Mental Health For Teenagers

I'm using this page as an opportunity to share your story. If you feel comfortable, please write your story in the comments of this page or you can contact me at mentalhealthforteenagers2020@gmail.com and I can post your story so others can relate to what you are going through. It may seem like you are the only one going through something, but that might not be true. Sharing your story can allow for people to connect with one another and realize that they are not alone. All it takes is for you to share. I will not post your name if you don't want me to. You could save someone by sharing your story. So thank you for those who choose to share. 

How has this pandemic affected you both mentally and/or physically.  How are you?

Anxiety is a scary thing.  It's constantly overthinking every situation, every aspect of life and trying to figure out what you did wrong.  It's not wanting to be in social situations because you are afraid of embarrassment or judgement.  It's feeling like you don't have any friends because you are too scared to put yourself out there and actually make any friends.  Anxiety is extremely overwhelming and is something that constantly lingers with you, even if it isn't always present.  One thing I do all of the time is analyze and overthink everything.  It could be a simple comment that someone said about my clothes, hair, body, or even something about my personality and I will think about it.  Over. And over. And over. And over. Until that one comment consumes my thoughts, my mind, my everything.  I try to think about how I can fix myself so I don't get a comment like that again. I stress. I worry. I ask myself so many questions. What if they are right? What if ev

Binge eating disorder is a type of eating disorder characterized by eating large amounts of food in a short period of time. This type of mental illness is believed to be one of the most common eating disorders in the United States. Similar to bulimia nervosa, individuals with binge eating disorder binge eat food. Unlike people with bulimia nervosa, they don't purge to compensate for their binges. Leaving this mental illness untreated can lead to obesity, which can increase the individual's risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.  All of these types of eating disorders have extremely negative effects on both the mind and body and need to be treated immediately if possible. If you struggle with binge eating disorder or another eating disorder, it is extremely important to seek medical help as soon as pisslbe, and confront your parents or friends about what you are strgglung with. This website has more information on binge eating disorder. https://www.mayoclinic.org/di

Eating disorders are characterized under the category of mental illnesses, although they may appear to be a physical illness. While they do affect the body in extreme physical ways, they are an illness of the mind. This type of mental illness force the person to become obsessed with food, body weight, or body shape. These types of mental illnesses can pose a great physical threat to the person experiencing it as well as a great mental threat. And every eating disorder is detrimental to the person who has it. Some people may think that anorexia nervosa is worse than binge eating, but both are terrible mental illnesses to have. I hope that, if you have an eating disorder, you don't think that it is unimportant because it is. It is important that you receive help because you are worth it and there are people that care about you and your health. I will be posting some blogs on specific types of eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Above, I have attached a vid

Bulimia nervosa is a well-known eating disorder characterized by frequent binge eating episodes. Each episode usually continues until a person becomes painfully full.  People with this eating disorder will tend to purge the food that they have binged. People with bulimia can experience a huge amount of guilt after their binge eating episodes, but can feel powerless to stop it. They then purge the food to feel less guilty about all of the calories they had previously consumed. While this type of eating disorder can be similar to people with anorexia nervosa who eat then purge their food, individuals with bulimia nervosa tend to maintain a relatively normal weight. While this type of eating disorder does not have severe weight problems for the individual, it is a very dangerous disorder that can lead to inflamed throat, hormonal disturbances, and in severe cases, imbalances in levels of electrolytes which can lead to a stroke or heart attack. If you ever need help dealing with an eating

Anorexia is a well-known eating disorder primarily characterized by an individual's belief that they are overweight, even if they are severely underweight. This mental illness causes people to restrict themselves from eating or they will eat and then purge the food afterward. People with anorexia are extremely focused on their calorie intake, in many cases to the point of obsession. If you think you may be struggling from an eating disorder, talk to someone. And I know that is way easier said than done because of the fear that comes from being vulnerable, but it can save your life. If you don't feel comfortable talking to someone you know, you can always talk to people in the comments and try to connect with people. While just talking to someone and recognizing that you have an eating disorder is huge, it is extremely important to get help and talk to someone who can help you. For more information, you can visit https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/learn/by-eating-disorder/a

Most Common Types of Depression in America:  Major Depressive Disorder (clinical depression): The most common mental disorder in the United States with about 20% of all teens experiencing it before they reach adulthood  Persistent Depressive Disorder (dysthymia): Chronic low-level depression that that is lower in severity than major depression and lasts for at least one year. Between 10 and 15% of teens suffer from this disorder.  Manic Depressive Disorder (bipolar disorder): A mental health condition that causes extreme mood swings that include high emotions and lows. It is estimated that 2.9% of adolescents suffer from this disorder.     While these are the most common types of depression amongst teens in America, there are many more types of depression.  You can learn more about the different types of depression at   https://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/depression-types#1 or https://www.healthline.com/health/types-of-depression#major-depression.   Here are links specifically for t

IF YOU ARE OR ANYONE YOU KNOW IS CONSIDERING SUICIDE PLEASE TALK TO SOMEONE OR CONTACT THE NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION HOTLINE (1-800-273-8255) OR CONTACT THE LIFELINE CHAT AT https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat/ Above is a video about a girl who lost her sister to suicide. She has a powerful message for people who are considering suicide and people who lost someone to suicide. I know that sometimes it may seem easier to just end it all, but killing yourself won't solve it.  You matter to people. Your goals matter, your acheivements matter, your talents matter, everything about you matters.  Don't give up hope too quickly. If you ever need someone to talk to about your desire to end it, talk to your friends or family. If you are unable to do that, you can always call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline (1-800-273-8255).  If you need someone to talk to, you can always message me in the comments and I would be more than happy to talk to you and provide you with more re

For anyone who wants to understand more about what it feels like to have anxiety, I suggest watching the video above.  This is what anxiety feels like, at least for this girl.  Anxiety is different from person to person but it is never good.  People who have anxiety tend to constantly experience feelings of worry or fear.  Some of these feelings can interfere with daily activities such as going to school or work. There are many different types of anxiety and it can be hard to cope with any of them. For each type of anxiety, I have attached a link that can give you more information on the particular disorder. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): This type of anxiety includes constant and chronic worrying, nervousness, and tension.  This is generally continuous and can greatly interfere with day to day activities. GAD is the most common anxiety in teens. https://www.helpguide.org/articles/anxiety/generalized-anxiety-disorder-gad.htm Social Anxiety: About 9.1% of adolescents suffer from so

Depression is a mental health disorder characterized by persistently depressed mood or loss of interest in activities, causing significant impairment in daily life.  That doesn't sound too bad when you think about it like that.  It's just a loss of interests, that's not too bad, right?  But depression is much more than just a loss of interests.  It can feel like you are losing everything and you can never be happy.  Yes, that is the clinical definition of depression, but it's hard to describe how depression truly feels like.  For people who have it, it can be a struggle of just trying to get through the day.  One day at a time, one foot in front of the other.  People telling you it's just a phase, you'll get over it soon enough.  Exercise, eat healthy, read books, be with friends and family, then you will be cured.  But it's not that simple.  It can be extremely difficult to understand that you may not be the only one experiencing these feelings of hope

Mental Health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act and determines how we deal with stress.  It also determines how we relate to others and the choices we make.  Some mental illnesses that people experience are mood disorders, anxiety disorders, personality disorders, psychotic disorders, eating disorders, trauma-related disorders, and substance abuse disorders.  Everybody deals with mental illnesses differently and can receive assistance in a variety of ways.  I hope this blog can educate people on mental health and mental illnesses as well as provide hope for people struggling with mental illnesses and give them a place to connect with one another. Mental Health Links National Suicide Prevention Hotline 1-800-273-8255 Eating Disorder Helpline 866-784-8965 Lifeline Chat https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat/ Crisis Text Line Text "HELLO" to 741741 Anonymous Chat For Mental Health https://www.remedylive.com/