to recognize the benefits that he/she can derive from being an introvert. All these issues are, in some way or the other, related to each other. This leads to a feeling of being left out or not fitting in. Due to all this, the problems of inferiority complex and depression also arise.

Unable to form relationships is obviously a big concern, but this does not mean that relationships are always good and pleasant for an individual. Many a times, people are involved in friendships and other relationships in which they may face disagreements, difference in opinions, or even certain things that may be disliked by them. If not resolved they can be really harmful for that particular relationship. Here, conflict resolution and reconciliation become very important, which the individual may be unable to do so. This may become a big hindrance in the maintenance and enhancement of a relationship, which is highly important for the overall personality of the individual.

Apart from this, the person may also get into bad company. He/she may associate himself/herself with the wrong kind of people. Rather than being satisfying, the relationship may become extremely dissatisfactory and lead to inhibiting the abilities and potential of that person.

All these problems and issues arising during adolescence, if not resolved, are carried forward into the phase of young adulthood and, thus, have a greater negative impact on their psyche. These problems, gradually, begin to eat out the person right from within. Without realizing, the person might get stuck up into these problems, which may follow him/her throughout his/her life.

These problems do not remain to themselves. They also have a deep impact on the other aspects of their life. They may badly affect the individuals’ life style as it hinders him/her in identifying his/her own interests and abilities. The collective affect of all this also becomes harmful for the education, career as well as wellbeing of the individual.

Therefore, the problems of adolescents and young adults, if not looked into properly, get exacerbated and spread out causing further disturbance to their life. These problems function as a parasite for the whole personality of the individual.