Teenage is often perceived as carefree and untroubled stage of life. The society, including parents, family, and friends, think that teenage is that stage of life where one can enjoy the most and live without any stress. However, the reality is certainly different. Many teenagers have to deal with a lot of struggle on a regular basis and therefore, are getting affected by a variety of mental health challenges such as depression and anxiety.
As per a survey conducted by UNICEF, approximately 14 percent of 15 to 24-year-olds in India, or 1 in 7, reported often feeling depressed or having little interest in doing things. Even when the condition is so worse in India, only 41 percent of these young individuals agreed that it is good to seek support for mental health problems, compared to an average of 83 percent for 21 countries.
Recognizing the criticality of the condition, it is important to ensure that mental health issues among teenagers are diagnosed at an early stage so that the right treatment plan can be devised. Some of the common symptoms that signify the presence of mental health issues among teenagers include:
- Feeling restless and hopeless
- Lack of concentration
- High level of stress
- Inability to sleep
- Poor academic performance
- Persistent sadness
- Lack of appetite
Common Mental Health Issues Among Teens
Teenage is that stage of life when a person is extremely moody. He/she undergoes a lot of emotional and physical changes, which, in turn, makes identifying mental health issues difficult for his/her parents and loved ones. But it is important to understand that diagnosing these issues is crucial to ensure that they are treated, and the affected teenager can start leading a healthy life. Mentioned below is a list of common mental illnesses that affect teenagers across the globe:
- Depression : Depression or Major Depressive Disorder or Clinical Depression is one of the most common mental disorder affecting teens across the globe. An individual is said to be dealing with it if he/she persistently has low mood for at least two weeks. Some of the common symptoms of this condition include low self-esteem, lack of interest in activities once enjoyed, inability to sleep, lack of energy and concentration, to name a few.
- Anxiety : Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is one of the most common forms of anxiety disorder affecting teens. Generally lasting for a long period of time, this involves stress over usual activities and makes one experience excess emotional stress. Teens with anxiety can be identified if they exhibit symptoms such as worry or stress over daily activities, low self-esteem, withdrawal from social activities, etc.
- Eating Disorder : Anorexia, Bulimia, and Binge-eating disorder are some of the common eating disorders that are diagnosed among teens. Anorexia is an eating disorder that is characterized by an individual’s fear of gaining excessive body weight and obsession with what they eat. Bulimia makes an individual binge eat without any control over the amount of food and then trying to lose the extra calories gained in an unhealthy way. Binge-eating is characterized by excessive eating in one sitting with an inability to control the quantity.Eating disorders tend to make teenagers moody, anxious, and depressed. There is also a high risk of getting addicted to some form of substance and indulging in self-harming behavior.
- Substance Use Disorder : Substance use disorder is becoming increasingly common among teenagers as they try to use illicit substance as a form of medication to self-treat depression, anxiety, trauma, and low self-esteem. Some of the common symptoms of this condition among teenagers include slurred speech, drowsiness, memory problems, mood swings, inability to think clearly, to name a few.
Apart from these, borderline personality disorder, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), dissociative identity disorder (DID), suicide and self-harm, and psychosis are some of the other disorders that are increasingly affecting teens.
Seeking Help is the Key
Many a times, parents take months and months to accept that their teen’s behavior has changed or that he/she might be dealing with any mental health challenge. But it is important for parents to keep a close check on their teen’s behavior and ensure that he/she does not seem stressed or is indicating any other signs of mental illnesses.
Athena Behavioral Health is one of the reliable, safest, and secure treatment centers for mental health and addiction. Offering its patients’, a custom-made treatment plan, the experts at Athena ensure their patients’ fastest recovery so that he/she may begin leading a healthy life. Their treatment plan is customized as per the individual case and requirements. So, if you or someone you know is dealing with any mental health issue or needs advice from a mental health expert, Athena Behavioral Health is the place to. You may contact us at 92890-86193 or drop us an email at email@example.com if you would like to know more about our treatment plans. Detox Centers in India