The Cause and Effects of Teen Stress

            Do you know someone who says they hate life? Do they talk about death? Have they turned to drugs or alcohol? Is this person in their teenage years by chance? If you answered yes to all of these questions, most likely that person is dealing with teen stress, possibly depression. During teenage years, kids can become overwhelmed with the importance of looks, achievement, fitting in, and being accepted. While going through emotional changes, and physical changes, they are also going through changes involving hormones. Such changes that happen inside the brain which involve serotonin. When stress arises in the brain it can throw off the serotonin level which affects your moods, emotions, appetite, and you sleeping habits according to many internet articles.
             A personal friend of mine who shall remain nameless, started to become stressed out with the pressure that he dealt with, from his father and his grandfather. They began hassling him about his decisions after high school. Which involved an argument from the father wanting his son to attend the same college he did and as well as his grandfather attended and graduated from. During the major dispute my friend turned to alcohol. He started binge drinking on a daily basis, without any recognition of his problem. Finally, I had to step in and show him what he was doing to his life. All in all, he sorted things out with his father and attended the college he had planned, though not the college of his father's plans.
             With the beginning stages of stress, teenagers start to feel overly self conscious. Stress is brought out more in teens when parents are constantly pressuring their children for answers to questions dealing with life.
             Then teens put pressure on themselves thinking about who to hang out with and how to set priorities. In today's life, teens are more often to try drugs. So when someone is faced with that decision, their mind tends to get confused and overwhelmed causing stress.