CHAPTER 20

Adolescence and Adulthood

BY: SEBASTIAN
PEREZ
CHANGES IN YOUR BODY
As you change from child to adult, the
changes you experience in your body is
called adolescence.
During adolescence, the reproductive
system matures, adult features appear, and
height and muscle mass increases.
reproductive system
Puberty usually begins at the start of
adolescence and ends midway through
adolescence.
Puberty is the sexual development of the
body. Girls begin to menstruate and boys
begin to release sperm. This is reproductive
maturity, being able to produce children.
appearance
The sex hormones also cause the
development of secondary sex
characteristics, the physical changes that
develop during adolescence, but do not
involve the reproductive system.
Some adolescents may be embarrassed or
confused about their body changes. They
have to try to have a trusted adult they can
talk to about this.
(appearance)
In both girls and boys; voice deepens, body
hair appears, skin releases extra oils,
perspiration increases and muscle strength
increases.
In only girls; breasts develop, hips widen,
and body fat increases.
In only boys; shoulders broaden and hair
appears on the face and the chest.
height and muscle mass
Around the same time that puberty starts,
the pituitary gland increases its production of
growth hormones that activates growth in
spurts.
Girls tend to be taller at the beginning of
adolescence, but boys grow more overall.
growing pains
Adjusting to your changes can be difficult.
The lengthening of bones and muscle can
cause cramps.
You can adjust to this by exercising.
energy demands
As you are going through adolescence, you
may and probably will experience a normal
increase in appetite
It is still important to eat healthy.
early and late bloomers
The range of starting points for puberty is
wide.
For boys onset of sperm production: 11-15
yrs. of age.
For girls onset of menstruation: 10-16.5 yrs.
of age.
MENTAL CHANGES
Hormones control the physical changes of
adolescence, but the brain controls your
mental changes.
Now, scientists are figuring out how the
changes in your brain can affect teenage
development.
There are changes in impulses, reasoning
and abstract thinking.
abstract thinking
It is now easier to consider ideas that are not
concrete/visible.
This is caused by the brains growth in the
frontal cortex, the thinking region of the
brain.
reasoning skills
Changes to your brain also help your
reasoning abilities.
You are able to see more than one side of
an argument.
You also gain the ability to make wiser
choices.
impulse control
Impulses are the tendencies to act rapidly
based on emotional reactions.
The amygdala is the emotional center of
your brain, and is more active in adolescents
than in adults.
EMOTIONAL CHANGES
Adolescence can have many emotional
changes on teenagers.
During adolescence, teenagers start the
search for self, meaning and values.
search for meaning
As a teen, you might start wondering about
future goals, or true friends instead of
acquaintances.
Volunteer at a hospital or a pantry, or even
talk to your own parents or a trusted adult.
search for values
When you search for values, you search for
opinions about right and wrong.
This can be influenced by family, friends,
etc.
search for self
By searching for yourself, you may explore
ethnic traditions, expressing your identity,
new behaviors and/or activities, etc.
As you talk about who Am I, your self
esteem may not be as high as it was before,
and you can be influenced strongly by peers
and your family.
SETTING A GOAL
There are six guidelines to follow when
creating a goal.
Know yourself.
Make the goals clear and specific
Include deadlines
Break it up into long and short term goals.
Keep written goals visible.
Evaluate your progress.
RESPONSIBILITIES TO YOURSELF
During adolescence, you are treated more
like an adult than you were five years ago
and you are allowed more freedom. The
disadvantage is that you also have more
responsibilities.
making everyday decisions
Even though adults still remind you to do
things, you are ultimately in-control of what
you do.
resisting negative influences
Learn not to join others in what they are
doing if it is harmful.
You parents told you rules about drugs,
alcohol, fire, etc, when you were a kid. When
youre in adolescence, you ultimately make
your own decisions.
thinking about your future
During adolescence, there is plenty of time
to choose what you want to be when you
grow-up. You can always change your mind.
With more freedom, you can always try new
things and explore your options.
RESPONSIBILITIES TO OTHERS
With your privileges and responsibilities, it is
just as important to be responsible to others
as it is to be responsible to yourself.
your role family
In most families, the parents value the family
rules over a teenagers autonomy, or
independence.
The parents might want the kids to stick to
the older ways, while the kids are pulled in
the other direction by their peers.
responsibility to family
With more independence, comes more
responsibility.
You help out.
You give back.
You play by the rules.
responsibility to friends
During adolescence, you may realize that
your friends arent just people that you have
fun with, they are people that you trust and
support.
You should be willing to be the same type of
friend back.
responsibility to community
You are expected to follow the city laws and
playing a part in community service.
This shows you growing maturity as an
adolescent.
YOUNG ADULTHOOD
In America, you are an adult at age 18 for
some activities, and 21 for others.
In reality, it is difficult to say when adulthood
begins, but as you grow-up, you will begin
the gradual change from teenager to adult.
You will experience physical and mental
maturity.
physical maturity
People reach physical maturity when they
reach their early twenties.
By this time, all your body organs are fully
developed and you are as tall as you will
ever be. Your strength and speed will also
be at a peak during adulthood.
emotional maturity
Unlike physical maturity, emotional maturity
develops throughout your lifetime.
Three factors that contribute to this include
relationships with others, giving back to
society, and learning to accept who you are
as a person.
your career
In order to be a successful adult, you need
to be able to find a career in-which they feel
productive and satisfied.
During adolescence, you need to be able to
plan for all that awaits you in the future. You
need to set goals, know your limits,
research, learn new things, etc.
MARRIAGE
90% of Americans marry at some point in
their lives, you will probably as-well.
If you choose to marry, it will affect not only
you and your spouse, but it will also affect
the next generation, your friends, and your
family.
why people marry
Some people might marry because of
someones companionship and love, while
others might do it for financial or traditional
reasons.
You need to know yourself to have a
successful marriage.
successful marriages
Most people feel that love makes the most
successful marriages.
Most young people see love as physical
attraction, or crushes. Love is really is part of
a long-lasting relationship.
To make a successful marriage you need:
love, friendship, commitment, compatibility,
communication, mutual respect, physical
attraction, and the ability to compromise.
stresses in marriage
Throughout marriage, a couple must be
willing to work with each others needs.
Marriages can also become stressing if
something unplanned comes along:
Unplanned pregnancy, losing a job, etc.
parenthood
Young adulthood can also be a time for
parenting.
You have to be able to provide the love,
guidance, child care, food, clothing, etc.
This can be a very stressing time for the
parents.
teens and marriage
When teens marry, they will most likely drop
out of school, live in condos (or at their
parents house).
Friendships will change and they will be
going through a lot of stress.
(teens and marriage)
15 years after marrying, a couple that got
married before the wife was at 18 years old
is nearly twice as likely to get divorced.
HEALTHY AGING
After about age 30, you start to experience
the aging process.
You can't prevent this from happening, but
you can slow the effects of aging with better
lifestyle habits earlier-on.
physical changes
As adults start to age, they start to get gray
hair, facial wrinkles, and vision plus hearing
is less sharp.
diseases of older adults
Someone born in 1900 had life-expectancy
of 47 years. Today the average for girls is 80
years.
Even though grand parents can now even
see their great-grandchildren, they are more
likely to get one of the many diseases of the
aging process.
arthritis
Arthritis is the inflammation of the bodys
joints.
Pain medication is often necessary as-well-
as exercise that is easy on the joints such as
exercising in water.
parkinsons disease
Parkinsons disease is the stiffness of the
muscles.
Medication can slow down the progression
of this disease.
osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is the loss of bone calcium.
This makes it easier for bones to break and
it takes longer for them to heal.
Medications can slow down calcium loss and
railings on stairs and in bathtubs can limit
bone fractures.
dementia
Dementia is characterized by loss of mental
disabilities.
Dementia has several causes which can be
treated.
alzheimers disease
Alzheimers disease causes brain cell to die.
This causes loss in mental and physical
function.
(diseases of older adults)
Other more common diseases include heart
and lung disease, and cancer.
emotional and social changes
As adults get older, they reach a mid-life-
crisis. They go under their own self-
evaluation and begin to stay connected with
others.
DYING WITH DIGNITY
Dying is a part of the life cycle and nothing
can change that fact.
Understanding the process and figuring-out
some coping mechanisms can help.
care for the dying
Five decades ago, people died in their
houses surrounded by their friends and
family. Now, with technological advances,
people live longer, and are more likely to die
in a nursing home, or a hospital.
A hospice provides physical, emotional and
spiritual care for the dying people and their
families.
stages of dying
A terminal illness is one with no chance of
recovery.
The stages of dying is found to occur with
patients and the family members.
The five stages of dying are: denial, anger,
bargaining, depression, and acceptance.
COPING SKILLS
Some bad coping skills include refusing to
identify the problem and keeping away from
the dying person.
Some good coping skills include seeking
help, talking with the person, etc.
help others through their grief
Help them as you would want them help you.
Be a good listener.
Write a sympathy note.
Help with everyday errand.
In necessary, help your friend get
counseling.
In all try to be as supportive as possibe.
THE END