Adulthood
Challenges of Adulthood
The bridge to adulthood is extremely challenging, exigent and complex (Booth, 2012; Arnett & Arnett, 2009). Although many young people often pine for the day they become adults, they are usually faced with numerous challenges as they enter into their teens and early adulthood. As a young adult, I also considered myself as ready to transit into adulthood and start a new and independent life. However, I found the transition quite challenging and confusing. It was full of difficulties and obscurities. At one point, I thought of running away from home and committing suicide.
One of the toughest challenges I faced when I was entering into my teenage and early adulthood was the inability to manage stress properly. Colten and Gore (2011) also affirm that one of the major problems faced by teenagers and young adults is stress management. For my part, the transition from childhood to teenage and early adulthood was not easy. It involved numerous challenges and problems such as pressure from family members, development of personal identity, conforming to peer pressure, challenges of college education, inadequate knowledge on how to be a responsible adult, job search and many others that led to stress and constant worry. For example, my parents used to pressure me; they wanted me to spend more time on studying. Thus, I had little time for relaxing, playing football, watching movies and spending time with friends. This led to increased stress and worry. I also felt very depressed when my parents advised me to avoid and break relationships with some of my friends, who became addicted to drugs and other substances.
In my view, it is quite important for teenagers and young adults to find a more realistic and rational view of their own lives. They may also seek help and guidance from their parents or guardians, friends and relatives as well as professionals such as psychologists and therapists. It will help them manage stress and other challenges that may arise during the period of entering into teenage and early adulthood.
