Generation iY Drowns In Stress As The Pressure To Be Successful Rises
The millennial generation: born to be tech-savvy, thought by some to be entitled and lazy. Laziness or no, they have to deal with incredible amounts of stress.
Stress in teens has been at an all time high. From school and peer pressure to family problems and a sense of self doubt, kids are feeling overwhelmed in almost everything they do.
Adolescents all across the United States are feeling extreme levels of stress that they say are affecting them negatively.
Surprisingly, the ones who tell teens that they aren’t stressed and that they are being overdramatic are the ones who give us the stress. Parents throughout their life will obviously have stress. When a child sees that in their parents, they will mirror the behavior. Starting from an early age that’s all that many kids have really ever known, depending on family issues. If people don’t catch that early enough then that is what most likely sets their kids up for high stress as they go through school and early adulthood.
Why, of all people, are the parents telling kids they aren’t stressed when they are regularly the ones passing their stress down to their children?
According to USA Today a study at the Washington D.C. Based American Psychological Association on teen stress showed that, on a scale of one to ten, over 50 percent of surveyed teens in the moderate to extreme stress levels (4-7 or 8-10). From that stress comes nervousness, anxiety, anger, depression or sadness and fatigue. With all of these factors contributing to the problem, one would wonder why parents would want to make it worse.
Looking at all the various stressors and stress-induced issues teens have, it’s no wonder that so many are addicted to prescription pills.
According to an article by GenerationRx, a website designed for teens or parents seeking help for drug issues, over 20 percent of teens are addicted to prescription pills. They are ranked number four in the top five most used drugs by teens.
However, that’s not to say that all prescriptions are mistreated, because there are legitimate reasons to use them for appropriate situations. The issue is when they’re abused beyond the recommended amount or without an actual illness.
But stress is the exact reason teens are put on the pills. If people focused more on the actual stress itself and how to treat it, it could possibly stop teens from even needing a reason to go to the doctor and get prescribed.
More and more articles appear in the news about depression and mental illnesses. The more people see it, the more they are aware of the subject and are able to understand and help.
Some do say depression is not as bad as it seems and that stress in teens is only present because we have no motivation. Admittedly, some teens do occasionally get that way when tough situations arise. But, for the most part, teens now-a-days get pushed to their limits to be the best more often than not.
Whether that's hurting or helping isn't very clear. For the most part, teens have a lot on their plates and are trying hard to keep it balanced without having a mental breakdown on the way.
No matter one's beliefs, there is still undeniable stress in everyday life. There is really no way of getting around it. Whether it's friends, family members or oneself, some tips to help stress start with hobbies. Riding a bike, listening to music or even hanging out friends are all helpful options to relieve stress. Anything that one finds relaxing should be the first thing they try to lower stress levels.
Remember that life is something to be grateful for, and not everything should be ruined by bad days. Don't let stress take over. Stress can be a burden amongst everyone, and when going through a hard time sometimes just smiling, taking a deep breath and doing what feels best is all that really matters, whatever the outcome.
