Common Mental Health Problems in Teens
 

Whether you’re a teen yourself, have teen family members, or you’re the parent of a teen, it’s important to know the most common mental health problems that teens may face, in order to gain a better understanding and see the right recovery.

Here are some of the most common mental health issues teens may face:

General Anxiety

There are many things teens may be worrying about in their lives during such an important time for development and personal choices. When suffering from general anxiety, teens may be thinking about every situation and constantly worrying, which can affect their mental health considerably. While a small amount of anxiety and worry over everyday situations is only natural, when anxiety overwhelms you and affects your everyday life it becomes a bigger problem.

Signs of general anxiety include:

• Difficulty concentrating
• Constant worrying
• Trouble sleeping
• Physical symptoms, such as dizziness, trembling or heart palpitations

Depression

Depression is a highly prevalent mental health condition in many people, and teens can easily be susceptible to struggles with low mood. Depression can include severe low mood, a feeling of hopelessness, and failure to find pleasure in anything. Depression can affect your everyday life in an enormous way, or may only make itself known occasionally. It’s important to remember that every person may experience depression differently.

Signs of depression include:

• Feeling inherently sad
• Having no motivation for anything
• Lacking interest or pleasure with things you used to enjoy, such as hobbies or socializing
• Changes in mood, such as feeling low, angry, irritable or restless

Teens can always find a center for depression treatment that will help them get back on track.

Social Anxiety

Social anxiety is an overwhelming fear of social situations. It can vary from mild to severe. Social anxiety may mean you dread (or avoid) social events, worry about speaking to other people, or battle with issues of self-esteem and therefore feel uncomfortable talking about yourself with others.

Signs of social anxiety include:

• Fear and dread regarding social encounters
• Physical symptoms, such as shaking, sweating, blushing and avoiding eye-contact
• Constantly worrying about being judged by others
• Purposefully avoiding social interactions wherever possible

Eating Disorders

An eating disorder sees you having an unhealthy relationship with food, in a compulsive fashion. Eating disorders may mean that you’re eating too little or believe that you shouldn’t be eating (such as having a negative body image), or it could mean that you’re eating in excess and binge-eating unhealthy food.

Those struggling with eating disorders may find it extremely difficult to control their eating habits.

Signs of an eating disorder include:

• Obsessing over your weight in an unhealthy way, such as overexercising
• Making yourself sick after eating
• Avoiding social situations where you might have to eat in front of others
• Physical signs, such as unhealthy weight changes, or feeling dizzy or sick

In Summary

Teens are always at risk of suffering from any of these mental health problems, and what matters is that teens find the help and support they need, whether through speaking to a loved one or speaking to a professional. Mental health problems are never the fault of the teen.