The feeling of walking down a seemingly endless tunnel of shadows is overwhelming for a vast amount of people. The tunnel is as dark as the blackest part of night, and those individuals cannot see a shining light that represents a hopeful end to their troubles. Some experience an inability to recover from hardship or stress in their lives, while others may have a lack of self-confidence or sense of purpose. These are the people who have the hardest time seeing that light at the end of the tunnel and might do just about anything to find a way out. Nearly every individual going through a hormonal change can understand the raging war that is taking place between the characters and their inner demons in Ellen Hopkins’s novel, Impulse.
An inner demon can be defined as any internal burden that creates a conflict in one’s life. That being said, there are many demons that frequently visit the minds of the three main characters of Impulse: Conner, Tony, and Vanessa. Each are encountering teenage-related difficulties, and all of them would enjoy finding a way out of the figurative tunnel described earlier. In the article titled “Teen Depression More Common Than Many Think,” the author explains, “problems for some youngsters start before their teen years, when they experience extreme anxiety over social situations… but once puberty kicks in, the anxiety often segues into depression” (Roth), showing that it is even more difficult for a child to escape from their hardships once they reach their teenage years. Ellen Hopkins expresses what the teens in her novel are going through and what kind of thoughts they may be having by stating:
Wish you could turn off the questions, turn off the voices, turn off all sound. Yearn to close out ...
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Roth, Mark. "Teen Depression More Common Than Many Think." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 18 Dec. 2013: A.1. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 21 Apr. 2014. .
Styer, Denise M. "An Understanding of Self-Injury and Suicide." Prevention Researcher Integrated Research Services, Inc., Vol. 13, Supplement. Dec. 2006: 10-12. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 16 Apr. 2014. .
Lewinsohn, P.M., Hops, H., Roberts, R.E., Seeley, J.R. & Andrews, J.A. (1993). Adolescent psychopathology: I. Prevalence and incident of depression and other dsm-iii-r disorders in high school students. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 102(1), 133-144.
‘’Salvation’’ emphasized my own need for acceptance while at the same time making me fear the rejection of being different. Where ‘’Salvation’’ showed me my weakness, ‘’Mothers’’ showed me growth. My father leaving played a bigger part in my life than I had remembered, and ‘’Mothers’’ simply showed me the door towards that again. Besides being torn with my relationship with my father Quindlen made me grateful for the best friend that I have found in my mother. Hughes brought up all the ‘’skeletons in my closet’’ that I never told my mother. [Instead of feeling ashamed about haven hidden secrets and relationships from her, I felt ashamed for every time I lied to save myself from her wrath.] Both authors took me to moments in my life that had lasting impressions on me. ‘’Mothers’’ made me relive the birth of my baby sister, and ‘’Salvation’’ made me reenact countless disagreements that I’ve experienced with my parents. Although I would like to secrete these memories, it was healthy for me to remember the lessons I learned from them.
In one’s lifetime, he or she may face an internal struggle. Perhaps the struggle lies in a difficult choice between right and wrong. Perhaps it lies in a decision between want and need. Maybe one must contemplate how much his or her happiness is truly worth. Regardless, every person has internal conflict not easily solved. In The Awakening, Edna Pontellier struggles with two conflicting forces, expectations of her and her own desires, illuminating the meaning of the novella: defying societal expectations in order to seek individuality and independence is always just.
"Prevalence of mood disorders in a national sample of young American adults." Soc Psychiatry. Psychiatr Epidemiol 38(11): 618-624. Lee, C. V., S. W. McDermott, et al. a. The '90s.
In the past decade, suicide rates have been on the incline; especially among men. According to the New York Times (2013), “From 1999 to 2010, the suicide rate among Americans ages 35 to 64 rose by nearly 30 percent… The suicid...
Teenage Depression. Everywhere you look these two words appear together as one, in newspapers and magazines, as well as in scholarly reports. Teenage depression is one of today's "hot topics" this among other teenage mental health problems, has been brought to the forefront of public consciousness in recent years after several incidents involving school shootings (CQ 595). The environment that teens grow up in today is less supportive and more demanding than it was twenty years ago. Not only are the numbers of depressed teens rising, but children are also being diagnosed at younger and younger ages. Studies have found that, "There is an estimated 1.5-3 million American children and adolescents who suffer from depression, a condition unrecognized in children until about 20 years ago" (CQR 595). This increase in depression is due to social factors that teenagers have to deal with everyday. A recent study found that, "About five percent of teenagers have major depression at any one time. Depression can be very impairing, not only for the affected teen, but also for his or her family-and too often, if not addressed, depression can lead to substance abuse or more tragic events" (NAMI.org). Gender roles and other societal factors including the pressures on girls to look and act a certain way, the pressures on boys to suppress their emotions and put on a tough front and the pressures on both sexes to do well in school and succeed, all contribute to depression in teens today. Depression is a growing problem which crosses gender lines and one that needs to be dealt with with more than just medication.
Nonsuicidal self-injury, or NSSI, and suicide are differentiated by intention, frequency, and lethality of behavior. Some researchers have shown that these two types of self-injurious behavior often co-occur. Research is still somewhat scarce regarding the link between the two behaviors. It has been suggested that NSSI is a risk factor for suicidal behavior.
She continues in this sequel to talk about the abuse she faced and the dysfunction that surrounded her life as a child and as a teen, and the ‘empty space’ in which she lived in as a result. She talks about the multiple personalities she was exhibiting, the rebellious “Willie” and the kind “Carol”; as well as hearing noises and her sensory problems. In this book, the author puts more emphasis on the “consciousness” and “awareness” and how important that was for her therapeutic process. She could not just be on “auto-pilot” and act normal; the road to recovery was filled with self-awareness and the need to process all the pieces of the puzzle—often with the guidance and assistance of her therapist. She had a need to analyze the abstract concept of emotions as well as feelings and thoughts. Connecting with others who go through what she did was also integral to her
Wilkinson P, Kelvin R, Roberts C, Dubika B, Goodyer I (2011) “Clinical & Psychosocial Predictors of Suicide Attempts and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury in the Adolescents Depression, Anti-Depressants & Psychotherapy Trial (ADAPT)” The American Journal of Psychiatry 168(5) page 495-501
Suicide Prevention. (2014, January 9).Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved March 5, 2014, from http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pu
Let us look into basic and generalized knowledge of self injury. Self injury (self harm or S.I.) is the act of harming yourself as a way of coping with emotional pain, frustration, and anger. Some view it as a suicide attempt or a precursor to a suicide attempt, but it is not a suicide attempt at all. Rather, it is a serious cry for help. When an individual turns to self injury, they look for an emotional release which gives them momentary calmness. “While self-injury may bring a momentary sense of calm and a release of tension, it's usually followed by guilt and shame and the return of painful emotions” (Self Injury 1). Self injury can also result in serious or even fatal injuries (1).
Olson, Jeremy. "Teen Suicide Is Not on the Rise." Mental Illness. Ed. Roman Espejo. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2012. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "No Surge in Teen Suicides, but Many Myths." StarTribune.com. 2010. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 7 Nov. 2013.
Lindsey, Billie. 2009. The 'Standard' of the 'Standard'. " THE PREVALENCE AND CORRELATES OF DEPRESSION AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS." College Student Journal 43 (4): 999-1014. Oswalt, Robert. 1995.
New Haven: Yale University Press, 2004. Print. The. Suicide and Suicidal Behaviors. Suicide : Medline Plus.
“Suicide and Depression”. All About Depression: Overview. All About Self Help, LLC. 5 June 2010. Web. 30 July 2010.