Adolescence and Adjustment

“Adolescence is like a bridge which emerges from childhood and merges into adulthood”.

Life is all about adjustment to people, places, situations, events and environment. Although adjustment has to take place between the individual and the environment during all stages of development, but the most dynamic changes occur during adolescence. It is the time when rapid and revolutionary changes take place with regard to physical, mental, moral, psychological, spiritual, sexual and social outlook. Human personality expands in new horizons by learning new things and achieves new dimensions in life. Therefore, it’s a time period which is full of anxieties, worries, conflicts, unpredictability and complexity. 

 

Biologically, adolescence is the stage when puberty dawns with a surge of chemicals. Upsurge of hormonal levels create havoc in the body, leading to unpredictable behavioural patterns and mood swings which take time to stabilize. Insecurities about one’s own physical features, attributes, and appearance causes tremendous stress.

Chronologically, adolescence is a span of life ranging from 12 to 19 years and may vary due to individual and cultural differences. 

Psychologically, adolescence, is the marginal situation which involves psychological disturbances and problems of adjustments. It differentiates the childhood behaviour from the adulthood behaviour. It is the period of new repulsion felt towards imposed rules and regulations. The conflict starts within as the adolescent tries to pave his / her own way and wants to travel self-chalked out path which is different from what he is nudged towards by the family or significant others. These norms and rules seem to be chaining/ arresting for the adolescent from which they want to be free. They feel that nobody understand them as a small incident seems traumatic to them. They are unable to express themselves as most of the times what they think or what they want to do is experiments in life which doesn’t get approval from their parents or teachers who want them to tread the predetermined path leading to conflict at home and school.   

Sociologically, adolescence is a transitional period from dependence on parents to self-sufficient adulthood. It is also a time when all moral, ethical and social rules are questioned and there is rebellious attitude on the forefront. The adolescent ventures out on a journey to establish an independent existence as an individual and to carve out his own niche in the complex hierarchy of this world. In this complex journey of individualistic sojourn, being non-conforming, anti- establishment, and contradictory attitude comes very easy. Because to follow the norms is touché, and to do the opposite of what is prevalent is in sync with the defiant mind set of adolescent. Social changes are reflected in the influence of peer group, new values of friendship selection, social acceptance and rejection emerge. Self-framed and self-propagated rules become priority and a struggle to emerge winner in the peer hierarchy and to be accepted in his self-formed social circle becomes the utmost important. 

Each stage of life has certain needs. The non- fulfillment of needs give rise to problems. The individuals who deal with their problems positively, are well adjusted. Whereas those who fail to deal with the problem suffer from maladjustment.