First, yes I am very aware of how important confidentiality is to making people feel safe in therapy. I do not think that this blog violates that. One person actually knows about this blog and I have gotten more compliments than complaints. The examples are camouflaged enough that no one could be discovered unless the chose to tell people that they felt something similar; and that wouldn't necessarily be bad.
But what I am worried about today is the number of kids between the ages of 16 and 23, who are clearly going nowhere and doing nothing. These are rich kids and poor kids, there is often a lot of drugs involved, and they seem to feel that they can't keep up with the world, and then they act like they don't care.
About 20% of the kids seem very stressed and pressured to get good grades, get into college and charge to the head of the pack. At least as many seem to sit around, play video games, smoke dope (or worse) and hope that somehow things turn out for them.
Twenty years ago it probably would. But in today's shrinking economy, that has few unskilled or semi-skilled jobs, these kids start out way behind. As they grow older, and amass credit card debt, they become angrier, farther behind, and increasingly screwed.
See I didn't mention any names, but if you know who you are, try and do something to get organized. It's really can be fun to know you can take care of yourself. Don't get sucked in to chasing millions of dollars, just learn how to pay your bills and have a good time.
5 comments:
Paying for one's bills and enjoyment while keeping debt at a minimum requires a certain amount of sacrifice for most of us.
If I like to have a couple of paid vacations a year, it can mean saying no to pretty $50 blouses, and making do with the 12-year-old-car for yet a while longer. Calculate twice as much "sacrifice" if you are also making long-term investments. (Like raising kids or building home-equity.)
I complain about it every now and then, but at least I'm able to sleep at night as opposed to the sad majority, who, unable to limit their sense of entitlement, ended up financing it with credit-cards and second mortgages.
Now it's all coming home to roost. Lets hope we won't all have to suffer too much because of them.
All I can say is Amen, Therapist!
Being in the health care profession I am sure you have had HIPPA crammed down your throat as much as the rest of us and feel confident that you are not breaking confidences. I see the point of your blog as a thought starter, a "what if that were me, what would I do" spring board.
As too our younger generation, I have some therories on how we have failed many of them, but what do I know, and since we can't change the past does the why really matter.
My suggestion is for each of us to be on the look out for a youngster that needs mentoring, and then do so by example not lecturing. In other words, I agree with Amanda, if we adults are living in the entitlement fantasy, how can we expect not to pass it onto our children?
How is my 18 y/o planning to pay for years 3 and 4 at a university? Three jobs at a time while attending community college for two years, since as a family we have determined that credit/debt is no longer an option. What keeps her motivated? Knowing that ten or so years from now, when all of her classmates are deep in debt she will be paying cash for a house and car instead of worrying about how she is going to pay back all those loans.
I understand. I apologized. And I'm doing the best I can, and trying harder toward and would treasure basic self-sufficiency. And did say in the question in my blog that similarities of circumstances in you accounts could be helpful to readers.
My only concern was it was not more clarified upfront that the privacy of specific clients was protected the ways that it is.
It's not easy reading this. I am 28 and one of the indebted. It's horrible here. If only I knew then what I know now. Without the suffering, of course.
Post a Comment