How Anxiety and Depression Affects Teens

TEENAGER PROBLEMS
SERIES - 4

When I think about anxiety and depression a lot of things pops up in my mind like the main reasons for anxiety and depression in teens, why is it one of the prominent problem in teens? How can teens overcome this problem. It's been two years since my very first dealing with depression and anxiety.

I remember the day when I first hit a low point in life and it's not a nice memory to have. I didn't know how to deal with such a strong mental health issue, so I hid my problems away from family and friends which made my issues worse.

The scariest thing I found about suffering from a mental illness is the effect it has on every aspect of your life; it’s not just what’s inside your head. For me, suffering from depression became debilitating as I couldn't find happiness in the little things I used to enjoy doing. More often than not, depression would cause me to sit in my room and cry, usually for no reason at all.                                                                                   

To describe what living with depression and anxiety is like to anyone who doesn't understand or hasn't experienced it before is to imagine a weight pulling your body down, so heavy that every day you have to summon up the strength to push against it and to lighten the impact.

I mean almost every teen experiences anxiety and depression in their teenhood, the reason could be any like peer pressure, academic problems and social media.Teens like me constantly fight with anxiety about grades, about school, future and relationship etc.

I was suffering from anxiety and depression too, around 2 years back because of my grades and school. It’s really hard to cope up with the stress you get because of the peer pressure around you, the pressure you receive from society, your parents and your relatives, at a point you start to feel like why do you even exist?

Not just grades and school causes this problems but according to me one of the main reason is social media too, cause we people are so addicted to social media, no matter what happens, we people share almost everything on it right from what you’re having in the breakfast to which restaurant you’re heading to for dinner, I mean that’s how much crazy we all are behind social media. We people are constantly connected to social media, it’s not surprising that are self esteem and worldview becomes connected to responses to social media posts, and of course comparing our lives and social connections to what others post on social media platforms.

Despite what you may have been told, depression is not simply caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain that can be cured with medication. Rather, depression is caused by a combination of biological, psychological, and social factors. Since the teenage years can be a time of great turmoil and uncertainty, you’re likely facing a host of pressures that could contribute to your depression symptoms. These can range from hormonal changes to problems at home or school or questions about who you are and where you fit in.

There could be soo many reasons for depression among teens right from academic problems to relationships and it’s quite obvious that it’s not easy to handle this situation on your own, so what exactly can you do to over this problems?

Reach out to an adult you trust – to be honest it may seem like there’s no way your parents will be able to help, especially if they are always nagging you or getting angry about your behavior. The truth is, parents hate to see their kids hurting. They may feel frustrated because they don’t understand what is going on with you or know how to help. Just try talking to them, but if you feel comfortable then you can talk to your counsellor or to your teacher, but definitely talk to someone you can rely on.

It can be hard to open up about how you’re feeling - especially when you’re feeling depressed, ashamed, or worthless. It’s important to remember that many people struggle with feelings like these at one time or another. They don’t mean you’re weak, fundamentally flawed, or no good. Accepting your feelings and opening up about them with someone you trust will help you feel less alone.

Even though it may not feel like it at the moment, people do love and care about you. If you can muster the courage to talk about your depression, it can and will be resolved. Some people think that talking about sad feelings will make them worse, but the opposite is almost always true. It is very helpful to share your worries with someone who will listen and care about what you say. They don’t need to be able to “fix” you, they just need to be good listeners.

Try not to isolate yourself - it makes depression phase even worse, try to surround yourself with positive people around you, go for walks, play some sport, so that you engage yourself in something good and productive.            

Adopting healthy habits - execising daily, eating healthy food, can do wonders for your mood. All these things gonna make you feel real good and please try avoiding junk food and aim for getting around 8 hours of sleep everyday!

If you’re a teenager with a friend who seems down or troubled, you may suspect depression. But how do you know it’s not just a passing phase or a bad mood?

·Your friend doesn’t want to do the things you guys used to love to do.

·Your friend starts using alcohol or drugs or hanging with a bad crowd.

·Your friend stops going to classes and afterschool activities.

·Your friend talks about being bad, ugly, stupid, or worthless.

·Your friend starts talking about death or suicide.

Depression can make people do and say things that are hurtful or strange. But your friend is going through a very difficult time, so try not to take it personally. Once your friend gets help, they will go back to being the person you know and love. In the meantime, make sure you have other friends or family taking care of you. Your feelings are important and need to be respected, too.

If you’re going through any kind of such problem then please reach out to someone you trust, cause depression really isn’t good for you, talking to them might bring some changes.

At the end I would like to conclude by adding that keeping an open line of communication with your teen is the most important thing that you can do. They need to know that they have someone in whom they can confide when their time on social media takes a turn for the worst. Also, it’s vital you limit the amount of time that teenagers spend online so that you can encourage them to develop social skills, and eventually make them understand that nobody is perfect and they are doing pretty good in their own way.

Do let us know what you feel about this article below in the comment section, have a good day!