Who Said Becoming an Adult is Easy?

Childhood to Adulthood

           Why is it that so many young people commit suicide?  In a report conducted by MediResource Canada, suicide is the second leading cause of death following motor vehicles among teenagers and young adults. One would think that people in the prime of their lives, with so much to live for, would be the least likely to take their own lives.

            When a child is growing up, they live in a secure and controlled world that exists with little uncertainty. Adolescent years are a challenging and unsettling time, as both boys and girls grapple with tremendous emotional difficulties in their transition to adulthood.  Young teenagers struggle to deal with uncertainty and social pressures that are associated with them finding their way with the opposite sex while creating their own self-identity.  This is also a time when young adults strive to build self-esteem and a feeling of self-worth. This is further complicated and hindered by the burden often placed on children by their parents with regard to scholastic and career expectations.

Anxious Teens in a Park

Innocent Children Playing in a Park

Consider the scenario of an eight-year old boy and girl playing together in a neighbourhood playground. These two children see each other as virtually the same, with only slight differences in physical attributes and appearance. Fast-forward eight to ten years later to the same park, where the two are likely experiencing a totally different dynamic to their interactions. Faced with the awkward moments of trying to choose the right words to say, both feel anxiety and uncertainty in their mannerism and actions. Even though it is the same two people and spot as in the past, the personal dynamics and ease of social interaction are strained and totally different.

In many ways, a young child is not exposed to the social pressures which adolescents face. In the early innocent and carefree years, there is minimal real peer pressure experienced from one’s friends.  The young child’s sheltered environment in many ways does not lend itself well to preparing them for the onslaught of pressure, uncertainty and the need to rapidly build confidence and self-esteem. When one does not have a properly developed coping mechanism and defined inner strength, they may believe that there is no hope or resolution to the conflict and pain that they are experiencing. This could tragically lead to the worst-case scenario, where this adolescent’s anxiety results in suicide.

Adolescence is a difficult time in an individual’s growth and evolution. It’s a period when one’s peer group is also likely to be of little assistance given their lack of experience and awareness. This problem may be further compounded as a result of strained relations with the adolescent’s parents, potentially leaving the child with little access to experience, wisdom and sound advice.

The coming-of-age from childhood to adulthood is full of anxious moments and lots of insecurity. It is almost like a right of passage; a painful and strengthening journey that one must endure to pass through the corridor to adulthood.  It’s truly an unnecessary and sad story that there continue to be casualties with the loss of life associated with this human evolution.