Contemporary Psychological Crisis Intervention Guide

Author: Li Xiaojie, Wang Fang / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: Self-awareness disorders in adolescence refer to the difficulty in achieving a mature sense of self-awareness, which is an individual's consciousness of themselves. Self-awareness is manifested as the dialectical unity of self-concept, self-evaluation, and self-ideal. Self-awareness disorders occur when an individual cannot form a correct self-concept and appropriate self-attitude, leading to an inability to establish self-identity and achieve a stable, balanced psychological state. Adolescence (late adolescence) is known as the "second birth" period, a stage of rapid development and establishment of self-awareness. Another major developmental task during adolescence is learning how to recognize and understand oneself, and the completion of this task directly determines whether a healthy personality can be established. University students are in the midst of adolescence, and their self-awareness gradually strengthens. However, over a long period, they often fail to form a stable self-image, and their self-awareness remains unstable. They tend to view things subjectively and one-sidedly, making them prone to self-awareness disorders.
Case Review (Eleven)
Case 1: Student Zhou, a Japanese tourism major. After entering university, Zhou's academic performance was average, but he was cheerful and got along well with his classmates. He believed that university was a new beginning in his life, so he strived to be perfect in every aspect of his behavior and life, aiming to make a good impression. However, the more he tried, the more dissatisfied he became with himself. Once, while answering a question in class, although the teacher praised his answer, Zhou noticed several girls secretly watching him and seemingly discussing something. He immediately felt extremely uncomfortable. A few days later, he felt as if everyone was talking about him, and every move others made triggered his imagination. The confidence he had upon entering university vanished completely. During the midterm exam, Zhou failed his comprehensive Japanese course. After receiving the notice for a make-up exam, he couldn't sleep for several nights, which led to depression, anxiety, and other emotional issues.
Case 2: Guangjin always sat in the front row in his elective classes and took the same course for three semesters, saying he benefited greatly from it. He also participated in class discussions but often had different perspectives than his peers. The teacher initially thought he was just fond of the subject. However, one day, Guangjin told the teacher, "Teacher, I'd like to ask for a consultation. I need your help to find a reason to continue living." The department he attended enrolled hundreds of students each year, and Guangjin was admitted with nearly the highest scores. The problem was that he always compared himself to his older brother, who studied at Tsinghua University. Guangjin felt he could never measure up to his brother in any way.
Expert Analysis: Zhou's situation is more sudden, while Guangjin's is more persistent. Both students exhibit sensitive, impulsive, and depressive tendencies, along with shortcomings such as a lack of effort, an improper attitude toward learning, a disregard for their major, and vanity. Both suffer from self-awareness disorders, which manifest as overly low self-evaluation. Zhou lost confidence in life and learning after a minor incident—his classmates discussing him for answering a question—put psychological pressure on him, leading to anxiety and depression. Guangjin, on the other hand, felt inferior to his brother in every way, resulting in a negative self-assessment.
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