Identity Crisis in Adolescents

"Identity Crisis" is a word coined by Erik Erikson in his "Theory of Personality". The word identity stands for "ego identity".In simple words, the adoloscents have to search a rational answer to questions like Who am I? and What I am going to be? in context of a variety of alternative and confusing choices before them. The word crisis does not connote catastrophe or a threat, but it means a turning pointin the life of an individuals.
Who are adoloscents?
Adoloscents are neither children nor adults. They are in transitional phase when size and shape of the body changes fast. They feel grown up, but parents and seniors refuse to accept it. All of a sudden adoloscents get a feeling that the parents are asking probing questions. Parents restrict them to mix them with children of opposite sex. Their movements and activities are questioned. Their talks, mannerisms are criticized, their parents praise their obedience and docility, the peers ridicule them for being shyand conservative for the same pattern of behaviour. The teachers and others may be having still different opinions. Thus they get confused over their own behaviour.
Physical Changes and Emotional ajustment of adoloscents
Sexual developments starts appearing at different ages at a different pace. The peers who experience variety of body changes, feelings and emotionsmay share them with each other with their own thoughts to increase the confusion. Adoloscents thus have a confused identity of their own body and causes changes in emotions and behaviour. The hormonal change during adoloscents lead to hightened emotions. Adoloscents become more emotional and sensitive. Casual comments by parents or others may make them cry or go into fits of anger without understanding why it happens. Childhood dependencies are abandoned but financially they have to depend on their parents.
Television, Radios, Magazines, Newspaper and internet display in front of an adoloscent an information explosion. Rapid social, political and technological changes, display of values and culture of other countries increase confusion as to an adoloscent's own place and status in the worldas an individual. Traditional values which they learnt as children may be in total contrast to what is displayed before them by peers and the media. These differences result in total confusion over value system and ideological clashes with parents, teachers and elders around them.
Adoloscents in Society
This is the age when the adoloscents have to make a choice of their career. Their scholastic performance may not be proper to pursue a career of their choice. They do not have a proper assessment of their own qualities or liabilities and assets in their personality. They are not sure about job oppurtunities. all these things together lead to a state of utter confusion among them. Each adoloscent has to find own identity, own place in relation to work, culture, citizenship. Adoloscents have to learn to deal with people around them with relatives and friends. They have to learn to fulfil their own moral and spiritual commitments. Each adoloscent gradually has to learn the intimacies of love, and how to love being loved in preparation of adult roles of a husband and wife. An adoloscent has to decide his or her responsibilities and duties to people around. They have to decide priorities in life.
Adoloscents towards Adulthood
Progression through all these growth tasks is necessary for healthier adulthood and personal maturity. This progress does not occur in straight line, ther are peaks, valleys and plateaus. Progress in one area influences the progress in other areas.Obviously, the adoloscent's successs or failure, as well as ease or tension in handling his or problems will be determined to a large degree by the sociopsychological forces to which he or she is subjected during this time, and these may be significantly related to his or her own maturation. Thus physical status during adoloscence-mediated through the sociopsychological environment may exert profound and lasting influences on personality. For this reason, many aspects of the adult's behaviour and personality seem consistent with his or her adoloscent adjustments, attitudes and motivations.
To know about a problem adoloscent please look at Problem Adoloscent.
Please look at How to deal with Adoloscents and A problem or disturbed adoloscents.

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Fever - Is it Dengue Fever?

Dengue fever is just like all viral fevers, but sadly it can quickly turn into a deadly disease as the complications occurs very fast.
It is caused by a virus and mode of transmission is a mosquito Aedes aegypti which mainly breed in fresh water stored in uncovered container. It inhabitats dwelling and bite during the day.
Though it can occur in all seasons but incidence increases in hot rainy season(August to October)
Types of Dengue fever
There are three types of Dengue fever
a) Classical Dengue
b) Dengue haemorrhagic fever
c) Dengue shock syndrome
Classical dengue presents with fever, headache, backache with severe myalgia so it is also called BREAK BONE FEVER. Fever last for a week and some maculo papular rash can occur begining from the trunk. Epistaxis can also be a feature.
Dengue hemorrhagic fever is the start of complication and as the name suggests there is internal bleeding leading to fall in blood pressure and shock, platelet count is reduced and ultimately lead to shock causing Dengue shock syndrome.
How to diagnose Dengue Fever
Any fever leading to pain in bones and muscles with abdominal pain, Dengue should be suspected, and if there is any rash or bleeding, an urgent attention is required.Generally it is diagnosed serologically by detecting Dengue IgM for acute infection which usually appears on 4th day of fever and chronic infection by Dengue IgG. Platelet count is must and reduced platelet count is very much suggestive of Dengue hemorrhagic fever.
Treatment of Dengue Fever
As in other viral fever treatment here too is supprtive which includes rest, plenty of fluid and close observation. If during observation any sort of bleeding is noticed from gums, nose or under skin or black stool or if the skin is cold and clammy, immediate platelet count should be done and patient should be admitted.Blood transfusion and Fresh frozen plasma or sometimes Platelet transfusion is required. Ionotripic agents may be given in shock status.
Prevention of Dengue fever
This is the most important part and is mainly done by prevention of mosquito bites. We generally use mosquito coils or net during night but Aedes as I mentioned above bite during day time. So babies or old aged person who usually rest at night may be cautious of mosquito bites and should take adequate measure for that.
Usually we think that only dirty place and dirty water is the inhabitat of mosquitoes but it is of Anopheles mosquitoes which is vector for malaria. Mosquitoes spreading Dengeu as I mentioned breed in fresh uncovered water in containers, so we must keep the collected water always covered.
I think my article may be helpful for readers and may take precautions and prevent such a deadly disease.

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