Being a Teen is Hard... But it Doesn't Have to Be.



Being a teenager is hard, but there are ways that can help.

What is Mental Health and What do I do?

According to the CDC, mental health in adolescence is trending down.  Not caring for mental health can cause bad grades, negative, violent behavior, and other risky behaviors such as drug use (Allensworth, 2013).  It is important to see your family physician and ask about what you can do for your mental health.  Sometimes they will recommend that you find something you enjoy doing to use as an outlet as well as if they are getting enough sleep and exercise to help maintain mental health.  Other times, they may recommend therapy or antidepressant medication.  

These are a few things that can help with mental health:

- Catch some Zs.

First, analyze your sleep schedule and determine if it is benefiting you and your mental health.  According to "How to achieve mental wellness beyond just therapy and meds", getting 7-9 hours of sleep each night is a healthy amount of sleep.  Sleep is vital to a healthy mind.  Being a teen is difficult and this can include getting enough sleep sometimes.  Getting off the phone in bed and creating a bedtime routine will help to develop good habits.  Sleep is very important for brain development and during adolescence, the brain is still developing and going through changes.  Therefore sleeping is really important to have a physical healthy brain function which can affect mental health.

- F is for Friends.

Having friends is a major contributor to your mental health.  Even for adults, it is important to have at least one friend that you can relate to and talk to.  According to "How to achieve mental wellness beyond just therapy and meds", friends help with emotional support, motivation, and help you feel a sense of belonging.  Knowing you are not alone is important and can benefit your mental health.  Going out with friends and having a good time can benefit your mood and help bring up your serotonin.  Having healthy relationships with friends and family can benefit mental health immensely.  Feeling that you have connections with the people around you helps to prevent isolation and loneliness.  So, go out and make some friends!

- Medication is Not Bad.

I think that there is a lot of stigma around taking antidepressants and antianxiety medications.  But, medication is has been tested and shows to show improvement 65-75% of patients prescribed antidepressants and complete recovery in 40-50% of patients (Frazer, A.).  And 10-21% of children worldwide are affected by mental health (Child and adolescent mental health worldwide).  Unfortunately, since it is not something that can be tested and measured it is put down a lot and is not taken seriously.  According to the CDC, 15.9% of adults had claimed to use take medication for mental health within the last 30 days in 2019.  I think the numbers would be higher if people were more willing to seek medical help.  If you are experiencing any depression or major fluctuation in emotions, it is important to seek medical professional advice.  Getting help is not something to be embarrassed about.  The medical professional will help to discover treatments and alternatives to help boost mental health, such as activities, medications such as Zoloft (sertraline), Lexapro, or Cymbalta to name a few (List of antidepressant drugs with medication guides).   





Citations:

Allensworth, D. D. M. (2013, December 12). Https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0886260516645574?casa_token=qbN_TjbG8DAAAAAA%3AElL93i1. assignmentwrit.com. Retrieved January 23, 2022, from https://duepapers.org/2021/09/06/https-journals-sagepub-com-doi-full-10-1177-0886260516645574casa_tokenqbn_tjbg8daaaaaa%3aell93i1/

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, September 23). Products - data briefs - number 380 - September 2020. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved January 23, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db380.htm

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, September 4). Products - data briefs - number 377 - September 2020. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved January 23, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db377.htm

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, September 4). Products - data briefs - number 377 - September 2020. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved January 23, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db377.htm

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, May 12). Mental health. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved January 23, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/mental-health/index.htm

Frazer, A. (n.d.). Pharmacology of Antidepressants : Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology. LWW. Retrieved January 23, 2022, from https://journals.lww.com/psychopharmacology/fulltext/1997/04001/pharmacology_of_antidepressants.2.aspx?casa_token=7jSOVMLHiAkAAAAA%3ART5ktMD4tko14VhL_p1u_8WDvyX3VNlwoWDwy59r07qxQ4brJL5vVuvHdVvJ3Nzfo7VNpa60JohcbyGsqS8wUUet

How to achieve mental wellness beyond just therapy and meds. HealthPrep.com. (n.d.). Retrieved January 23, 2022, from https://healthprep.com/topics/mental-health/how-to-achieve-mental-wellness-beyond-just-therapy-and-meds/?xcid=1481&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=370560150&utm_content=1261140645653265&utm_term=mental+health+mental+illness&msclkid=b45cca650fa2179b1c99ab89ada359d6

Kieling, C., Baker-Henningham, H., Belfer, M., Conti, G., Ertem, I., Omigbodun, O., Rohde, L. A., Srinath, S., Ulkuer, N., & Rahman, A. (2011, October 16). Child and adolescent mental health worldwide: Evidence for action. The Lancet. Retrieved January 23, 2022, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140673611608271?casa_token=BnJEpgObgUIAAAAA%3Am3TVofEERzHF4NSUL4qKE3kkd1_ceGes6nXCL6rXtH2An5KB0jowQYYfPgyZzvtC24yy9WbQexA

List of antidepressant drugs with medication guides. (n.d.). Retrieved January 23, 2022, from https://www.fda.gov/files/drugs/published/List-of-Antidepressant-Drugs-with-Medication-Guides.pdf

Sianko, N., Hedge, J. M., & McDonell, J. r. (2016, April 22). Https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0886260516645574?casa_token=qbN_TjbG8DAAAAAA%3AElL93i1. assignmentwrit.com. Retrieved January 23, 2022, from https://duepapers.org/2021/09/06/https-journals-sagepub-com-doi-full-10-1177-0886260516645574casa_tokenqbn_tjbg8daaaaaa%3aell93i1/

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