“It’s not an issue, just shake it off and get a good night’s sleep, you’ll be fine in the morning.”
Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean that it’s not there. Mental Health is just as important as physical health!
The change of phase from teens to youth and then adolescents is a very bumpy journey. While parents and mentors prepare you for the changes that happen to the body, they don’t give you even the slightest hint about the rollercoaster ride that your mind and emotions are going to take you for. People often think of it as something that will eventually return to ‘normal’ if you don’t give much attention to it.
Unfortunately, the struggle is real whether you are prepared for it or not.
Who Do the Youths Look to for Help?
There is no doubt that they keep such things hidden from their parents. But why is that you ask? Well, the reason being that ‘you’re not expected to have such issues and it’s just a phase. There is no need to make a big deal about it.
Many parents don’t understand what you’re going through despite going through similar situations back when they were teens.
Eventually, teens and youths turn to their friends. Because they ‘understand’. Even though the advice of friends can be wrong at times, it is a huge relief to just speak to someone and let it all out.
Common Mental Illnesses in Teens
- Generalized anxiety – Excessive worry about everyday matters
Ex. Feeling restless, fatigued, struggling with concentration, irritated, struggling with sleep, not able to control worry.
- Social phobias – Severe feelings of self-consciousness and insecurity in social settings
Ex. Anxious and struggling to be around people, worry about being judged, struggling to make friends, feeling nauseated around people.
- Depression – Persistent feelings of sadness, anxiety and emptiness
Ex. Sad, anxious and empty, feeling hopeless, irritability, guilty, worthless, restless, having thoughts of suicide and death, fatigue or lack of energy.
How to look after yourself?
It is important to look after your mental health because it’s a vital part of your life and it greatly impacts your thoughts, behaviours and emotions. Emotional health leads to productivity and effectiveness in activities. It will also help you adapt to changes and cope with adversity.
Steps that can be taken are:
- exercising daily,
- eating a balanced diet of healthy meals,
- opening up to people in your circle,
- taking a break when you need it,
- getting a good night’s sleep, and most importantly
- remembering that you are valued and amazing and strong.
**Tip — Getting up early in the morning and as soon as you wake up, proclaim it out loud that you are strong, confident, amazing, successful and so on….(add words of your choice that you want to be, or see happening in your life)
This can help the way you think and feel about yourself and in boosting your confidence and self-esteem.
Key Facts
- People affected are one in 6 people aged 10-19 years.
- Half of the mental health conditions start by the age of 14 years.
- Depression is one of the leading causes.
- Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death in 15–19-year-olds.
- As a result of not addressing the mental health issues in adolescents, the problems eventually have an impact on both their physical and mental health and has drastic effects in the long run.
