The teen years can be tough for both parent and child.
Adolescents are under stress to be liked, do well in school, get along with
their family and make important life decisions. Most of these pressures are
unavoidable and worrying about them is natural. Most of us have periods where
we are feeling extremely sad, hopeless or worthless- these could be warning signs of a mental
health problem.
Mental health problems are real, painful and can be severe.
They can lead to school failure, loss of friends, or family conflict. Some of
the signs that may point to a possible problem are listed below. If you are a
Parent or other caregiver of a teenager, pay attention if your teen:
Is troubled by feeling:
very angry most of the time, cries a lot or overreacts to things; feel worthless or guilty a lot; anxious or worried a lot more than other young
people; grief for a long time after a loss or death; extremely fearful-has unexplained fears or
more fears than most kids; constantly
concerned about physical problems or appearance; frightened that his or her mind is controlled
or is out of control.
Experiences big changes, for example: does much worse in school; loses interest in things usually enjoyed; has unexplained changes in sleeping or eating
habits; avoids friends or family and
wants to be alone all the time; daydreams
too much and can't get things done; feels
life is too hard to handle or talks about suicide; hears voices that cannot be
explained.
Is limited by: poor concentration; can't make decisions; inability to sit still or focus attention; worry
about being harmed, hurting others, or about doing something "bad"; the need to wash, clean things, or perform
certain routines dozens of times a day; thoughts that race almost too fast to
follow; persistent nightmares.
Behaves in ways that cause problems, for-example: uses alcohol or other drugs; eats large amounts of food and then forces
vomiting, abuses laxatives, or takes enemas to avoid weight-'gain; continues to
diet or exercise obsessively although bone-thin; often hurts other people, destroys property,
or breaks the law; does things that can
be life threatening.
To find help, discuss
concerns with your teacher,
school counselor or others such as a family doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist,
social worker or religious counselor .
