Does The Environment of Friendship Affect The Mental Health Of Teenagers?

What is Mental Health?

Our emotional, psychological and social well-being is part of our mental health. It influences our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Additionally, it influences how we respond to stress, interact with others, and make good decisions. 

Every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence to adulthood, is important for mental health.The environment has a great influence on mental health.

The mind is sensitive and can be affected by something that happens in our daily life and that always forces us to adapt. It's not always a negative thing, but there are positive things that can make us mentally stronger.

Healthy friendships, Healthy friendships are friendships that can lead us in a positive direction and can change our mindset to a broader mindset.

Example:

1. Respect the boundaries of friendship

2. Support each other

3. Do not compete in material things

In an unhealthy friendship, it can be said that if only one side benefits, in this friendship, we feel competitive, uncomfortable, and under pressure. And we live this friendship, not enjoying

Example:

1. Always give negative criticism

2. Makes you tired and depressed

3. Just wants to be heard alone

The friendship environment is an environment where there is intense and fairly regular interaction with people of the same age and status, where the interaction has a positive or negative effect or influence. Because of the many influences of friendship, we must pay more attention to whether this is a positive friendship that provides mutual support or a negative friendship that likes to compete in everything and likes to compare.

If this is dominant in a positive direction, the impact on us is also good because we become more confident in the decisions we make, and so on. The impact on others is also good; we can respect others more and give constructive criticism. But if in fact, this leads to friendships that have a negative impact, the impact on ourselves is that we always feel dissatisfied with what we have, depressed and insecure because we can't compete with other friends. 

The impact on other people is the same, so we always show off our abilities to others, look down on them, and cannot respect others.

What is Insecure?

Insecure is a state in which someone feels inadequate, not confident, or worried about something.

If insecurity is not addressed immediately, it can lead to mental health problems such as depression, personality disorders, anxiety disorders, paranoia, and mental health problems. Prolonged insecurity can cause physical and mental health problems. In addition, your relationship with the surrounding people may also be disturbed. 

This will affect your daily life and work. Someone who is depressed generally shows certain psychological and physical characteristics. The psychological characteristics of depressed people are excessive anxiety and worry, unstable emotions, and feelings of hopelessness or frustration.

Meanwhile, the physical characteristics of someone who is depressed are always feeling tired and powerless, dizziness and pain for no apparent reason, and decreased appetite. This depression can also arise due to mental pressure; for example, due to financial problems, friendship competition, wrong mindset, etc.

After we understand together, it turns out that the impact of unhealthy friendships is enormous, therefore, start creating an environment of friendship that is mutually supportive, has a good influence, and can build us up.