DEAR DR. GOTT: I’m 17 and having difficulties meeting the expectations of my parents and teachers. The pressure is really strong and is a burden on the already heavy load I’m carrying. Can you help?

DEAR READER: Most students consider themselves knowledgeable, if not expert, regarding the subject of student pressure. The many theories of this phenomenon do little to solve the problem of what this is and what can be done about it. While the medical director of a local private school for 33 years, I saw the multifaceted consequences of this ubiquitous blight. Neither the problems nor the consequences have changed much over the years and, in fact, they may have exacerbated. All we need do is read the daily newspaper or watch television to see the horror stories unfurl when students and faculty are pressed too hard. There seems to exist two basic classes of student pressure — external and internal.
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