Intense emotions

It is especially difficult to get accurate information about the coronavirus pandemic. I don’t know how it is in other parts of the world, but here in the United States, almost everything about the pandemic, from the condition of the President to the dangers to children has been politicized. Whether or not you wear a face mask when venturing out is being interpreted by some as a sign of your political affiliation. Instead of a clearcut national policy, we have a hodge lodge of state and local rules and regulations. In this atmosphere, I hesitate to write too much about the virus because I don’t want to participate in spreading misinformation. On the other hand, it is at the center of our national conversation and it is hard to write about anything without addressing the subject of the virus.

The information about the effects of the pandemic on children and teens is constantly changing, but according to the New York Times recent studies show that younger children are about half as likely as older teenagers and adults to become infected. It remains unclear what role those who do not contact the illness play in the transmission of the virus, but it does appear that we are fortunate in a lower transmission rate among children. However, teenagers aren’t so lucky. Teens, especially older teens appear to have infection rates that are as high as those among adults. Many teens have fewer preexisting conditions that older adults and may experience less severe symptoms, but they are definitely not immune.

After a career that has always involved ministry with teens, I have been especially concerned about the impacts of the virus on youth. In addition to the physical risks of the illness, teens face a really complex set of emotional challenges. Today, as I continue to participate in the forty days of prayer for children, I offer my prayers for the emotional well being of teenagers.

Teenagers experience feelings more intensely than adults. This is true of both positive and negative feelings. That means that teens experience more pleasures and delights than adults, but it also means that they psychological effects and trauma of negative feelings is more severe for teens. Teens are at a higher risk for wide emotional swings. The symptoms of severe mental illness may begin to emerge in the lives of some teens who have not exhibited any of those symptoms earlier in their lives. Initial onset of mental illness can be much more intense than later stages of the illness. It is important that adults who work with teens take their feelings and psychological symptoms seriously and understand the increased risks to their well being. It is equally important that teens be understood as intelligent people who play an important role in their own support and the support of their peers.

Teens experience worries, stresses, sadness and frustration as more intense experiences than adults. Navigating the complexities of normal emotional ups and downs is made more difficult because our culture is fearful of unpleasant emotions. Teens receive all kinds of messages to not be so emotional, to get control of themselves and the like. This results in many teens believing that emotional distress is a sign of fragile emotional health. It is difficult for teens and for the adults who care about them to distinguish normal mood swings from signs of a more serious illness that requires advanced care.

Teens are not, however, more fragile than adults. Emotional intensity is part of the normal process of growth and maturation. Teens and adults who care for them do not ned to be afraid of emotions. They do, however, need to be aware of those emotions and honest about their impact.

The disruption of school days and the move to more remote learning provides unique challenges for teens. As they grow into adulthood, adolescents begin to rely more on peers and less on parents for feedback and support. The precautions taken to limit the spread of the pandemic have left many teens feeling an increased sense of isolation. This can be offset in part by an increase in their feelings of self-sufficiency and independence. Growth in independence often gains a lot of attention and focus for teens. It feels good to be able to accomplish tasks and take responsibilities that have previously fallen to the adults in their lives.

Boredom can be a special challenge for teens. Their lives are normally filled with a lot of activities and action. They seem to those of us who observe them to have only two modes: intense action and sleep. The balance between these modes is difficult to achieve and teens often fail to get adequate sleep to keep themselves at peak performance. This means that when the action is less intense they often nod off. The boredom and frustration of sitting through online classes and having their educations delivered in less interactive means can add to the normal stresses of adolescence. Teachers know that teens learn best when they are actively participating in their education, but delivering that sense of full participation and action over computers through video chats is a special challenge and one with which we have little collective experience. Increased dependence on technology will result in more learning about how to appropriately use that technology, but educators have had to make a huge shift in teaching technique in less than a year and there is much that remains to be learned.

Today, great God, we hold up before you the teens and adolescents of our community and our world. May they discover strength to navigate the intensity of their emotions. May they discover peers and adults with whom they can honestly discuss their feelings and safely find the support they need. Help us to be aware of and sensitive to the needs of the teens in our community as we all face unsettled and unsettling times. Help the teens of this world to discover appropriate ways of supporting their emotional and mental health in the face of the crisis. Enable them to make good choices in times of increased risk.

We pray for all of your children today and every day. In your Holy Name, Amen.

Copyright (c) 2020 by Ted E. Huffman. I wrote this. If you would like to share it, please direct your friends to my web site. If you'd like permission to copy, please send me an email. Thanks!

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