There is no doubt that teenagers overcome numerous stressful situations. These problems affect their behavior and overall well-being, which includes both physical and mental health. When stress becomes too overwhelming, they need to receive support in assessing the situations adequately and deciding on logical actions. One of the most frequent stress triggers is body image issues, which often arise in connection with the development of secondary sexual characteristics. The physical changes are inevitable and can become the reason for low self-esteem because of the settled stereotypes of ideal appearance (Mulgrew, 2020). This essay will consider external stressors associated with body-image problems, strategies for parents and guardians to assess the effect of this issue on the subject, and ways to support adolescents.
Issues with evaluations of the body are the most popular during adolescence and are of paramount importance as they can cause profound and enduring psychological consequences. Usually, the reason for the problems of low assessment of self-appearance in mirrors can be established images of beauty. It should also be noted that in different cultures, there are specific standards of elegance. Hence the problems associated with a particular society cannot always be generalized for others (Mulgrew, 2020). Additional external stressors for this type of adolescent problems are the charm assessment strategies in the community. For example, competitions like “Miss 2020” or ordinary commercials of beauty salons and cosmetics build the perception of attractive people harming adolescents who do not fit into the dictated norms. As a result, teenagers experience severe psychological problems affecting the quality of their lives.
Parents and guardians can guess the uneasy feelings of adolescents by monitoring their behavior. Although unusual habits can be attributed to the youngsters’ personality changes, there are some critical indications of body image stress. Body image problems often result in eating disorders, including excessive dieting and steroid use (Mulgrew, 2020). Teenagers either try to cut down on food essential for their development to lose weight or eat too many calories, resulting in obesity and subsequent cardiovascular diseases. In addition to that, some subjects indicate newly acquired smoking and alcohol drinking habits to cope with tremendous stress (Jones et al., 2018). The most frequent symptoms, however, are the signs of depression and anxiety. These manifestations altogether can be a good indicator of teenage problems and help to understand that the subject needs assistance.
It is essential to talk to teenagers to acknowledge the readiness to help and support. As they tend to wish to gain more independence, parents or officials are better to suggest the problem solutions rather than forcefully apply them without their permission (Mulgrew, 2020). They should also keep in mind that the problem is better addressed in multiple attempts than a single stressful try. Furthermore, to show the adolescent support not only from family but also from the other members of society, they can be advised to attend group counseling. The teenagers generally feel better if they understand that they are not alone coping with their problems (Irani et al., 2018). In such a way, the subjects would feel comfort and hope to leave the frustrated mood.
To conclude, the issue of low assessment of body-image among adolescents is the frequently encountered problem. Generally, the triggers for the stress on this account are the standards of beauty established in the society and propaganda of them through media and social events. The problem needs to be addressed timely as otherwise, the serious consequences might arise later. Parents and professionals can work together to solve the problem effectively. Moreover, other teenagers with the same difficulties can be a crucial factor in achieving promising results, and their joint counseling is proven to be beneficial.
References
Irani, N., Kamrani, M., Mahmoodi, Z., Farid, M., Hajian, N., & Dinpajooh, F. (2018). The effect of group counselling on body image coping strategy among adolescent girls. International Journal of Pediatrics, 6(5), 7709-7716. Web.
Jones, A., Winter, V., Pekarek, E., & Walters, J. (2018). Binge drinking and cigarette smoking among teens: Does body image play a role? Children and Youth Services Review, 91, 232-236. Web.
Mulgrew, K. (2020). Puberty and Body Image. In S. Hupp & J. D. Jewell (Eds.), The Encyclopedia of Child and Adolescent Development (pp. 1–9). John Wiley & Sons.