Teenage Parents Essays - Stress, Coping, Hans Selye,

Teenage Parents This study aims to determine the stresses and coping strategies encountered by Teenage Parents. Life is a series of choices. Deciding whether to marry, whether to have children, whether to have two careers in one marriage, and whether to view a situation positively are among the more important choices you will ever make in your lifetime. And besides of all this choices, problems may appear and turn to stress that people encounter in daily living. Stress is the "wear and tear" our bodies experience as we adjust to our continually changing environment; it has physical and emotional effects on us and can create positive or negative feelings. As a positive influence, stress can help compel us to action; it can result in a new awareness and an exciting new perspective. As a negative influence, it can result in feelings of distrust, rejection, anger and depression, which in turn can lead to health problems such as headaches, upset stomach, rashes, insomnia, ulcers, high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. With the death of loved one, the birth of the child, a job promotion, or a new relationship, we experience stress as we readjust our lives. In so adjusting to different circumstances, stress will help or hinder us depending on how we react to it. Moreover, stress is, of course, an inevitable part of every one's life. Some stress is essential, and some is actually energizing. As a leading researcher said, "complete freedom from stress is death" ( Selye, 1980). On the other hand, early marriage can lead to a couple a number of potential problem. Couple should be aware all the possible difficulties which could lie ahead. There's a lot of problems that may arise in early marriage. Like for instance, the problem of adequate financial support is obvious. Although money does not buy happiness, it is true a tight financial situation can create tensions, which can undermine an otherwise happy relationship. While some financial problems are to be expected in almost any new marriage, it is important to take time to think sensibly, so that such problems will not destroy what could otherwise be a beautiful relationship, if not undertaken prematurely. Money, according to Coleman (1984), ranks as the single most common cause of conflict in marriage. These are conflicts over who earns the money, who spends much on what and who manages the money in terms of paying bills, borrowing and investing. Pietropinto and Siminauer found out that not only is money a major source of conflict in marriage but also that debts are the greatest crisis in marriage (Coleman, 1984). According to Leslie (1980), financial adjustments problems vary over the life cycle. Young married couples generally must start almost from scratch and purchase virtually everything required to run a household. On one income, this is difficult, but on two income, it is easier. This is not to suggest that you will wait about marriage until every possible financial problem has been completely solved, but rather simply suggests that you do not close your eyes to the real situation whatever it may be. Although some newly married couples find it necessary to temporarily make their home with their parents, this is generally not a wise choice unless absolutely necessary and then only for as short a period of time as possible. A second problem which must be faced by those who enter into an early marriage is the problem of personal maturity. While immature and irresponsible actions may sometimes seem funny before marriage, they can become serious pitfalls within the marriage bond. This is one reason why a courtship of at least several months should precede any marriage, since even the most irresponsible and self-centered person put on a good front for a few weeks or months. One of the surest signs of immaturity and irresponsibility in both young men and young women is a lack of willingness to do a reasonable share of work in a consistent, dependable way prior to marriage. When such an indifferent attitude is demonstrated before marriage, you can be sure that it is only likely to become worse after marriage. . A third potential problem to be considered is the problem of growing apart. This simply means that while two young people in their middle teenage years have much in common, that in many cases, our ideals and goals change as we pass the teenage years, to such extent that we may easily find ourselves married for life to a person with whom we will ultimately have very little in common. Perhaps