Teenagers are in that limbo period, changing from child to adulthood. During this time, teenagers are neither child nor adult and feeling in-between presents unique sets of pressures, such as taking responsibility, achieving, and making decisions. When teenagers find this hard, they may experience teenage anxiety.
Teenage, like child and adult anxiety, is normal when not excessive. When the emotions and thoughts become excessive, when teenagers feel they cannot cope and feel worthless, this can lead to long term persistent negativity. The mental health of teenagers is then at risk to developing mental illness or disease. Particularly teenagers who suffer long term anxiety without treatment may run the risk of developing an anxiety disorder or a mental illness/disease.
Early identification of anxiety
By being sensitive to the needs of a teenager and within reason observing their behavioural patterns and responses, particularly in social settings, may help to identify teenage anxiety before it becomes a problem.
Steps to prevent teenage anxiety becoming a mental illness
Family and guardians can help teenagers relax and help them understand and manage any anxiety that they do feel. Steps that can be taken to prevent excessive anxiety developing include:
l Get medical advice for anxiety symptoms
l Have a medical evaluation for health problems
l Limit alcohol consumption as excessive drinking can cause depression
l Avoid use of recreational drugs that can upset the brain’s chemical balance
l Monitor medications that may cause chemically induced anxiety and depression
l Relax through use of breathing techniques
l Do regular physical exercise to bring natural calmness and regulate stress
l Eat healthy foods
l Avoid fighting feelings of anxiety, accept them as natural
l Focusing on anxiety can cause panic, think positive thoughts
l Engage in simple, fun, interesting and safe activities
l Notice how anxiety or depressive symptoms fade over time
l Enjoy humour and laughter
l Get to know which actions cause and reduce your symptoms
l Find positive ways to deal with grief and anger
l Accept support from family and loved ones
Mental Illness
Mental illness is mental or psychological and emotional distress that is not considered a part of normal development. Some may experience this distress in their spirit. Motivation becomes reduced and feelings numb with a sense of worthlessness or hopelessness. For different people and age groups, mental illness can take on different forms. As the teenage years are so erratic, negative attitudes and behavioural patterns, such as destruction to property or aggressive outbursts, may be indicators that the teens mental health is suffering.
Conditions affecting mental health, such as depression, are considered separate from neurological conditions and learning disabilities. However, people including teens with disabilities such as these may also have mental illness. As a result of adolescence being a developmental phase, it is important to identify mental health needs early for treatment and prevention.
