Teenage Anxiety And Depression: Signs To Know Steps To Take
According to public health experts in North Dakota, these mental health conditions impact about 10 of every 100 teens and nearly four out of 100 teens have considered suicide. With so many teenagers throughout North Dakota being impacted, information about what anxiety and depression look like in teens, how families can help and when to seek professional care is important.
Though anxiety and depression have common signs, the two conditions are different. In general, anxiety is the overwhelming feeling of worry while depression is the intense feeling of sadness. Teenagers with anxiety will worry and overthink about school, friends and relationships. They may feel unfocused and have racing thoughts. Parents will notice that the teen can seem on edge, be irritable or tired, have poor sleep and not eat as much. Teachers find that the teenage student is not focused on schoolwork, has worsening grades or even having regular headaches and upset stomachs.
As for depression, teenagers will be sad, have less interest in things they used to enjoy or feel guilty and be irritable. Parents might notice physical changes, such as weight changes and decreased energy. Behaviors may change. For example, fighting behavior, no longer wanting to hang
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors
Although selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are a type of antidepressant, doctors commonly prescribe them to people with anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder .
According to one article, doctors consider SSRIs to be the first-line drug treatment for anxiety.
SSRIs work by stopping nerve cells in the brain from reabsorbing serotonin, which is a chemical that plays a vital role in mood regulation.
Examples of SSRIs for anxiety include:
- citalopram
, but they do not work for everyone.
People usually take SSRIs for up to to treat anxiety, then gradually reduce the dosage. These drugs are not habit-forming, meaning that they do not usually lead to dependence.
People should consult their doctor or physician before they start reducing or stopping their medication.
Tips To Manage Anxiety And Stress
Coping Strategies
Try these when you’re feeling anxious or stressed:
Fitness Tips: Stay Healthy, Manage Stress
For the biggest benefits of exercise, try to include at least 2½ hours of moderate-intensity physical activity each week, 1¼ hours of a vigorous-intensity activity , or a combination of the two.
- 5 X 30: Jog, walk, bike, or dance three to five times a week for 30 minutes.
- Set small daily goals and aim for daily consistency rather than perfect workouts. It’s better to walk every day for 15-20 minutes than to wait until the weekend for a three-hour fitness marathon. Lots of scientific data suggests that frequency is most important.
- Find forms of exercise that are fun or enjoyable. Extroverted people often like classes and group activities. People who are more introverted often prefer solo pursuits.
- Distract yourself with an iPod or other portable media player to download audiobooks, podcasts, or music. Many people find its more fun to exercise while listening to something they enjoy.
- Recruit an exercise buddy. It’s often easier to stick to your exercise routine when you have to stay committed to a friend, partner, or colleague.
- Be patient when you start a new exercise program. Most sedentary people require about four to eight weeks to feel coordinated and sufficiently in shape so that exercise feels easier.
Resources
If you are the parent of a college-aged child with an anxiety disorder, here are some tips to help with managing his or her anxiety.
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Lavender essential oil has been used for thousands of years, in part, to deal with feelings of anxiety, depression, and other factors affecting mental wellbeing. As weve progressed into modern times, it seems more and more people suffer from anxiety or depression, or both.
Research suggests 10% of the population faces an anxiety disorder in a given year. Its the most common mental health-related cause of death in the United States. Heart disease is the most common physical health-related cause.
Most people who suffer anxiety also deal with some form of depression, sleep disturbance, or substance abuse.
Over the past decade, researchers have completed a significant amount of lavender-related research, which supports the way traditional medicine practitioners have used it for centuries. A new meta-analysis adds additional scientific evidence to the case for lavender as an anti-anxiety natural health solution.
Symptoms Of Anxiety In Men
Anxiety is more than having sweaty palms and butterflies in your stomach. Symptoms of anxiety can include ongoing feelings of worry, fear and impending doom that are so severe they interfere with your ability to work, maintain relationships and get a decent nights sleep. Physical signs of anxiety may include:
- pounding or racing heart
- thinking about death or suicide.
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Be Of Service To Others
Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash
Its key to always remember that service, in this case, doesnt need to be something big to be significant. There can be immense personal meaning in giving yourself to a course greater than yourself. As Victor E. Frankl wrote in Mans Search for Meaning, Success, like happiness, cannot be pursued it must ensue. As the unintended side effect of ones personal dedication to a course greater than oneself.
Natural Supplements For Anxiety And Depression
Some people find that taking vitamins for anxiety and depression lessens the symptoms of their mental illness, and may help a person’s mood overall. Likewise, some people with mental illness have been shown to have low folate levels and may benefit from treatment with additional folate.xxvii Folate, also called folic acid or vitamin B9, is a vitamin that the human body cannot make on its own, yet is required to perform many essential processes on a day-to-day basis.
Other popular natural supplements include the use of chamomile and lavender, but findings so far are inconclusive.xxix Melatonin does have an impact on sleep and is helpful. Kava, derived from a pepper, may have an effect on anxiety, but is linked to severe liver disease and should be used only with the monitoring of a health care provider.xxxi
There has been extensive research on St. John’s wort, especially on its use for depression. While the results on its effectiveness are mixed, it has been clearly shown that St. John’s wort can interact in dangerous, sometimes life-threatening ways with a variety of medicines, and should not be taken without the supervision of a knowledgeable health care provider.xxxii
Anxiety and depression are serious, common, complex conditions that frequently co-occur. Whether experiencing anxiety, depression, or depression and anxiety together, it is important to seek the help of a mental health professional to navigate treatment and optimize your recovery.
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Mindfulness In The Context Of Cbt
Mindfulness-based treatments and traditional CBT share many similar characteristics. Both aim to reduce psychopathological suffering, and approach this goal with a combination of cognitive and behavioral therapeutic exercises. Both involve a desensitization of conditioned fear responses, though MBIs approach this effect through sustained attention, while traditional CBT directly focuses on severing the conditioned response through exposure-based processes. Another key similarity between traditional CBT and MBIs is the directive to view ones internal phenomena as temporary and without inherent worth or meaning. Again, MBIs approach this process through simple observation, whereas traditional CBT involves directly challenging metacognitions about such phenomena. Lastly, both treatments involve relaxation and improvements in self-modulatory efforts, though it is unclear whether these effects are attributable to a specific treatment component, or simply engaging in a therapeutic process.
Quick Tip: Take A Purifying Breath
- Inhale into a soft belly, taking in light, love, and healing energy. Picture this as clear, bright, or sparkling. Feel yourself becoming brighter as you fill with light and joy.
- Exhale fully, releasing any negative states or feelings. You may picture it as darkness or a fog. If you have anger, fear or sadness, breathe them out. If you have tension, anxieties, or worry, release them as you exhale.
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With All These Options How Can You Choose
Your doctor can recommend the best medication to help control your anxiety. There are different types of anxiety disorders, so different medications may be better choices for your type. Your doctor will also consider your other health conditions and medications, and whether you have a family history of responding better to a certain medication. Since you might be taking medication long-term, you may want to factor in affordability.
How To Prevent Anxiety And Depression
Battling anxiety and depression is not easy. However, if you make effort to take certain measures in your day to day life, you will certainly notice an improvement in these conditions. Along with the help of natural remedies for anxiety and depression, the following methods can be used to help you manage and cope with these issues.
- Exercise daily, for at least 20-30 minutes.
- Keep a journal and write in it each day.
- Make sure you get plenty of sleep. SleepAdvisor.org got some advice for reducing anxiety before bed.
- “The Quality of sleep matters as much as the quantity.” Check out this article on how to get a higher quality of sleep.
- Limit alcohol and caffeine.
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Do I Need Health Insurance To Receive This Service
The referral service is free of charge. If you have no insurance or are underinsured, we will refer you to your state office, which is responsible for state-funded treatment programs. In addition, we can often refer you to facilities that charge on a sliding fee scale or accept Medicare or Medicaid. If you have health insurance, you are encouraged to contact your insurer for a list of participating health care providers and facilities.
Can I Have Depression And Anxiety At The Same Time
Depression and anxiety are two different mental health disorders that are often comorbid. Meaning, they occur at the same time.
Depression is a mental disorder that is commonly identified with intense feelings of hopelessness, despair, worthlessness, and overwhelming sadness. Around 10% of Americans experience major depression , according to theCleveland Clinic. While most people will experience feelings of sadness at some point, with depression, these feelings are prolongedlasting two weeks or moreand severe enough to impact daily life.
Anxiety disorders are characterized by excessive worry, nervousness, or fear that impacts everyday functioning. Without treatment, anxiety can get worse over time. There are a number of anxiety disorders, with their own set of unique symptoms.
About 2% of people in the U.S. have generalized anxiety disorder . According to Richard Shelton, MD, a psychiatrist and the vice chair of research at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, GAD symptoms include persistent fear and worry that is often difficult to control. Other anxiety disorders include:
- Panic disorder
- Posttraumatic stress disorder
Depression and anxiety have the following symptoms in common: feelings of despair like nothing good will ever happen, physical symptoms , and exhaustion.
Read Also: How To Overcome Anxiety And Panic Attacks
Do I Need This Treatment
If you are distressed for more than two weeks by feelings of sadness, despair and hopelessness, or by excessive worry that is hard to control, see a doctor for an assessment of your symptoms and situation and to discuss treatment and support options. Early treatment can help to ensure treatment success.
Be sure your doctor knows if you have had times where you felt a reduced need for sleep in combination with an unusual amount of energy, or where your mood changed from feeling depressed to feeling unusually happy or irritable. Mood stabilizer medications may be more suited to your needs, either on their own or in combination with antidepressants. Antidepressants alone can cause some people to switch from depression into mania.
Medications are only one way of treating depression and anxiety. Talk therapies, such as interpersonal psychotherapy and cognitive-behavioural therapy, can be just as effective. Peer support, school and job counselling, and housing and employment supports can also help to deal with problems that may trigger or worsen depression or anxiety.
How Do I Know If I Have Generalized Anxiety Disorder
The first step is to rule out the possibility that your symptoms are being caused by a medical condition that is not psychiatric. Among the conditions that produce symptoms similar to those of anxiety are hyperthyroidism or other endocrine problems, too much or too little calcium, low blood sugar, and certain heart problems. Certain medicines also can sometimes cause anxiety. A thorough evaluation by your health care provider will determine if any of these conditions are the cause of your symptoms.
If no other medical culprit can be found and the symptoms seem out of proportion to any situation you are facing, you may be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.
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Lavender And Anxiety Research
Researchers have studied lavender for numerous health benefits. As one paper stated:
Essential oil of lavender is purported to be antibacterial, antifungal, anxiolytic, antidepressant, analgesic, carminative , as well as to have beneficial immunomodulatory effects on wound healing.
Malcolm BJ, et al.
You wont see the terms above listed on a bottle of essential oils at the store. That would go against FDA regulations, which only allow structure/function claims on natural health product labels, whereas the terms above would be considered drug claims.
It is often used to alleviate anxiety before and during surgeries as well.
Some evidence suggests lavender essential oil could be combined with CBD or cannabis to enhance the effects of the phytocannabinoids, but most of the evidence is anecdotal yet.
Essential oils have significant effects on the body, including the brain, due to their size. Theyre so small that they can pass through the blood-brain barrier and easily cross cell membranes. When inhaled, they quickly impact mood, emotions and other cognitive functions by stimulating the olfactory nerves. They can also be applied topically and pass through the skin or taken internally like other dietary supplements.
Even in light of that criticism, research on inhaled lavender essential oil is impressive and extensive.
The authors of one meta-analysis stated:
And in another paper, researchers declared:
Read also: How to Use Critical Thinking with Essential Oils Cynics.
Give Yourself A Bedtime
With your busy schedule, theres no time for sleep, right? Some workaholics brag about only needing three or four hours of sleep a night, as if to say, Im more determined and committed than everyone else. But no matter what you might tell yourself, youre not a robot. Humans need sleep to function properly, so unless you beamed in from some nearby planet, this also applies to you.
Whether you deal with insomnia, purposely limit your amount of sleep, or youre a self-professed night owl, chronic sleep deprivation makes you susceptible to anxiety. Do yourself a favor and get eight to nine hours of sleep every night. Develop a bedtime routine to read a book or do something relaxing before bed. The better prepared you are to get a good nights sleep, the better quality of sleep youll have, which leads to a better morning as well.
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