MENTAL HEALTH IN TEENAGERS

 Anxiety in teens is pretty common in today’s world. Youth these days is more connected to the external world through the internet which upsurges more than a few complications as well.

First of all, let us recognize Whys and wherefores of anxiety in teenagers

·         Lack of communication in the family- when teens are not comfortable sharing their life with family members, it leads to overwhelming of emotions inside them.

·         Societal pressure- when teens are pressurized to be accepted by the society by following the terms and conditions laid by it.

·         Judgement- when they are constantly judged by family and relatives, they are unable to be their own unique self.

·         Peer pressure- the necessity to fit into the peer group.

·         Lack of friends- if they are not able to make friends easily, if the mindset and wavelength does not match without difficulty

·         Trust issues- they are unable to trust family, siblings and friends due to broken trust in the past.

·         Restrictions- if excessive restrictions are laid on them by family which they do not find appropriate.

·         Comparison- when they are constantly compared with other people

·         Ignorance- when their emotions, feelings, problems and needs are ignored by those they look up to.

·         Bully- when they are bullied by other children in school and other places and they don’t have confidence to deal with them.

·         Break up in relationships- a break up in relationship and friendship may also have a negative impact on their mental health.

·         Pretending a fake life- the effort to pretend a happening life to show off on various social media platforms also takes a toll on their mental health

·         The burden of family reputation- when teens carry the burden, they are unable to explore the world and find what they love the most. Higher expectations lead to lesser satisfaction.

·         Telling it happens with all- if the teen is facing an issue and, the response they receive is that it’s nothing different and everyone has troubles in life.

·         Boys don’t cry- extra burden on boys to not to cry or show their emotions

·         Telling flaws and pushing you down. - if they are constantly reminded of their flaws and not accepted or motivated to change.

The warning signs of poor mental health.

·         An individual who is having anxiety dilemmas will demonstrate extreme behavior.

·         Either the person turns out to be too outgoing and attempts to stay associated with a lot of friends, just to hide their true emotional state.

·         Such a soul will always have a smile and won’t be able to stay alone. FOMO may be seen in them.

·         They will have over-interaction with people to look for comfort and acceptance

·         On the other extreme, and in maximum cases, the sufferer will have no interaction and will begin to avoid people.

·         Mood swings, fatigue, eating disorder, affected sleep cycles are most common.

·         Excess time spent on-screen and with gadgets

·         They will constantly question their actions, decisions, and lose confidence in themselves.

·         They will always be confused and have negative thoughts

·         They may be found crying for no reason. They will be unable to express their frame of mind.

·         Mental pain gradually becomes physical pain.

·         Suicidal thoughts.

Solutions:

·         Chief requirement is to have somebody you can talk to.

·         Vent out your feelings- write a diary, journal, poetry

·         Playing sports is considered tremendously helpful in releasing your strain.

·         Don’t keep anything to yourself and continue thinking about it.

·         Develop a hobby to spend extra time with your contemporaries.

·         Be true to yourself. Accept the flaws in your life and if possible, work on those without any pressure to yourself.

·         A regular Exercise is needed for body and mind to be polished. Your daily routine must include work out, meditation, and other habits of keeping fit.

·         Develop self-trust. Take small decisions, act on it, accept the consequences

·         Don’t overlook any indications. Admit them and start the precautionary actions quickly.

·         Do not hesitate to go to a therapist or seek medical advice.

·         Take small steps and keep moving forward.

·         Keep in mind that no one is perfect. Don’t pretend to be so. Love yourself the way you are.

 

Always remember, mental illness is same as physical illness. It is nothing to be shy of, ashamed of or to feel guilty about. Just like our body has certain requirements to be healthy, our mental health also needs care in its own way which is often neglected due to lack of knowledge and ignorance on discussion about the topic. Mental illness is not madness or being crazy. It is as simple as a fever or a wound on our body which can be easily treated and made better with timely procedures. Don’t ignore your mental health due to orthodox reasons.