Do you feel like no one understands what you're going through? Do you feel isolated? Do you feel different from your friends? Are you struggling to handle all your responsibilities? Is your life overwhelming? 

 

Understanding Young Adulthood

 

Adolescences and Young adulthood is a time of growth, exploration, self-discovery, independence, and change- socially, physically, mentally, and emotionally. It is also a time of social connection, seeking meaning, and finding purpose in life. Simultaneously, young adulthood can be quite challenging as there are many pressures, responsibilities, and new found freedoms and choices. This time is naturally rife with change and transition. 

 

Add in a significant loss, anxiety or trauma during this time of life and the effects can be profound. 

 

Grief, Anxiety, and Trauma in Young Adults 

 

Proper support is essential for a struggling youth. Without proper support, self esteem, confidence and self worth be challenged. Additionally, the habits, behaviors, and ways of coping that can develop as a result of hardships can impact one’s communication, relationships, goals, and overall well-being.

 

Depending on family dynamics, it may or may not feel safe or comfortable for a youth to express his/her emotions to his/her family. Sometimes help is best sought outside of the family. It is essential that youth have safe places and people with whom they can share their thoughts, their feelings, and be honest about what’s going on in their lives, as suppressing emotions can be detrimental to all areas of life. 

 

Grief 

​

A death loss is a tumultuous and disruptive event.  Approximately 1 in 5 youth will experience a death loss by the time they are 18 years old. When a significant loss is experienced and help is not sought, the level of distress and grief can intensify, resulting in maladaptive ways of being. 

 

Adolescent/young adult grief is unlike adult grief. This is due to the fact that the developmental periods of youth are unique, and thus their expression of grief is different. Grief can feel very isolating to an adolescent/young adult as they can feel out of place, as though others cannot relate. Their desire for independence can cause conflict about speaking up and seeking help. Youth want to fit in and be like their peers. They do not want to be viewed as ‘different’ so they tend to hide their feelings. 

 

Processing and going through one’s grief is the only way out.

 

Anxiety 

​

Everyone experiences anxiety. It is a natural emotion. With all the roles and responsibilities youth have it is normal to have fears, worries, and apprehensions. Anxiety can help youth move to action to study for an exam, problem solve, and complete a task. But anxiety can become problematic when it becomes excessive. 

 

Anxiety in young adults can arise due to genetics and/or environmental reasons. Stressful events that often contribute to anxiety include:

​

• a death loss

• a divorce

• a move

• rejection

• trauma 

• use of substances 

 

For some, anxiety develops gradually, for others it comes on suddenly. If left untreated anxiety in youth can lead to significant impairment in day to day life. 

 

Anxiety can be treated and managed through a variety of therapeutic approaches and relief can be had.

​

Trauma

​

Trauma is any experience that causes a person to be unable to cope emotionally with what has happened. Trauma may happen directly to a young adult or trauma may be the result of something witnessed. It can be acute or chronic, and either can have devastating impacts on a youth’s health and development. 

​

When trauma happens, one goes from feeling safe in the world to unsafe in the world. Trauma changes the story of one’s world by replacing safety with the sense of fear, anxiety, and that something bad could happen next.

 

Identifying trauma in young adulthood can be hard for a number of reasons. In some cases a youth may feel guilt, shame, or insecurity as a result of trauma. For others, there may be a distrust of others and an unwillingness to share their personal experience. Some common symptoms of trauma in adolescents include: 

 

• isolation

• difficulty concentrating

• insomnia

• substance abuse

• intense crying 

 

Untreated trauma in young adulthood can result in memory issues, cognitive abilities, and motor and impulse control, as the brain continues to develop into the mid 20’s. 

 

Reestablishing a sense of safety is an individual process but paramount for those impacted by trauma. Trauma treatment is essential and thankfully trauma and PTSD can be treated in a number of successful ways. There is no need to suffer any longer.

 

Does This Sound Familiar?

​

Perhaps you, or someone you know, can relate to these thoughts and feelings:

 

I am all alone 

My pain is never going to go away 

I can’t talk to my friends or family

No one understands me

I’m angry, hurt, sad, confused

I don’t to feel this way

Why am I so different

 

Counseling Can Help Tremendously 

​

Through counseling you will know that:

 

You are not alone 

Your pain can go away

People care about you

It is okay to cry 

It is okay (and good) to feel your emotions no matter what they are

Your feelings will change, you won’t always feel this way

​

While overcoming emotional challenges is possible at any age and stage, young adulthood is a prime times to establish healthy ways to take care of oneself and cope with life’s challenges.

 

WholeSight provides a compassionate, non-judgmental and safe environment where individuals can explore and process their hardships, and transform their emotions in healthy, productive, and lasting ways.