Mental Wellness In Teens: 3 Extra-ordinary Stories From Teenagers.
Various
August 23, 2024. 4 minute Read
Now, when the extraordinary use of technology dominates the world, and few people are around you, one becomes lonely, which further leads to mental health in teens.Â
Mental health problems in teens are indeed a worrying factor in today’s fast-moving life.Â
Today, most teens’ social interactions happen on digital media rather than in human-to-human interactions; thus, teens feel lonely even when surrounded by many. Further, kangaroo parenting, lack of time, and unrealistic expectations have made it tough for teens to express their problems.Â
That gap, when amalgamated with the stressors of modern life, marks how crucial it is to talk about mental wellness in teens and support them in navigating these challenges.
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So, here in this article, we have asked specific questions to both young adults and teens about:
- 1. Were there moments during that time when you felt overwhelmed about pressures of academic performance?
- 2. If yes, at what age did you feel this?
- 3. Did you ever speak about it with your parents, teachers or friends?
Mental Wellness in Teens: Insightful Stories from Teenagers
#Story 1
Aloysia Pramodh,
Age : 22Â
1st year of second bachelor’s degree
True, I did have my moment of being drowning in the pressure to perform. I’m certain during many sections somewhere on the journey. This period of my life started when I was 14 or so in early high school.
High school was a massive step up in terms of studying, general work and the competition with your peers. So this led me to have a few subjects as well as being involved in extracurriculars and wanting to do good at everything. I was stressed about the grades I needed to get, what advanced classes and college applications it meant for me, etc.
I was unable to strike a balance with academics and my mental health during this period. The pressure to be perfect all the time broke my mental health and I spent most of the days being nervous and tired. But I struggled to talk about these feelings with others.
I did not actually start to talk about it until I was in college, I went on to tell a few friends who shared similar experiences, and soon I no longer felt so alone.Â
Gradually, I was able to speak with my parents and one of the teachers at school who had been trying to help me.
Thinking about it now, being able to speak openly with someone when you are challenged by academics helps keep things in perspective and seek help as needed. The pressure was still there but I came into learning some tactics to prioritise myself and set realistic goals that would ensure success, as well as when put under more unhealthy levels of pressure ask for the necessary help.
It was a formative time that I ended up taking away so much from, including lessons in resilience and self-awareness along with an appreciation for balance when it comes to fulfilling one’s academic interests. This is a journey that has continued to shape my views on the power of education in one’s life.
#Story 2
Prateeti ChakrabortyÂ
Age-18
2nd Semester of collegeÂ
There were moments when I felt overwhelmed by the pressures of academic performance. Growing up in a family with a professional background that values support and encouragement, my parents never placed any pressure on me regarding my studies.Â
Instead, I was the one who put a lot of stress on myself and even till date I do that, I often felt the weight of those expectations as I tried to balance my aspirations with the reality of the academic demands.
I remember feeling particularly overwhelmed around the age of 16 or 17, during my final years of high school.Â
Despite my own pressure, my parents always reminded me that it was my life and that the decisions I made should be based on what I truly wanted. They would say, “It’s your life; you will decide.Â
We can only suggest.” This mindset was especially evident even while I was thinking about selecting a college for engineering after my jee results, they never pushed me in any particular direction. When I eventually decided to pursue English and Mass Communication instead of continuing with engineering, they were genuinely happy and fully supportive of my decision.
I did talk about these feelings of being overwhelmed, with my friends,siblings and my parents rather than teachers. My friends were incredibly supportive, understanding the pressures I was under and offering encouragement when I needed it the most.Â
While I knew my parents and siblings would have listened and supported me and even spoken with them, I still often felt like the stress was something I needed to manage on my own. Looking back, I realise that having a supportive circle of friends and family made a huge difference, even though the pressures I felt were mostly self-imposed.
#Story 3
Shataghnee Chanda,Â
Age- 19
2nd Year of College
From the very childhood, I’ve been a studious girl, who never used to miss deadlines on homework, exam preparations, submitting projects whatever it is, I used to give my best in everything I did. I topped my class 12th board exam with a 95% score.Â
It made me absolutely proud of myself that I proved to my parents that an arts student can do much more if he/she wants to invest, as my family always opposed me to pursue humanities but I was determined to contribute in the area of social science.Â
Now, after successfully completing my admission to one of the top 10 colleges in India, I started feeling downtrodden, and was unable to find myself in the crowd of 60 people.Â
The environment was unknown to me; everyone is speaking in English, teachers aren’t speaking in their mother tongue, writing answers in English has become challenging in class tests.
Because, here is the truth: I am a student of vernacular medium with huge expectations from myself! Nearly 18 years of my life, I have spent in Bengali Medium, with the best touches of Rabindra Nath Tagore, Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay and what not!Â
The college is immensely elite and I couldn’t match with their living styles, couldn’t connect my middle-class lifestyle. But, I tried my best to come out of my comfort zone and to speak in English, write in English, and most importantly think in English.Â
Not to be mentioned, I’m still in that process, navigating through content writing internships, paying for my travel fees, searching for policy internships, and to make my political science degree worthwhile by studying extremely hard.Â
In the 1 year of this college where each step is bringing hardships, where in every 3 months there is an exam I’m preparing for, having straight up appearing in college almost everyday for the sake of 75% attendance, it’s a bit challenging to prepare for my exam and to meet all the subsumed responsibilities (Submitting articles on time, preparing for college assignments, searching for opportunities and what not!)Â around me.Â
This hectic schedule overwhelms me and exacerbates stress, anxiety, and lack of sleep. Due to the high fees in college, I found internships to be the most hands-on thing to increase my experience, and to be able to earn something little for myself!Â
It helped me to build my confidence, and encouraged me to sharpen my skills, thinking process etc. The connection is much stronger with Bengali literature than any English self-help book but never tried to make those things a bigger issue.
Yes, my first year result was miserable, somehow managed to bring first class but inner pain hits a lot thinking about the previous little me who was extremely talented in her academics!Â
I question my choice to pursue Political Science despite having a key interest in it! However, I couldn’t speak to my family open-heartedly. Most of the things are kept in me but ostensibly they never forced me too! However, I’m extremely glad to share this little experience in this open forum.
Final Thoughts
In a nutshell!
Anxiety regarding the future, self-imposed pressure to lead, FOMO, and academic pressure are some of the reasons contributing to mental health in teens by leaving us feeling isolated and stressed.Â
So here all we need is parents, educators, and every member of society to actively support mental wellness in teenagers so that they can grow as healthy, resilient adults.
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