NORMAL TEEN FEELINGS AND MOODS

Adolescence is a period of dramatic physical, social, emotional, and cognitive changes.   It begins with a period of dramatic sexual development and a growing interest in the opposite sex.   Sexuality can confusing.   Many young people are unsure of their attractiveness and worry about how to manage their strong feelings of sexuality.   It is normal to become concerned about your physical appearance.   You may complain that you are too tall or too short.   You may even feel embarrassed and self-conscious because your physical development is different from your friends.   Your rapid growth may even cause tiredness, moodiness, bickering, and overanxiousness. 

 

Confusion and depression can be experienced by moving into an adult world in which relationships and responsibilities are quite different from those known as a child.   It is normal to have conflicts with your parents over the amount of freedom you think you deserve.  Adolescents have a strong need for peer group approval.  Teens usually prefer the company and interest of their own friends to those of their family.   For the most part, you may find that activities with friends are far more enjoyable than those with your family.   It is normal to spend time alone in your room.

 

Many things can be a source of anxiety for teens — popularity in the social group, accomplishments or failures in school, how one looks compared to others of the same age, and uncertainty about future education and career plans.

 

All adolescents have problems from time to time.   The good news is that most young people pass through this stage of development without serious difficulty.

 

Sponsored by the Auglaize County Health Department