A Teenager

By Sharanya S Rao

Impulsive, short tempered, arrogant, irresponsible, ignorant, rebellious… is how most people describe teenagers. Why is it that most people perceive us so? ‘The phase of a child’s life dreaded by most parents’ what is it that results in this perception of the teen age? Is it that we just wake up one day and our actions are suddenly controlled by ‘raging hormones’?

A time during which several changes take place throughout our bodies. We mature into adults. We become more aware of ourselves and other people around us. We tend to be more observative of our surroundings and we start realizing the world around us. We try to understand and perceive it and form our opinions about it while questioning it at the same time. We wish to seek meaning in it and in our own lives as well. We desperately look for a purpose, something that helps sustain us in a way; something that grounds us, at the same time sets us free. We attain a clearer view of the world around us and realize that there’s a lot that is possible. We go from having vague notions about life to forming opinions of it and trying to organize our thoughts. We are often confused, indecisive and anxious, for most of the decisions we must take will be life changing or atleast that’s what we are told. It can get overwhelming at times, to an extent where you just want to stop time and have a moment to yourself or go back in time to the good old days when you would spend hours playing with your friends without the slightest care.

One’s childhood is said to be of great importance in shaping one’s life. It is said to be the foundation of our personality. A happy child will make a productive and optimistic adult they say. But one’s teen age, often overlooked, is just as important. Finding oneself while being towered by the chaos of peer pressure, academic pressure, parental pressure etc. exhausts most teenagers often resulting in burnouts, depression and several other mental health issues.

Why is it that our society turns a blind eye to teenage mental health? Why is a teenager opening up about their mental health often misunderstood and deemed as ‘attention seeking’? Why do people not realize the importance of the mental well-being of a teenager until lives are lost? Several studies indicate depression rates soaring among teenagers and young adults. Globally, one in seven 10-19 year olds experiences a mental disorder; suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among 15-29 year olds. Yet we as a society do not acknowledge mental health issues. It’s disheartening that it costs the life of youth for us to be aware of the mental well being of our peers. In this fast-paced world where every one of us seem to be stuck in a rat race we often end up drained and look for an escape. Desperate for escape, young teenage minds that are yet to fully develop can stumble in the wrong direction under bad influences.

Hence, it is crucial for us to look out for each other, to be non-judgmental and to try to understand one another. Together we as a society can unite to break free of this stigma and educate ourselves about the importance of mental well-being. With an open minded approach we can build a society where opening up about mental health issues is normalized instead of being looked down upon or being conceived as a sign of weakness and vulnerability. We must initiate some change before more young lives are lost due to ignorance.

By Sharanya S Rao