Everybody faces different problems on a daily basis. Because nobody is exempted from life’s challenges, it’s important to show support for your loved ones at all times. Developing a healthy support system is crucial for an individual to obtain positive benefits, including high levels of well-being, good coping skills, and a long and healthy life.
Also, social support can help reduce anxiety and depression. Sharing stories and experiences with a group is a great way to express thoughts and emotions, seek comfort, and be helped psychologically.
In this post, you’ll learn more about the importance of having a good support system when dealing with problems, which applies to all ages.
Children: Separation Anxiety Management
When it comes to separation anxiety, toddlers or children aged one to three years old are the ones who are often affected. However, separation anxiety can be observed even with infants and school-age children. This is why parents should provide their kids with utmost support so they would grow up to be confident and resilient.
Proper family, social, and school support systems will help children face separation anxiety bravely. They should be given the right explanation or education of what they can expect or things they can do to reduce the fear of new places and strangers, and even new medical procedures, such as receiving shots, dental procedures, and other laboratory and scan studies pediatric patients need to undergo.
Adolescents: Sense Of Belonging Or Not Being Alone
When faced with life problems, it’s important to have a strong support system so as not to feel alone during such difficult times. A sense of belonging or feeling of not being alone is important whenever a person is going through an ordeal.
That’s why in treatment facilities, joining peer support groups is highly encouraged as it is extremely helpful, especially for teenagers who are bothered by family problems or issues concerning school, gender identity, sexual orientation, and gender confusion, among many others.
Check out these important points when providing support to teenagers:
- Remember that adolescents are conscious about their physical appearance, so cancer patients may show extreme sadness, especially when their hair starts to fall. The proper approach is necessary to avoid worsening their condition and to keep them from developing depression.
- Teenagers want freedom as much as possible, so provide options and healthy choices to support them not just physically but also emotionally. Ask what they want and respect their decision.
Working Adults: Support Reduces Stress And Prevents Depression
Working young adults to middle-aged adults are the most stressed age group because of the hectic schedule and work pressure they have to deal with every single day. That’s why support groups are important, particularly if a person is into substance abuse, such as alcoholism or drug abuse.
Here are the benefits of joining support groups for working adults:
- Alcoholics Anonymous and other support groups help avoid negative coping strategies, like substance abuse. Treatment rehabilitation services are available aside from psychological counseling.
- Counseling helps working adults develop healthy ways of coping with stress, such as anger management. Support groups for anger management are available to help people handle sources of anger and create positive responses than negative ones.
Elderly People: Mobility Support And Social Connection
Elderly patients need family support, as well as professional healthcare support. Because seniors are usually immobile or need mobility assistance, families of grandparents or elderly patients should invest in mobility solutions at home, and must always be ready to provide assistance or seek professional home care services to look after them whenever they are in school or at work.
Seniors need support, not just physically, but also socially and emotionally. Elderly people need someone to talk to and share their stories with, and be entertained with different activities. Senior support groups are available to help elderly patients enjoy the remaining years of their lives, allowing them to have conversations with fellow seniors with the assistance of healthcare and social workers.
Here are some recommendations with regard to providing a good support system for seniors:
- Have them engage in an exercise program or physical activity that coincide with their own pace, and which will keep them active. This will also help improve their mood and their overall physical functioning.
- Provide varying daytime activities, such as doing karaoke or a ballroom dancing session in the afternoon.
- Encourage the elderly to share their good memories to help express their thoughts and feelings.
- Keep elderly patients abreast of the current date and time to avoid cognitive deterioration.
- Provide good nutrition and make sure that they get adequate rest and sleep.
Conclusion
While children may suffer from separation anxiety and fears of new events, things, or strangers, teenagers may have identity issues. Working adults face a lot of stress, most especially at work, and seniors have declining social activities, leading to sadness and depression.
That’s why support is essential for all ages. Everybody experiences problems in life, and having a strong support system can reduce the impact of various tough situations on the physical and psychological well-being of a person.
