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or otherwise is unable to obtain love and affection and, especially if he i:
tormented and rejected, he is spurred to ill-considered defence activity as ir
panic; there is a similar reaction in adults. Alternatively he may seek seclusion
thereby avoiding anxiety by avoiding people; this habit may also continui
throughout life. In seclusion he can indulge in day-dreams and fantasies
substituting pleasant dreams for unpleasant realities. However, the menta
mechanism is merciful; the incidents which produce anxiety can be repressee
and ' forgotten.'
Constant anxiety in children, as indeed in persons of all ages, can produci
bodily stress symptoms. As the person continues to ' suffer in silence ' thi
nerves which control blushing, pallor, bowel movement, and which regulate th
amount of adrenalin—the defence hormone—are all constantly stimulated
producing bodily disorders such as headache, sickness, diarrhoea, gastric ulce
and asthma.
Adolescent Stage.
In early adolescence children display a rigid self-sufficiency and almos
insufferable priggishness and superiority; they think they know everything
They have to go through a phase of adjustment in order to achieve good socia
relationships; they are still rather thoughtless about the feelings of others
There is thus great need for them to be taught tolerance and how to join ii
life's activities cheerfully and not be too critical or aloof; to be willing to shar
community life. The finest incentive towards achieving this good conduct i
for them to see good examples of it at home, in school, and at work; they neei
also to be taught the right principles.
At this age there is development of the secondary sex characteristics and
feelings; they have to go through a phase of adjustment to achieve acceptance
of the opposite sex and to get over the awkwardness due to rapid growth. They
need information about sex feelings and functions much of which should have
been given already in answers to questions in earlier years. Girls need knowledge
about menstruation and the development of the figure. In the absenc
of proper knowledge boys and girls tend to be shy and awkward in mixed
groups; these feelings may be continued into adult life and may possibly result
in unhappiness in marriage.
In adolescence there is still the need for love and security. If these are
denied the continuous frustration felt by the rejection, especially rejection or
indifference by the parent, eventually leads to hatred of the person responsible.
As this cannot be expressed outwardly as such because it is socially wrong to
express hatred for a relative, the feelings are bottled up. The situation is
resolved by the unconscious substitution of the hated person by perilous
objects, ghosts, weird animals and frightening situations, such as falling fror
a height, or being kicked by a horse. The substitutions appear in nightmares
Adolescence, too, is the period for effecting emancipation from dependency
and for preparing for adult responsibility. If the upbringing has been bad the
child will be slow to accept aelult responsibility and will probably become an:
anxious, shy, retiring, isolated adult avoiding responsibility altogether. The
same thing may occur if opportunities for responsibility are withheld, as when
the parent anticipates every difficulty, shields the child too much and will not
let him grow up. The child learns to keep his anxiety under control by childish
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