Are you a young adult who finds yourself struggling with adulting? Wondering, why is being an adult so hard? You are not alone. Emerging adulthood can be a challenging time for many and for various reasons. This blog outlines and discusses 3 struggles that emerging adults often face. While the journey into adulting may seem lonely and very difficult, it is normal and oftentime even considered a rite-of-passage. You are not alone and help is available for you to navigate this time with more ease.

What is Emerging Adulthood?

The ages of 18-29 are considered the most formative, and most difficult, years; this is the age range of emerging adulthood. This time-frame often involves an increase of personal responsibilities. These responsibilities may include making important decisions, dealing with unexpected challenges, or managing your finances. All of this while lacking the clear guidance and structure that was present for you in childhood and while you were in school.

This increase of personal responsibility and potential lack of clear structure and guidance that you once had, can often lead to overwhelm and stress. You may be wondering, why is life so hard now? Why am I struggling as an adult? Let's dive into 3 areas of adulting that most people have difficulty with.

#1) Mental Health

Many times, the increase of personal responsibility coupled with the lack of structure and guidance can lead to feeling stressed and overwhelmed. Maybe as a kid, you struggled with feelings of sadness and/or anxiety. The stress associated with adulting can make depression and anxiety worse. Studies show that anxiety disorders are common in emerging adulthood. However, the right set of coping skills can help you manage your stress, anxiety, and/or depression during this time and help you feel more in control of your life.

It’s normal to feel overwhelmed, anxious, lonely and sad during this time. What is important is how you deal with these emotions. Having an effective set of coping strategies can be really beneficial during this time. Working with a therapist, you can learn the coping skills that best suit your needs and help you feel better and more in control.

#2) Substance Use/Misuse

Emerging adults may misuse or overuse substances to cope with stress. While this may not be the healthiest way to deal with stress, it's often the most accessible for emerging adults. One of the problems with substance use is that it only masks the pain that you are feeling. And the more and more that you depend on these substances to feel better, the deeper and deeper you fall into negatively managing your stress.

Substances may feel good in the short term, you get instant relief from the stress/pain that you are feeling, but that stress and pain is still right there waiting for you afterward. It’s important to get to the root issue of your stress and pain in order to effectively overcome it.

#3) Identity Formation

Emerging adulthood is also a time to learn more about ourselves and to find our identity and where we belong. However, it can often be a bumpy road. We find ourselves comparing ourselves to others; social media can make emerging adults feel like thir not measuring up to their peers.

While it's normal to question who you are and how you fit in, it can also be stressful. It can be an overwhelming journey to find out who you are, and struggle with questions about your values, beliefs, life goals.

Help is available

If this sounds like what you are experiencing, you are not alone and Counseling Corner can help. By working with a therapist, you will learn healthy and effective coping skills to deal with increased stress, anxiety, and depression. You can learn to manage your substance use so that you are not relying on them to feel better. You will process your journey with a professional and learn more about identity formation by discussing your values and life goals and staying accountable and on-track. Therapy can help you navigate the newness of adulting.

Conclusion

If you, or someone you know, is an emerging adult who is struggling to assimilate to adulting, we can help. If you are a parent who is worried about your young-adult child navigating the world, we are just a phone call away. Call us today for a free 15 minute telephone consultation and start feeling better.

3 Struggles of Emerging Adulthood

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