Psychology

With the advancement of psychology, it has become apparent that teenage stress is not a thing to be ignored. It is a serious problem that permeates every other societal aspect. Various theorists have advanced positions explaining how teenage stress develops. One thing that remains clear is that stress, if left untreated, leads to a string of other problems, both in school and at home. Issues such as self loathing, drug abuse, and even in extreme cases homicidal violence have in the past been evident. Stress can be both temporary and long lasting. This variation is brought about by the underlying causes. However, one thing that is clear is the fact that stress develops in every instance as a response to certain thoughts or situations that are upsetting. It usually varies in everyday life from person to person. This is to say that whatever causes stress in one teenager may not necessarily cause stress in another. As a matter of fact, it may be surprising but whatever stresses a person today may cause no stress at all the following day.

This goes for anxiety as well. It is agreed among psychologists that stressful situations can lead to anxiety and vice versa. What then are the causes and effects of teen stress and anxiety How can it be prevented These are the questions that this study seeks to address.

Causes of Teenage Stress
As already pointed out, stress in teenagers occur as frequently as does in adults. There are several issues that have been pointed out as being the primary causes of stress in teenagers. Some of these causes include

Stressed out and Negligent parents- the prevalent culture in the contemporary world is that of busyness. There seems to be a rush in just about everything that people do. Parents are so busy in their work places, and trying to make their own relationships work, not mentioning the kids. Very often, these parents end up with very little time for the kids, because that is perhaps the only area in life where there no real perceived threat (Help guide 1). These parents are in so much stress, and unfortunately end up transferring it to their children. In their innocence, the teenagers may not be in a position to understand what is going on with the parents, and end up stressed themselves. When parents neglect their responsibilities, they cause a lot of suffering for their children. It is common sense that children need special care and attention from the parents, and when this is not forthcoming, they end up stressed. Being emotionally available for the children is one of the most important duties of the parents, and these two causes deny the parents of such an opportunity. It is worth noting that this is one of the major causes of teenage stress.

High expectations in academic performance- every parent wants their children to perform well in their school life. However, parents sometimes demand more than is practically possible from their children. Naturally, every individual has a certain level of intelligence that is impossible to stretch beyond (Stress, Anxiety and Depression Resource Center 1). When parents have so high hopes in their children, there is a great possibility that when children are unable to achieve the set goals, they end up stressed. They often feel that they are failures in life, because they have caused disappointments to their parents. It is even worse where the parents make such remarks before their children.

Abused and deprived Childhood- children who are abused in any way end up stressed. As earlier indicated, stress is simply a response. An individual is responding to a certain situation, one that is often upsetting. Any kind of abuse provokes thoughts that life is threatened, and this is not unconnected with the famous survival as the primary instinct. The most obvious response in these children is the development of defense mechanisms. This comes as the child attempts to respond to that stressful situation.

Developmental tensions- this is perhaps one of the major causes of teen stress. When children are within age, there is a growing need for parental independence. The reality is that these teenagers cannot do without the parents, but inside of them is that desire to be free. This tension causes great stress, because as much as they seek autonomy, there is still a weakness in their ability to be so. This is not an easy kind of tension to deal with, and the intensity depends on individuals.

Family responsibilities- sometimes, children are expected to perform roles that are beyond their abilities. For instance, a mother may ask a child to prepare a meal while they are still too young or inexperienced to do that. This means that either the child will produce a mess, or there will be nothing at all. The way a mother responds to this may cause a lot of stress for the child. It is not uncommon for children to feel that parents do not love them because they always send them, instead of their siblings. This is especially more pronounced in the lesser developed countries, where the ability to hire house helps is financially constrained. Whenever a child is asked to live like an adult, while developmentally they are not yet there, there is a high likelihood of them being opposed to parental or societal roles in general. This means that children faced with this kind of life situation end up with severe aggressive tendencies as well as indignation.

Effects of Stress and Anxiety in Teenagers
There are certain indicators that a teenager is under stress. While these are not the effects themselves, they act as pointers to the effects of stress. Signs such as emotional disability, shyness, aggressive behavior, social phobia, and more often a disinterest in otherwise enjoyable activities. These are good indicators of a stressed teenager.

Academic performance is perhaps one of the most visible effects of stress in teenagers. This comes as a result of over-concentration in the fears and anxieties brought about by the stressful situation, leading to a reduced concentration level in school. A child who would otherwise perform very well ends up doing very badly in school (Barlow 64). Worth noting is the fact that whether a stress condition is real or perceived, the brains do not differentiate. This leads us to the second effect of stress and anxiety in teenagers.

Suppressed Immune System- the body reacts in a manner that brings about changes in the biochemical state. The effect of this is an increased level of epinephrine as well as other adrenal steroids in the bloodstream. It has also been established that stressed persons end up with increased blood pressure as well as palpitations. The obvious manifestation of these effects is in responses such as worry, anger, aggression and fear. Generally speaking, stress takes away the bodys ability to attain homeostasis. Of course, persistence of stress situations means that the chemicals produced do not get used up, and this means that the body is more predisposed to physical and mental illnesses (Barlow 64). The body burns up a lot of energy to defend itself from real or perceived threat. In most cases, the teenagers are still very vulnerable because of their dependence and young age.

Drug, alcohol, and tobacco abuse- this is also one of the most common effect of stress in adolescents. Normally, stress seeks to move us out prematurely. This means that one seeks an external thing that can take away the stress. These three options seem very viable among adolescents.

Suicidal thoughts- in extreme cases, adolescents harbor thoughts such as the desire to die such cases demand of immediate treatment.

Violence and reckless behavior- as earlier indicated, stress seeks to bring us across the border prematurely. It is like a perforated bag inside the body, seeking a vent to escape. There are some teens who acquire violent trends andor reckless behaviors. They develop a careless attitude, thus indulging in very dangerous tendencies.

Poor social skills- some stressed teens tend to withdraw from the rest of society. In cases of chronic stress, they end up with very poor interpersonal skills.

Prevention of Stress in Teens
Considering that parents are closest to the teens, they are the best placed to help prevent stress and anxiety in teens. This study proposes some points that are of extreme importance to this end.
Dialogue with the teen. It is important that the parent regularly finds out the happenings in their childs life. Honesty and openness are very critical for a good result. The parent should encourage the adolescent to share and write hisher problems down. The parent in this case should also teach the teen to transfer strategies of coping to other situations (Rosen 328).

Not to over burden the teens with problems. While this is important, children should be in the know, regarding the family goals and difficulties. They should be made to understand that there are solutions to these difficulties, and that they are not the causes. Parents should also know how much to expect of their children so as not to expect too much (Rosen 329). This also includes after-school responsibilities and activities. Parents should not expect that their children top in everything that they do.
While it is important to let children know, in a loving manner, when they do wrong things, it is equally important to compliment them when they do well. Simple things such as hugs and kisses do in improving their overall personal feelings.

The use of humor greatly aids in buffering bad situations and feelings. This helps the teen to keep things in perspective. As earlier indicated, stress comes as a response to situations that are upsetting. Attitude is therefore very important in handling stress, and humor is a perfect way of maintaining a positive attitude (Rosen 327).

In managing stress, the example of the parent is very important. Therefore, ability to cope with stress and self control skills are very important for the parent. It helps the teen in saying, I know how my parent copes with stress, and so I do it that way.

Finally, it is important that whenever there is a problem beyond ones skills, the help of friends andor professional be sought. 

Conclusion
As aforementioned, stress and anxieties lead to very serious physical and mental problems. Several causes and effects of teen stress and anxiety have been discussed in this study. Looking at the effects in particular, it becomes very clear that unless teens properly handle it and prevent further instances of the same, it can easily lead to even greater problems later on in life, that is, if it doesnt lead to suicide in teenage. Problems related to teenage stress and anxiety permeates every other aspect of society. It means therefore, that if not properly addressed, it leads to several other problems in society, because adolescents do not live in isolation. The best way to address this problem as indicated is to prevent it from actually taking root.