Teen Space

Who am I?

Young man standing in a field and looking up at the trails in the sky
© Benjamin Davies / Unsplash

An Eternal Crisis

Haven’t you heard a lot of people say that adolescence is a time when you’re lost and are seeking to “find yourself”? Throughout life, everybody is in an incessant identity hunt. You think that you’re searching for friends, craving company and wanting recognition. The truth, in fact, is that you are desiring to understand your mind, accept your shortfalls and establish a sense of belonging to the most important person in your life — you. You are a product of your capabilities, relationships, values, ideations and memories. Without a “sense of self” that stems from these ingredients, you cannot navigate the winding roads of existence or see meaning in any of your experiences. You sense a blank when you look at the mirror because you can’t see through yourself. Why is it such a struggle to decipher, decode and discern who you are? Why the eternal identity crisis?

You Get Disconnected

Let’s recall a time when you were upset because a group of friends did not invite you to a party or involve you in their weekend plan. This has happened with all of us at some point. Did you speak up or were you too embarrassed, distraught, and sad? Did you hide the issue and sense your self-esteem dip such that you felt left out, unloved and unwanted? Maybe you appeased yourself with YouTube or a videogame and just hoped that you would be invited the next time around. Maybe you binged on some snacks that day to lift your mood. You did not want to deal with the discomfort. The disconnection wasn’t as much from your friends, as it was from your own self. You allowed yourself to feel unworthy because you were not connected with yourself.

Cover of the February 2023 issue of The Teenager Today featuring Veronica Fusaro

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Dr Shefali Batra is a Psychiatrist and Mindfulness Coach. Connect with her on Instagram @drshefalibatra and read more about her work at drshefalibatra.com.

Dr Shefali Batra

Dr Shefali Batra is a Psychiatrist and Mindfulness Coach. Connect with her on Instagram @drshefalibatra and read more about her work at drshefalibatra.com.