This is all about mental health problems in teens, information and signs and symptoms.
Today, one in five teens has a diagnosable mental health disorder, such as depression or anxiety. And these teen mental disorders are on the rise. In fact, experts say that mental disorders in teenagers are at an all-time high.
In addition to depression and anxiety, teenage mental health issues include trauma, Borderline Personality Disorder, and schizophrenia. Furthermore, teenage behavior disorders,and eating disorders, are also classified as psychological disorders in teens.
Identifying teenage mental illness symptoms can be difficult. That’s because most teens are moody and emotional during this time of dramatic physical and mental changes. However, mental illness in teens involves behavioral and mood changes that are far more extreme than average
Below is a look at the various teenage mental disorders.
Major Depression in Teens
One of the most common mental disorders among young adults in the United States is depression. According to a new report, diagnoses of major depression have risen by 33 percent since 2013. And teenage mental health statistics show that this rate is rising even faster among millennials—up by 47 percent. Furthermore, the rates of major depression in adolescents have increased by 47 percent for boys and 65 percent for girls.
A major depressive episode is a period of at least two weeks of low mood that is present in most situations. Symptoms include low self-esteem, loss of interest in normally enjoyable activities, and problems with sleep, energy and concentration. Teens with major depression find it difficult or impossible to do normal daily activities, such as working, studying, sleeping, and eating. Furthermore, those who have had one episode of major depressive disorder are at high risk of having another.
Major depression is also known as major depressive disorder or clinical depression. It is one of the forms of depression that has the most severe symptoms. Consequently, it can arise in bouts and last for long periods of time. Therefore, it significantly affects quality of life for teens.
Teen Anxiety
It’s not always easy to tell when typical teen stress crosses over into anxiety in teenagers. However, teens with an anxiety disorder experience particularly high levels of anxiety. Moreover, these feelings get worse over time, rather than improving on their own.
Additionally, teens with anxiety disorders struggle with feelings of tension and fear that can interfere with daily activities at work and at school. Furthermore, like other teen mental disorders, teen anxiety affects adolescents’ relationships with peers and family members.
Generalized Anxiety
Disorder (GAD) is the most common teen anxiety disorder. This type of anxiety in teenagers involves excessive anxiety or worry over everyday events. Moreover, the anxiety lasts for a prolonged period of time. Teens with generalized anxiety experience intense emotional stress, as well as a range of anxiety-related symptoms. Moreover, teens with GAD experience excessive worrying and also low self-esteem.
Eating Disorders in Teens
Teen eating disorders include anorexia, bulimia, and binge-eating disorder. Anorexia nervosa has the highest death rate of any mental disorder, resulting from starvation, metabolic collapse, or suicide. Therefore, it is one of the most dangerous teen mental disorders.
Consequently, teen eating disorders produce extreme disturbances in teenage eating behaviors and therefore physical health. But they also affect teenage mental health. Eating disorders almost always co-exist with another mental health issue.
Hence, adolescents with teen eating disorders tend to be moody, anxious, and/or depressed. Teens with eating disorders are also at greater risk for substance abuse and self-harming behavior
Borderline Personality Disorder in Teens
Teens with borderline personality disorder lack a stable sense of self. Thus, teens with borderline personality disorder don’t know how to process emotions. Hence, without a firm identity, people with borderline personality disorder have extreme emotional instability.
Moreover, borderline personality disorder often first appears in teenagers and young adults. And teens with borderline personality disorder are unable to connect with others. Consequently, they become isolated and desperate. Lacking a clear sense of self, they feel chaotic and anxious. Therefore, encounters and scenarios that should be relatively easy to manage become difficult.
Teenage Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a chronic, lifelong disease. In addition, schizophrenia behaviors begin to develop in adolescence. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, symptoms of schizophrenia often start in people who are younger than 30. Teenagers suffering from schizophrenia have trouble processing personal emotions. And they often become completely detached from reality.
People with schizophrenia have differences in their brain structures, chemical makeup, and processing abilities. Hence, people with schizophrenia have a difficult time understanding information and processing lessons. As a result, it can be difficult for them to completely take control of their disease. Therefore, the goal of schizophrenia treatment is to help the person understand the disease and work hard to keep it under control.
Teen Trauma and PTSD
After tragic events, those who were impacted—directly or indirectly—may experience lasting effects. Such trauma can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Causes of PTSD in teens include accidents, natural disasters, fires, crimes, childhood abuse, the loss of a parent or other family member, and other tragedies and childhood trauma.
A single traumatic event is called an “acute trauma.” An acute trauma can lead to teen mental disorders such as traumatic stress and PTSD. Traumatic stress can last days, weeks, or months following the event.
Ongoing traumatic events, such as exposure to childhood abuse, domestic violence, or gang violence, are called “chronic trauma.” Both acute and chronic trauma can lead to PTSD in teens.
Signs and symptoms of each
Depression symptoms can vary in severity, but changes in your teen's emotions and behavior may include the examples below.
Emotional changes
Be alert for emotional changes, such as:
Feelings of sadness, which can include crying spells for no apparent reason
Frustration or feelings of anger, even over small matters
Feeling hopeless or empty
Irritable or annoyed mood
Loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities
Loss of interest in, or conflict with, family and friends
Low self-esteem
Feelings of worthlessness or guilt
Fixation on past failures or exaggerated self-blame or self-criticism
Extreme sensitivity to rejection or failure, and the need for excessive reassurance
Trouble thinking, concentrating, making decisions and remembering things
Ongoing sense that life and the future are grim and bleak
Frequent thoughts of death, dying or suicide
Behavioral changes
Watch for changes in behavior, such as:
Tiredness and loss of energy
Insomnia or sleeping too much
Changes in appetite — decreased appetite and weight loss, or increased cravings for food and weight gain
Use of alcohol or drugs
Agitation or restlessness — for example, pacing, hand-wringing or an inability to sit still
Slowed thinking, speaking or body movements
Frequent complaints of unexplained body aches and headaches, which may include frequent visits to the school nurse
Social isolation
Poor school performance or frequent absences from school
Less attention to personal hygiene or appearance
Angry outbursts, disruptive or risky behavior, or other acting-out behaviors
Self-harm — for example, cutting or burning
Making a suicide plan or a suicide attempt
What's normal and what's not
It can be difficult to tell the difference between ups and downs that are just part of being a teenager and teen depression. Talk with your teen. Try to determine whether he or she seems capable of managing challenging feelings, or if life seems overwhelming.
Symptoms of anxiety vary widely, from withdrawal and avoidance to irritability and lashing out. Anxiety is often overlooked because teenagers are good at hiding their thoughts and feelings. But these are some of the behaviors that might be a sign that a teenager is anxious.
Recurring fears and worries about routine parts of everyday life
Irritability
Trouble concentrating
Extreme self-consciousness or sensitivity to criticism
Withdrawal from social activity
Avoidance of difficult or new situations
Chronic complaints about stomachaches or headaches
Drop in grades or school refusal
Repeated reassurance-seeking
Sleep problems
Substance use
Warning signs of bulimia (eating disorders) include:
Extreme preoccupation about being overweight
Strict dieting followed by high-calorie eating binges
Overeating when distressed
Feeling out of control
Disappearing after a meal
Depressed moods
Alcohol or drug abuse
Frequent use of laxatives or diuretics
Excessive exercising
Irregular menstrual cycles
Borderline Personality Disorder Symptoms in teens
Borderline personality disorder affects how a teen feels about themselves, how they relate to others and how they behave. Teenage borderline personality disorder signs can include the following:
Extreme emotional reactions; inappropriate and disproportional
Distorted or dysfunctional self-image; a damaged identity
Inability to connect or feel empathy for others, intense narcissism
A persistent fear of abandonment and rejection
Volatile mood changes without clear cause that are lasting
Substance use disorder as a coping mechanism
Overwhelming anxiety and worry beyond any actual risk
Impulsive and risky behaviors; self-destructive patterns
Self-harm and suicidal behavior; suicide attempts.
Teenage Schizophrenia
Especially at first, symptoms may look like the stuff of typical teen years: bad grades, changing friends, trouble sleeping, or irritability.
But there are some early warning signs in teens that show up as changes in thinking, emotions, and behavior.
Changes in Thinking
Lack of concentration or being able to follow a train of thought
Seeing or hearing things that aren't real (hallucinations)
Confusing TV and dreams with reality
Strange ideas that may not make sense (for example, thinking that parents are stealing things or that an evil spirit possesses them)
Paranoia -- thinking that people are after them or talking about them
Dwelling unreasonably on the past
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition brought on by a trauma.
Someone with PTSD has been through or witnessed a traumatic event. They have symptoms that last long after the trauma is over. These symptoms can be:
bad memories, called flashbacks, that make it seem like the trauma is still happening
bad dreams or trouble sleeping
avoiding things that remind them of the trauma
changes in mood, such as feeling sad, moody, angry, or detached
not enjoying things like before
feeling more easily scared, anxious, jumpy, sensitive, or startled
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