Hindustan Times (Amritsar)

It’s normal to be curious about adolescent sexual health issues

- The author is a senior psychiatri­st and in charge, Institute of Life Skills and Mental Health Promotion, Moolchand Med City, New Delhi. Send him an email at hteducatio­n@hindustant­imes.com, marked Dr Nagpal JITENDRA NAGPAL

I am 14 years old and am very confused and unaware of sexual issues. My friends seem to know quite a lot and I get to hear different things about it from them. What they share further confuses me as I feel that even they do not have proper informatio­n. I feel shy asking my parents or teachers but cannot help as I am very curious. What should I do? The beautiful transition from childhood to adulthood is what you are going through. Being aware of your responsibi­lity is a key challenge of this fascinatin­g period of life. Besides physical and psychologi­cal transforma­tion, it is a period when teenagers get mixed signals from the society often resulting in confusion, frustratio­n and risk taking behavi ours. Awareness regarding adolescent reproducti­ve and sexual health does help in preparing young people to have responsibl­e attitudes and awareness several aspects of sexuality like sexual abuse and personal hygiene.

Curiosity about these issues at this age is quite normal. Do not feel guilty or awkward about it. These impulses are natural and should be explored with an open mind. If you cannot talk to your parents, then talka reliable adult or yours chool counsellor. Counsell orsa reopen and non-judgementa­l and are trained to educate people about these issues. You can then share the correct facts with your peers and spread awareness. I am a 17 year old and usually have stood among the first five students of my batch. For the last few months due to my father’s illness I am not able to fulfil my own expectatio­ns and feel like a failure. I feel extremely helpless, anxious and sad. I feel I am losing my memory and feel insecure about coping with studies.Is this a mental disorder? Please help me. It is good that you have volunteere­d to share your problem and seek help. Your words show the emotional turmoil that you are feeling. Discuss your feelings with a trustworth­y family member and try to find alternativ­e ways of managing care for your father by distributi­on of responsibi­lity with at least one or two people. Your feelings of failure and helplessne­ss can be empathised with. Here it’s not failing that hurts but there ali sat ion that you are unable to do all that you could be doing. Your brilliance seems under challenge in the face of personal and familial responsibi­lity. Here even when you do your best, there doesn’t seem a tangible result of success for some time. Constant positive feedback to yourself with positive statements shall help. For instance saying I am doing best of everything I can or I will continue to do my best in or circumstan­ces. Being am on gt positive people is of great help from family and the peer group.

You can certainly moderate the stress level by maintainin­g a regular study routine with practical study skills, seeking help from teachers or good friends. Study in small and slowly increasing intervals. Closing your eyes, deep breathing, relaxing your body (with the exercise ), spending time with nature, whether it’s in reality or in imaginatio­n. Make sure that you engage in some activities everyday that give you joy such as listening to music, talking to friends, going for a walk, healthy food habits with high proteins and fluid scan offer good support. Seek a counsellor’s help if you need. I am a college student. I feel sleepy and drained out after just two hours of study. I fail to get sound sleep and often wake up without any disturbanc­e or noise. Is it because of stress and anxiety or any kind of sleep disorder? This is really affecting my concentrat­ion and mood. What should I do? Many times, we are not aware of the amount of stress we take, however it is our bodies that end up paying the price. Mental stress is a key reason for many sleep disorders. The most prevalent sleep disorder is insomnia.

It is important that you recognise the stressors in your life. What seems in your case is that you are caught up in a vicious cycle. First, you worry over studies leads you to lose your sleep and then you are unable to study because you did not get enough sleep. Break out of the cycle and get some rest.

Your concentrat­ion will improve automatica­lly once your sleep wake cycle gets better. Go for a relaxing outing or try to influence a strenuous workout in order to physically wear out your body so you can achieve deeper sleep. Remember, sleep is a great rejuvenato­r and a stabilisin­g factor for healthy living and happiness, and of course exams.

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