You probably need to seek professional help when your problems or emotional outburst is uncontrollable and prolonged for a period of time
affecting your daily functioning.
(1) Eating disorder;
(2) Substance abuse/addiction tendencies;
(3) Anxiety and depression; and
(4) Suicidal ideation
Fear, anxiety and depression are everyday occurrences. It is when it becomes persistent, excessive and disabling then it is term as a disorder. Depression and anxiety often go together. In Singapore, about 1 in 10 people develop an anxiety disorder. A similar risk is found for depression.
Teenage Suicide and Attempted Suicide
Unlike suicide in adults, which are usually planned, adolescent suicides are often impulsive acts. This means you might not know when they would do it! The most common reason is the combination of a severely stressful event occuring in a teenager who is emotionally very unstable. Some common problems include conflicts or arguments with parents or family members, boy-girl relationship, school problems, peer pressure (e.g. being bullied), interpesonal relationship problems, etc.
The Internet have its many advantages. It allow the young people the safe haven of cyberspace to share their deepest thoughts and feelings, give their strongest opinions, be more daring and open to reach out to other people than they would in real life. In fact, they can be whoever they choose, act however they want.
However, the Internet can be the source of risks and dangers too. Young people can obtain quick access to pornography and having cybersex.
Cybersex: a sexual conversation describing sexual actions by two parties online who imagine that they are performing these acts on each other, often ending in masturbation. Cybersex may seems to be a 'safe sex' as it is online, the danger lies in its progression from virtual to real. There are cases whose cybersex act were captured online through webcam and later being used to 'blackmail' the victim into perfoming the sex in real life.
Many teenagers admitted that they have visited websites with sado-masochism, bestiality and other explicit sex themes. They may also be learning risky sexual behaviours from pornographic websites. The fear is more exposure to pornography can lead to an increase of males' acceptance of interpersonal violence and rape myths. Research has shown that even non-violent but aorusing pornographic materials can have negative effects on male's attitude towards females. It is clear that pornography has the negative effects on sexually aggressive men.
Internet addiction or cybergame addiction of teenagers has become increasingly alarming.
Teenagers like to be in their virtual role as it gives them a sense of belonging, social recognition and 'power' to do things that they usually can't perform in real life situation. It fulfill their needs to be independent, have the freedom and be self-actualised though online gaming.
Many parents fear that their teenagers who spent too much time on the NET may neglect their schoolwork and other responsibilities, and hence also reduced interaction with family and friends. They are in constant 'fight' with their teenagers on how much time and when they should go online. On the other hand, parents may also worry about Cybersex addicts who may lure their teenagers to engage in sexual fantasies, etc.
