Emotional Awareness
- Your emotions are the foundation of your ability to understand yourself, in creating an identity, and being able to relate to others.
As adolescents become more aware of how to control their emotions, they can think more clearly, become more creative, and manage the stress and challenges associated with home, school, and peers. They are able to communicate well with others, and display trust, empathy, and confidence in their decisions and in themselves.
Erik Erikson a leading psychologist in human development formulated the “Eight Stages of Psychosocial Development".
The Eight Stages are:
Infancy (birth to 18 months) Trust vs. Mistrust
Feeding Children develops a sense of trust when caregivers provide reliability, care, and affection. A lack of this will lead to mistrust. In the infancy stage, the child is learning to trust their caregiver over the mistrust of strangers.
Early Childhood (2 to 3 years) Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt
Toilet Training Children need to develop a sense of personal control over physical skills and a sense of independence. Success leads to feelings of autonomy; failure results in feelings of shame and doubt. In the early childhood stage, children are learning how to control their bodies; thereby succeeding and controlling their autonomy over shame and doubt.
Preschool (3 to 5 years) Initiative vs. Guilt
Exploration Children needs to begin asserting control and power over the environment. Success in this stage leads to a sense of purpose. Children who try to exert too much power experience disapproval, resulting in a sense of guilt. In the preschool stage, children are learning how to assert their control and power over their environment.
School Age (6 to 11 years) Industry vs. Inferiority
School Children need to cope with new social and academic demands. Success leads to a sense of competence, while failure results in feelings of inferiority. In the school age stage, children are striving to cope with success academically and to develop a sense of order in a new social atmosphere.
Adolescence (12 to 18 years) Identity vs. Role Confusion
Social Relationships Teens need to develop a sense of self and personal identity. Success leads to an ability to stay true to self, while failure leads to role confusion and a weak sense of self. The adolescence stage is one of the most challenging stages any parent may go through. Mainly, because of the need to develop a sense of personally identity.
Young Adulthood (19 to 40 years) Intimacy vs. Isolation Relationships Young adults need to form intimate, loving relationships with other people. Success leads to strong relationships, while failure results in loneliness and isolation. In the young adulthood stage our minds and bodies are developing to form deep personal relationships with people or a single person to fill the need for a social intimate relationship.
Middle Adulthood (40 to 65 years) Generativity vs. Stagnation
Work and Parenthood Adults need to create or nurture those who will outlive them. These adults achieve this by having children or by positively benefiting other people. While success leads to feelings of usefulness and accomplishment, failure results in shallow involvement in the world. In the middle adulthood stage of development, humans strive to feel a need of longevity in order to create and pass on the important aspects of their lives.
Maturity (65 to death) Ego Integrity vs. Despair
Reflection on Life Older adults need to look back on life and feel a sense of fulfillment. Success at this stage leads to feelings of wisdom; failure results in regret, bitterness, and despair.
In the maturity stage of human development, people have a need to look back and feel a sense of fulfillment made from their successes.
Erik Erickson's (1956) 8 Stages of Emotional
Development
http://www.youtube.com/watch
v=dGFKAfixHJs&feature=player_detailpage
http://psychology.about.com/library/bl_psychosocial_summary.htm
Emotional Awareness:
Many teens are affected by depression. What are some of the signs or symptoms to look for in a depressed teen.
Depression and the effects of teen depression
The negative affects depression can have on teenagers go far beyond a melancholy mood. Depression is one of the major causes of rebellious and unhealthy behaviors or attitudes in teenagers. Teens “act out” or “act in” in an attempt to cope with their emotional pain.
Below are some of the many signs to look for in adolescent depression
Source: http://www.helpguide.org/mental/depression_teen.htm
Many teens are affected by depression. What are some of the signs or symptoms to look for in a depressed teen.
Depression and the effects of teen depression
The negative affects depression can have on teenagers go far beyond a melancholy mood. Depression is one of the major causes of rebellious and unhealthy behaviors or attitudes in teenagers. Teens “act out” or “act in” in an attempt to cope with their emotional pain.
Below are some of the many signs to look for in adolescent depression
- Problems at school. Depression can cause low energy and concentration difficulties. At school, this may lead to poor attendance, a drop in grades, or frustration with schoolwork in a formerly good student.
- Running away. Many depressed teens run away from home or talk about running away. Such attempts are usually a cry for help.
- Drug and alcohol abuse. Teens may use alcohol or drugs in an attempt to “self-medicate” their depression. Unfortunately, substance abuse only makes things worse.
- Low self-esteem. Depression can trigger and intensify feelings of ugliness, shame, failure, and unworthiness.
- Internet addiction. Teens may go online to escape from their problems. But excessive computer use only increases their isolation and makes them more depressed.
- Reckless behavior. Depressed teens may engage in dangerous or high-risk behaviors, such as reckless driving, out-of-control drinking, and unsafe sex.
- Violence. Some depressed teens (usually boys who are the victims of bullying) become violent. As in the case of the Columbine school massacre, self-hatred and a wish to die can erupt into violence and homicidal rage.
Source: http://www.helpguide.org/mental/depression_teen.htm
You are not alone!- A Message to the Teen
As you grow older you will develop the skills you need to manage stress, but for now, just remember you are not alone. You may be in a tough spot and need support. Reach out to adults and friends, someone is there who cares, YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
Emotions! Everyone has them, and everyone else has felt just as you are feeling now. You are not alone.
Being human is an emotional experience -- we all have our moments of happiness, sadness, anger, depression, anxiety, and a host of others feelings. You are not alone.
How do we deal with those emotions? Why are some feelings or emotions harder to handle than others? Everyone has had these same emotions, and questions in their lives. You are not alone.
Relationships
Everyone has some sort of relationship with another person or with many people. You are not alone. Unless you are a castaway on a deserted island, you interact with people everyday. You are not alone. Relationships with parents, friends and significant others (like a boyfriend or girlfriend) can be rewarding, but also frustrating.
Talk to your school counselor.
Talk to your parents, they will be there for you, they will listen.
Talk to a trusted adult, we will listen.
Talk to a friend, that friend will listen.
We WIll Listen!
Emotions! Everyone has them, and everyone else has felt just as you are feeling now. You are not alone.
Being human is an emotional experience -- we all have our moments of happiness, sadness, anger, depression, anxiety, and a host of others feelings. You are not alone.
How do we deal with those emotions? Why are some feelings or emotions harder to handle than others? Everyone has had these same emotions, and questions in their lives. You are not alone.
Relationships
Everyone has some sort of relationship with another person or with many people. You are not alone. Unless you are a castaway on a deserted island, you interact with people everyday. You are not alone. Relationships with parents, friends and significant others (like a boyfriend or girlfriend) can be rewarding, but also frustrating.
Talk to your school counselor.
Talk to your parents, they will be there for you, they will listen.
Talk to a trusted adult, we will listen.
Talk to a friend, that friend will listen.
We WIll Listen!
Emotions and Teens
Together emotions and relationships make up life. As you begin your pre-teenage and teenage years, you may feel as though no one understands the pressures you are dealing with at school, at home, on the school bus, or a number of other places.
As a teenager, you may be dealing with a number of emotional highs and lows, you are not alone.
One minute you might feel great, and the next you feel sad and tearful, you are not alone.
Your life is changing, just like your body, you are not alone.
These mood swings are not just hormones; they are caused by the physical changes that are occuring in your developing brain. The frontal lobes of your brain is in a stage of further development.
You may be feeling a lot more pressure these days, you are not alone.
You are still developing the skills you need to deal with that pressure, you are not alone.
You may be facing added responsibilities at home, you are not alone.
You may be facing assignments that require a hugh amount of time, along with tougher grading policies in school, you are not alone.
You are changing just like your friends who are changing, you are not alone.
You are in a tough spot and need all the support you can get. Reach out to adults and friends, WE ARE HERE, YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
You are not alone.-- there is always someone there who cares for you.
REACH OUT TO ANYONE THAT YOU CAN TRUST, A BESTFRIEND, A TEACHER, A COUNSELOR, OR YOUR PARENTS.
One minute you might feel great, and the next you feel sad and tearful, you are not alone.
Your life is changing, just like your body, you are not alone.
These mood swings are not just hormones; they are caused by the physical changes that are occuring in your developing brain. The frontal lobes of your brain is in a stage of further development.
You may be feeling a lot more pressure these days, you are not alone.
You are still developing the skills you need to deal with that pressure, you are not alone.
You may be facing added responsibilities at home, you are not alone.
You may be facing assignments that require a hugh amount of time, along with tougher grading policies in school, you are not alone.
You are changing just like your friends who are changing, you are not alone.
You are in a tough spot and need all the support you can get. Reach out to adults and friends, WE ARE HERE, YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
You are not alone.-- there is always someone there who cares for you.
REACH OUT TO ANYONE THAT YOU CAN TRUST, A BESTFRIEND, A TEACHER, A COUNSELOR, OR YOUR PARENTS.