Experiencing occasional anxiousness is a normal part of growing up. However, when anxiety becomes chronic and overwhelming, it can interfere with your teen’s development and daily life in significant ways.
Teen anxiety and depression are at an all-time high. This age group is particularly susceptible to developing anxiety disorders due to the many stressors and changes they experience during this time.
It is now the most common mental health disorder in the United States, affecting 40 million people of all ages. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, around 31.9% of children aged 13 to 18 experience mental illness every year.
According to Mayo Clinic, the causes of this disorder in teenagers are vast and varied. Below are the risk factors most commonly associated with it in teenagers:
Sadness, low energy, and fatigue are all normal human experiences, especially for teens going through emotional and hormonal changes. When those low moods begin to prevail over other emotions and affect your teen’s day-to-day life, however, it’s a sign that there may be something more serious going on.
Depression is one of the most common mental illnesses teens and adults feel. It can happen for many reasons and varies in severity from person to person. Like all mental illnesses, we can take some measures to reduce the severity.
Teen depression makes it much more challenging to navigate the adolescent years and the challenges that accompany them; therefore, it’s essential to become familiar with the characteristics of depression so that you can support your teen through their difficult times.
Underneath the umbrella of depression, there are different types of depression that can impact teenagers in unique ways.
Generally, the causes of depression fall under three main categories: biological, behavioral, and psychological.
Biological factors may include a family history of depression, problems with the way your brain functions, and certain medical conditions. For example, people who have low serotonin levels (a chemical in the brain) are more likely to experience depression. Family members of people with depression are also more likely to develop the disorder.
Behavioral factors may include negative life events (such as a death in the family or a breakup), poor coping skills, and social isolation. The impact of negative or traumatic events can be especially strong in teens because their brains are still developing.
Psychological factors may include low self-esteem, negative thinking patterns, and distorted views of reality. For example, someone with low self-esteem may think they are not good enough or worthless. Negative thinking patterns can make it difficult to see the positives in life, leading to depression.
Personality disorders are conditions that affect the way a person thinks, feels, and behaves. They are usually categorized as either “internalizing” or “externalizing.” Internalizing disorders involve negative emotions such as anxiety and depression while externalizing disorders involve more destructive behaviors such as aggression and violence.
For teenagers, personality disorders can be especially destructive. Being an adolescent already poses challenges enough, but things can get really complicated when a personality disorder is thrown into the mix. Teens with personality disorders may have difficulty forming healthy relationships, managing their emotions, and succeeding in school or work.
If your teen struggles with a personality disorder, the best thing you can do is to become educated about the disorder and seek help from a therapist or counselor.
Beneath the umbrella term “personality disorder” lies a range of specific diagnoses that capture the way someone behaves and relates to the world. There are three clusters of personality disorders:
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