frump is taking a familiar adolescent path through self-destruction

[lindysalsagal]

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/surviving-your-childs-adolescence/201308/when-adolescents-become-their-own-worst-enemy

When Adolescents Become Their Own Worst Enemy: Watch out for self-defeating and self-destructive behaviors in adolescence

Although most parents would wish otherwise, this humorous and harsh observation often rings true in adolescence on those contrary occasions when the young person acts against his or her better interests by engaging in self-defeating or even self-destructive behavior.

Self-defeating behavior prevents constructive action. Self-destructive behavior inflicts self-harm. During adolescence, parents must stay on the watch for each. Consider some common examples of both “enemy behaviors” during four stages of adolescent growth.

Early Adolescent (9 - 13). A self-defeating behavior that can occur at this age is an academic achievement drop when failing effort results in falling grades as attention to friends becomes a priority and resisting adult authority feels proud to do. A self-destructive behavior that can occur at this age is self-mutilation like scratching or cutting on oneself to create physical hurt to manage psychological suffering or to communicate a very painful emotional state.

Mid Adolescence (13-15). A self-defeating behavior that can occur at this age, when building a family of friends becomes all important, is acting socially standoffish and discouraging longed-for association with peers by shying away from contact with others. A self-destructive behavior that can occur at this age is when a teenager, by seeking to manage feelings of inadequacy based on a self-image that she hates, engages in an anorexic battle of self-control to achieve perfection to quell the pain.

Late Adolescence (15-18). A self-defeating behavior that can occur at this age is the teenager wishing for a date or a job, but refusing to ask or apply out from fear of putting himself forward and being turned down. A self-destructive behavior that can occur at this age is engaging in harmful physical or sexual risk taking for the thrill of it, denying danger for excitement’s sake.

Trial Independence (18-23). A self-defeating behavior that can occur at this age is a habit of procrastinating on college assignments, creating last minute stress to get them done, or waiting until it’s too late, in either case making performance more difficult and academic standing harder to maintain. A self-destructive behavior that can occur at this age, when recreational chemical (alcohol and other drugs) are easily available and social use can be extreme, is substance abuse (self-harm when under the influence) and addiction (compulsive dependency on a substance to survive.)

All the way through adolescence, young people have endless opportunity to act their own worst enemy, choosing to behave in self-defeating and self-destructive ways, creating a lot of unhappiness and trouble for themselves as they do.