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The effects of peer pressure on teenagers
The effects of peer pressure on adolescents
The effects of peer pressure on adolescents
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“Cutting Disorders: A Silent Cry for Help” Teens and young adults resort to various outlets with hopes of coping with the pressures they face. Some stress-relieving activities involve eating comforting food or watching TV. For some, however, these activities do not provide adequate stress relief, so they attempt to escape their anxieties through a recently recognized self-mutilating disorder called “cutting.” While gaining more attention in recent years, cutting is still not a well-known practice, yet an estimated 700 out of every 100,000 individuals self-mutilate (Froeschle). Even celebrities like Angelina Jolie have admitted to cutting (Mann). The best way to discourage the practice of cutting is to learn more about the disorder and encourage those who cut to find less destructive ways of coping with stress. Sadly, most people have never heard of the disorder and so do not recognize the warning signs of the practice. I was ignorant of both the disorder and the warning signs until the reality of the dangers involved hit home: I discovered my cousin was cutting. With my cousin in mind, I have noticed that the University of Georgia does not offer any specific resources for cutters. Through my cousin’s struggles, I have developed an acute awareness of cutting, who it involves, and what can be done to help its victims. My cousin’s story relates to so many American teens today. Everyone needs to be aware of how to help those with cutting disorders in their homes, campuses, and careers. Now that I reflect on the living situation my cousin Annie [1] faced several years ago, her battle with cutting no longer shocks me. While I thought at first that anyone who would harm himself or herself in such a way ... ... middle of paper ... ... Froeschle, Janet. “Just Cut It Out:” Legal and Ethical Challenges in Counseling Students Who Self-Mutilate.” Professional School Counseling. 7.4 2004. 28 Sept. 2004 . Gerrard, Nicci. “Why Are So Many Teenage Girls Cutting Themselves?” The Observer. 19 May 2002. 13 Feb. 2003 . Goetz, Kristina. “It’s Not Just A Habit But Rather A Serious Disorder.” The Cincinnati Enquirer. 28 July 2002. 13 Feb. 2003 . Mann, Denise. “When Scab-Picking, Cutting Becomes Addictive.” WebMDHealth. 2004. 28 Sept. 2004 . [1] I am using pseudonyms for all people mentioned in the paper.
Throughout her book Mary Pipher, a clinical psychologist, describes the behaviors and relationships of adolescent teen girls. She explores the issues that most of her patients have in common: parents and divorce, depression, weight, drugs, alcohol, violence, and sex. Pipher provides examples of girls who had suffered from each category, and ends with a generalization that connects each situation to a deeper meaning. Although parents and daughters are somewhat to blame in each occasion, Pipher holds the corrupt modern culture of western society accountable. She believes that the idealized image of girls that the media puts out is the root of most adolescent insecurities. In Reviving Ophelia, Pipher draws attention to the increasing need for female teen awareness and incorporates the methods she suggests to the struggling families.
Many people in today’s society face challenges within themselves. Some challenges deal with adults paying their bills, while others involve kids and their self-esteem. In the novel Cut, by Patricia McCormick, a young teenage girl experiences just this, self-esteem trouble. According to Angela Kennedy in the article “Self-Injury on Rise,” a shocking 25 percent of people who self-injure said they started by sixth grade or younger; 60 percent by seventh or eighth grade and 12 percent in ninth grade. Inside the book, the reader views Callie’s thoughts from a first person point of view. At first, everything seems normal as Callie runs in her cross-country meet. Things escalate quickly as she runs off the track to her house where she turns to self-mutilation.
1. Cut frequently talks about bulimia, anorexia, suicide, self-mutilation, substance and drug abuse, schizophrenia, anxiety, and depression.
Too many children who try and speak about the way they’re feeling are being let down or simply ignored. As a result of this neglect many young people are resorting to self-harm as a way to cope or in some extreme cases think about ending their own
There are many cases where girls and boys hurt themselves because they are insecure about themselves. They feel too ugly or too fat. These kinds of people live in depression. They do not feel good about themselves. People like this tend to harm their bodies. The fact that they become depressed makes it even worse. One good example is Bulimia nervosa. It is an eating disorder where the person eats and tries to take it back as soon as they can. This is mainly caused by lack of confidence. The person probably feels like they are fat. Many other kids cut themselves due to lack of self-love. Another good example is if you are being bullied. Being bullied really hurts feelings it makes you feel like you are not good enough. There are tons of kids who are depressed due to the fact that they are being bullied constantly. Many times kids stay like this and do not speak up because they are afraid. However they are only making it worse. They live by depression every day. Anyone can stand up and put a stop to bulling. I’m very confident that if you put an end to being bullied you’ll also put an end to the depression you suffer. Depression can influence our actions. We must love our selves. God mad us all different but we are all beautiful in our own ways. We must love our bodies and treat them as
Look in the mirror. Do you like what you see? Most of us have come to appreciate ourselves for who we are. While other’s struggle to achieve the perfect body. They strive to be what is depicted in fashion magazines and movies. The never ending obsession to be the perfect size zero. This inevitably can lead to eating disorders. Eating disorders can cause someone to have an unhealthy image of themselves and food is the enemy. In a national survey at the Mclean Hospital in Massachusetts it was estimated that over 9 million people suffer with eating disorders. They can struggle with anorexia, bulimia or binge eating. A study conducted by the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders states that most of these diseases start before the age of twenty. Another growing problem in the United States is obesity. Over 60 million Americans suffer from this disease, this according to the American Obesity Association (gale opposing viewpoints: eating disorders 2010).
It is no surprise that many young females are turning to the knife when they are surrounded by images of young, beautiful models advertising everything from cars to beauty products reminding them every day of what they hate about themselves. Some women’s answer to this is to hide themselves away under baggy clothing but the majority cover themselves in make-up and fake tan and dye their hair to look like their favourite celebrity of the moment. However, recently many more women have tu...
It can often be used as a distraction from emotional distress and a way to release feelings the person has help in for so long. They often feel relief and a sense of calmness after performing the act. This is known as cutting or self-mutilation. Some forms of self-mutilation are cutting, burning, hair-pulling, pinching, scratching, picking at scars, and head-banging. People who self-mutilate often have a history of abuse, whether it be sexual, emotional, or physical. Self-mutilation often piggy backs onto other mental health problems such as eating disorders, substance abuse, schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and many other mental illnesses. Most people who self-harm often have low self-esteem and are perfectionists. They are often very impulsive and have poor problem-solving
"Self-Harm Among Teenage Girls Up 10 Per Cent In Year." Times, The (United Kingdom) (2013): 16. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 9 Feb. 2014.
An eating disorder is a serious health condition involving extremely unhealthy dietary habits. There are a number of accepted eating disorder treatments that depend on the symptoms and severity of the illness. The most effective treatments involve both psychological as well as physical issues with the ultimate goal being a healthy dietary lifestyle. The team approach to treatment involves professionals with experience in eating disorders that usually includes a medical provider, mental health workers, registered dieticians and case managers. These individuals work together in hopes of avoiding a life threatening situation.
Her mom and her cousin, Nina, who she considers to be her role model, were the only ones that knew about the cutting. “Some people cut because they feel desperate for relief from bad feelings….Some people cut to express strong feelings of rage, sorrow, rejection, desperation, longing, or emptiness….Or their coping skills may be overpowered by emotions that are too intense. When emotions don't get expressed in a healthy way, tension can build up — sometimes to a point where it seems almost unbearable… People who cut sometimes say they feel they don't fit in or that no one understands them…..Cutting might seem like the only way to find relief or express personal pain over relationships or rejection.”, says KidsHealth - the Web's Most Visited Site about Children's Health by The Nemours Foundation. All of the rejection, bullying, and verbal abuse just hurt too much. She wanted to direct the pain physically instead of mentally. Seline just wanted the voices in her head saying, “You’re ugly. You’re fat. You’re a hoe…” to be gone, even if it was for a little while. In her junior year of high school, someone who she identifies as a really good person taught her that she was a beautiful person and that she did not deserve any of the pain. After she finished her cutting phase, she began to starve herself in 2013, her wall of insecurities getting higher. When a girl develops an eating disorder, it usually means that she feels like because everything has gone so wrong in her life, she needs to find something else to control. I asked her, “Why?”, and all she could say was, “I was just a really depressed
Styer, Denise M. "An Understanding of Self-Injury and Suicide." Prevention Researcher Integrated Research Services, Inc., Vol. 13, Supplement. Dec. 2006: 10-12. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 16 Apr. 2014. .
Some say that the teenage years are one of the most challenging and trying times in an individual’s life. Many changes take place, both emotionally and physically, which sometimes can give the feeling of excitement… or in other cases… complete confusion and utter turmoil. Because emotions tend to run high during this period of life due to hormones, some teens resort to an unhealthy way of coping to deal with their emotional pain. This unhealthy way of dealing with emotional pain is also known as self injury. Self injury (or self harm) is widely known to take place during the teenage years up until the early years of adulthood (ages 14-24)when judgments become more defined, criticism becomes harsher, and limits are tested. The transition from childhood to adulthood may sound exciting and adventurous to some, but to others, it’s a nightmare they wish they could wake up from.
Some students admitted to hurting themselves on purpose because of being stressed or upset by banging their head or body on an object, cutting themselves, stabbing themselves, as well as hitting, biting, or burning themselves (Blazer, 2010). When the effects of the pressure and stress on students is this drastic, it is extremely important that something is done about it. Its time that students were encouraged to become well-rounded individuals instead of focusing on having a perfect GPA. Its time to make school something that the students can look back on and think that it was a meaningful time where they learned a lot about life instead of a time where they thought they would have a break down because they got a low score on a test. School should be a time to make mistakes in a safe environment that they can learn from, not a place where they are petrified to make a mistake for fear of retribution on their grade cards.
For centuries suicide has been considered an act against God, a violation of law, and a stain on the community. Since the year of 1999 people around the globe have killed themselves more than the year previous. Throughout the developed world, self-harm is now the leading cause of death for people 15 to 49, surpassing all cancers and heart disease. That’s a dizzying change, a discovery that shows just how effective people throughout the world are at fighting disease, and just how haunted everyone remains at the same time. Around the globe, in 2010, self-harm took more lives than war, murder, and natural disasters combined, stealing more than 36 million years of healthy life across all ages. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) teenagers in America 4,600 aged 15 to 24 committed suicide.The older the youth is the higher the percentages. For youth aged 15 to 19, 7.8 per 100,000 died, while for youth aged 10 to 14, 1.3 per 100,000 died. Although rates differ between countries, suicide is the third most common cause of death among young children surpassed by homicides and accidents ("Teen Suicide is Preventable"). In the general population of youn...