Is it normal to be stressed at 17?
Teens and adults alike experience stress. Stress is typically caused by an external trigger like an angry sibling shouting “You can't have my game!” or a parent insisting a teen needs to stop talking on the phone and do their chores. Feelings of stress are naturally built-in mechanisms for human survival and thriving.
A new study finds the average American feels the most stressed at 36 years-old.
...
Percentage of U.S. adults that frequently experienced stress as of 2017, by age.
Characteristic | Percentage of respondents |
---|---|
18 to 29 years | 54% |
30 to 49 years | 56% |
50 to 64 years | 37% |
65 years and older | 24% |
Show more independence from parents. Have a deeper capacity for caring and sharing and for developing more intimate relationships. Spend less time with parents and more time with friends. Feel a lot of sadness or depression, which can lead to poor grades at school, alcohol or drug use, unsafe sex, and other problems.
Hormonal Changes
Significant hormonal shifts that occur during puberty can affect mood. 1 As teens mature, they commonly experience increased irritability, intense sadness, and frequent frustration from these chemical changes.
Older people in their mid- to late-50s are generally happier, and experience less stress and worry than young adults in their 20s, the researchers say.
STRESS, LIKE DEATH, COMES TO EVERYONE AND CAUSES A HOST OF ADVERSE PHYSICAL CHANGES, MANY OF WHICH CAN LEAD TO DEATH. RELAXATION TECHNIQUES AND ATTITUDE CHANGES TO RELIEVE STRESS ARE DESCRIBED.
People exposed to chronic stress age rapidly. The telomeres in their cells of all types shorten faster. Inflammation is another important feature of stress that, along with aging, accounts for the phenomenon of inflammaging.
Research also indicates that Gen Zers are currently the most stressed demographic of people. The American Psychological Association (APA) reports that: 90% of Gen Z experienced psychological or physical symptoms as a result of stress in the last year.
The stress level range is from 0 to 100, where 0 to 25 is a resting state, 26 to 50 is low stress, 51 to 75 is medium stress, and 76 to 100 is a high stress state.
How Much Does stress shorten your life?
Being under heavy stress shortens their life expectancy by 2.8 years. These results are based on a study in which researchers from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare calculated the effects of multiple risk factors, including lifestyle-related ones, to the life expectancy of men and women.
Most 17-year-olds are goal-oriented. They are beginning to imagine what type of life they want to create beyond high school. Be sure you are allowing them the space to figure out who they are and what they want to do. Many 17-year-olds form strong relationships.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child defines child as, "A human being below the age of 18 years unless under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier.” This is ratified by 192 of 194 member countries.
Things don't really get better than 17 — it's the absolute perfect age to be when you're in your teens. You're old enough to be trusted and have a sense of independence and individuality, but you're also not 18 or 19, when a lot is expected of you.
Beginning between ages 10 and 13, teenage hormones kick in, producing physical and emotional changes. The process is not complete until the early 20s. Higher levels of the teen hormone estrogen during puberty can increase the risk of depression for adolescent girls.
While the most common age of onset is in the late 20s and early 30s, depression can affect children, adolescents and even seniors. (Aging often comes with medical conditions and other stressors that are linked to depression.)
Most pre-teens and teenagers feel anxious sometimes. Anxiety is a natural reaction to the challenges of adolescence. Anxiety is the worry that something bad is going to happen or that you can't cope with a situation.
Older adults report higher levels of positive affect and lower levels of negative emotions than do young adults. Moreover, older adults have a higher feeling of well being than do younger adults.
Most mothers agree that the early stage between the ages of one to three can be the most complex. This is the stage at which toddlers begin to show their first signs of independence.
As it's directly associated with the six leading causes of death, stress can be called a silent killer. A 2021 study shows that physical and mental stressors can lead to sudden cardiac death (SCD).
Does stress make you sick?
Chronic stress — stress that occurs consistently over a long period of time — can have a negative impact on a person's immune system and physical health. If you are constantly under stress, you may experience physical symptoms such as chest pain, headaches, an upset stomach, trouble sleeping or high blood pressure.
Financial Problems
According to the American Psychological Association (APA), money is the top cause of stress in the United States. In a 2015 survey, the APA reported that 72% of Americans stressed about money at least some of the time during the previous month.
Alcohol: Drinking too much alcohol can dehydrate and damage your skin over time, leading to signs of premature aging. Poor sleep: Studies show that low quality (or not enough) sleep makes your cells age faster. Stress: When you're stressed, your brain pumps out cortisol, a stress hormone.
Stress causes changes to the proteins in your skin and reduces its elasticity. This loss of elasticity can contribute to wrinkle formation. Stress may also lead to repeated furrowing of your brow that may also contribute to the formation of wrinkles.
According to the American Psychological Association (APA), those people aged 18-33 years old suffer the highest levels of stress in the nation, In an assessment measuring stress, the millennial generation scored a 5.4 (on a scale of 1 to 10), compared to the national average of 4.9.
...
Average age that each generation started saving regularly | |
---|---|
Baby Boomers | 31 years old |
Generation X | 29 years old |
Millennials/Generation Y | 27 years old (4 years difference) |
In 2021, around 70 percent of Millennial respondents from the United States stated that they participated in fitness sports, making them the generation with the highest participation rate. The generation with the lowest participation in fitness sports was Gen Z.
According to the American Psychological Association (APA), people in the 18-33 age group suffer the highest levels of stress in the U.S.
Aches and pains. Chest pain or a feeling like your heart is racing. Exhaustion or trouble sleeping. Headaches, dizziness or shaking.
Blood tests can be used to estimate how much stress one is experiencing. A cortisol blood test is one of the most commonly used blood tests. Cortisol is a hormone that is released by the adrenal glands when one is under stress. Higher levels of cortisol would indicate higher levels of stress.
How can I be stress free?
- Get active. Virtually any form of physical activity can act as a stress reliever. ...
- Meditate. ...
- Laugh more. ...
- Connect with others. ...
- Assert yourself. ...
- Try yoga. ...
- Get enough sleep. ...
- Keep a journal.
Paul and Jesus explicitly command us not to be anxious, so to be anxious is a sin. Jesus says: “Do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on” (Matthew 6:25).
It doesn't last long-term. But for some people, the stress goes on for a long time. The body still reacts to it in the same way—as if bracing for potential danger—but that danger never comes. It keeps you in a constant state of vigilance, even when it doesn't have to do so.
Heart disease, heart attack, high blood pressure and stroke. Sleep problems. Weight gain. Memory and concentration impairment.
Chronic stress was associated with accelerated aging and increased insulin resistance. Emotional regulation and self-control were associated with healthier aging and longevity. This research provides opportunities to reduce the negative impacts of stress on aging.
While stress certainly isn't easy to manage at any age, it can become more difficult to cope as you get older for a number of reasons. First, your body can't physically handle stress the same way it did when you were younger.
Telomeres shorten each time your cells divide, and it is up to telomerase to correct this loss. Unfortunately, chronic stress decreases telomerase levels, which end up speeding the aging process.
Young and Midlife Adults
The average age of onset for major depressive disorder is between 35 and 40 years of age. Onset in early adulthood may be linked with more depressive episodes, a longer duration of illness, and therefore a more difficult clinical course.
Stress causes changes to the proteins in your skin and reduces its elasticity. This loss of elasticity can contribute to wrinkle formation. Stress may also lead to repeated furrowing of your brow that may also contribute to the formation of wrinkles.
- Get active. Virtually any form of physical activity can act as a stress reliever. ...
- Meditate. ...
- Laugh more. ...
- Connect with others. ...
- Assert yourself. ...
- Try yoga. ...
- Get enough sleep. ...
- Keep a journal.
What are early signs of stress?
- Crying spells or bursts of anger.
- Difficulty eating.
- Losing interest in daily activities.
- Increasing physical distress symptoms such as headaches or stomach pains.
- Fatigue.
- Feeling guilty, helpless, or hopeless.
- Avoiding family and friends.
Eat right, exercise, meditate, sleep more, and surround yourself with loved ones. Yes, you've heard this before, but now a study published in the October issue of The Lancet Oncology confirms that beyond helping you look and feel younger, these habits may add at least 10 years to your life in a matter of months.
Is it possible to reverse aging? You cannot wholly reverse aging—it's a normal part of life. However, you may be able to slow it down and help prevent age-related diseases by adopting a healthy lifestyle. That includes habits like eating a healthy diet, wearing sunscreen every day, and exercising (Shanbhag, 2019).
While there was no significant trend by age among adults experiencing severe symptoms of depression, adults aged 18–29 and those aged 65 and over were most likely to experience mild symptoms of depression.
The available data suggests that age three is the lowest threshold at which childhood depression appears, but that doesn't mean it can't be identified earlier or that there aren't risk signs earlier.