Alcohol Abuse Advice

Give Them Some Sunshine by Medimanage.com

D.T. Max once said, “Education is more than filling a child with facts. It starts with posing questions.”

Unfortunately the only questions that are being posed today are “Why did he kill himself?” or “Was she depressed before committing suicide?” The facts filling the minds of today’s children are not how much percentage of earth is water but ‘Will I make the cut off list?’, ‘What will I do if I don’t get in the college of my choice?’

So what is the reason for this sudden ‘epidemic’ of suicides plaguing our young?

Causes of stress in children

While placing the blame on the education system in India alone is not fair, there is no denying the lion’s share it enjoys amongst factors causing stress to students! Dr.Anjali Gandhi from the National Mental Health Clinic however blames the media “Children are prone to suggestions and with the hype generated by the media; suddenly suicides have become an easy way out rather than dealing with the stress. All this publicity has given rise to a Copy cat syndrome wherein stressed students are aping the others and committing suicides”.

Factors contributing to stress in today’s youngsters are:

Parental Pressure and expectations: Parental pressure is one of the major factors other than academic performance stress that is plaguing today’s students. Kids are more or less being treated as ‘trophies’ to show off by the parents, based on their academic and extracurricular achievements; such practices are causing undue stress in children today.
Peer pressure: The need to “fit in” is greater than ever in the adolescent or teenage years. The sudden pressure to conform and perform equally according to one’s group is very high and this can create stress amongst youngsters.
Competition: In today’s date competition and the competitive atmosphere starts at a very young age. Kids as young as 6 years of age are put into a variety of classes namely art, sports, crafts etc, not to mention the compulsory “tuition” so that they stay ahead of the competition! Similarly college students too are overburdened with academics. A competitive atmosphere where failure isn’t an option becomes a major cause of stress.
Family environment: For parents who think that providing their kid with excellent education and every little thing that he requires will keep him happy. Think again! Family environment is a very common albeit overlooked cause of stress in youngsters. Parents arguing in front of their kids, absence of parents due to their jobs or other reasons, parents divorce, constant squabbling over money etc. are major reasons for stress causers in teenagers.
Growing up: One should remember that as an adolescent or a teenager, the child is growing up and is bound to be confused about many things due to the onset of puberty. Attraction towards the opposite sex is normal and while it is common for youngsters to start dating early these days, the breakup of a relationship is something that they are finding it hard to deal with creating stress.

Signs of stress in children:

“Children under stress usually approach the authority figure, be it at school/college or home. It is only when they do not receive any reassurance from them, that the stress levels begin to escalate and the stress signs start becoming more visible”, is what Dr. Anshu Kulkarni had to say regarding stress in children today.

To combat stress, it is not enough to just know what causes it! Knowing the tell tale signs of stress also goes a long way in helping a stressed out youngster. Following are a few simple signs indicating stress in your ward:

Withdrawal: If you notice your child withdrawing from social interaction and friends, outings etc, it may be a sign of stress.
Aggressive behavior: The child will exhibit aggressive behavior towards everyone around him; temper tantrums for no apparent reasons are an excellent indicator of stress in children.
Over eating or under eating: Stress affects a person’s appetite, so if your child is indulging in over eating or under eating for no particular reason, he might be under stress.
Lethargy and excessive sleeping: Lethargy and excessive sleeping hours are indicators of stress in children and should not be confused with laziness in the child.
Moody: Quiet spells followed by outbursts or temper tantrums over small things are signs of stress in children.
Abdominal Pain:Abdominal pain is also a sign of stress in children.
Depressed: If your child is generally unhappy in school, college and at home and prefers isolation and loneliness instead of company, it is a sure sign that he is under stress.
Constant Headaches: Suffering from constant headaches is a sign of stress in children and adults alike.

Poor memory, difficulty in concentration, lack of sleep or too much sleep are other signs of stress, which should not be overlooked as they can lead to build up of stress in the child. To read more about Give them Some Sunshine