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Mental health. It's the way your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors affect your
life. Good mental
health leads to positive self-image and in turn, satisfying relationships with
friends and others.
Having good mental health helps you make good decisions and deal with life's
challenges at home, work, or school.
It is not uncommon for teenagers to develop problems with their mental health.
National statistics
indicate that one in every five teens has some type of mental health problem in
any given year. The problems range from mild to severe. Sadly, suicide is the
third leading cause of death among teens.
Unfortunately, most young people with mental health problems don't get any
treatment for them.
Research shows that effective treatments are available that can help members of
all racial, ethnic, and cultural groups.
If you broke your leg or came down with pneumonia, you wouldn't let it go
untreated. Often however, young people ignore mental health problems thinking
they will "snap out of it," or that they are something to be ashamed of. That
kind of thinking prevents people from getting the help they need. Sometimes
getting help is a matter of changing your mind.
CARMEN'S STORY: DEALING WITH PANIC
Carmen was 14 when she started having panic attacks. Suddenly, her heart would
start racing, she couldn't catch her breath, and she felt dizzy. Experiences
like eating out in a restaurant seemed to trigger an attack. Carmen began
thinking about all the different situations where the attacks might happen, and
she avoided those places. In many ways, fear was controlling her life.
She was reluctant at first, but Carmen eventually told her mother about her
panic attacks. Carmen
was surprised to learn that other family members had dealt with the same
problem.
Since Carmen's mother knew something about panic attacks and their treatment,
her mother convinced Carmen that she should work with a psychologist to help
reduce her fear and relieve her emotional pain.
Through psychotherapy, or talk therapy, Carmen learned relaxation and other
techniques for dealing with her intense anxiety. She also learned how her
thoughts could influence her panic attacks.
As Carmen practiced her new skills, her attacks occurred less often, and she
gradually became more comfortable in situations that had scared her so much
EMILY'S STORY: FINDING HELP FOR PROBLEM EATING
Early in high school, Emily began to diet occasionally and watch her weight. But
by her senior year, she focused constantly on her weight and cut way back on the
amount she ate. Emily exercised as much as possible. Despite her scary
appearance to others, Emily believed she still needed to lose more weight.
When her family and friends expressed concern to Emily about her weight loss,
she withdrew from them. Emily tried to keep her refusal to eat hidden from
others. During meals with her family, Emily would move food around her plate
instead of eating it.
Emily began to develop medical problems as a result of her eating behavior.
During an office visit, her family physician noticed that Emily's weight had
dropped and asked questions about her eating habits. The doctor helped Emily
realize that her eating problems, if left untreated, eventually could threaten
her life.
Emily's physician helped convince her to get the mental health treatment she
needed. Through
psychotherapy, Emily learned how her feelings influenced her eating. With help,
she was able to
improve her self-image as well as her eating habits. By getting treatment, Emily
was able to
stabilize her weight and regain her mental and physical health.
JASON'S STORY: RECOVERING FROM SEVERE MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS
The year he turned 19, Jason began having serious problems. He became so
exhausted from severe depression, there were many days when he couldn't even get
out of bed. There were times when Jason felt certain someone was out to harm
him. He became very confused and frightened by his experiences, and he had
thoughts of suicide.
Jason's concerned parents took him to the local mental health center. There
Jason and his family
began meeting with a treatment team to become educated about the problems he was
having. They all worked together to develop an effective treatment plan that
included psychotherapy and medication. By participating actively in Jason's
treatment, his family members learned helpful ways of supporting Jason.
With good mental health treatment and the support of friends and family, Jason
finally began to
feel hopeful about his future. He eventually returned to school. There was a
long time when Jason
couldn't imagine getting any better. But he found out that even someone with
severe problems like his can get help.
CERTAIN EXPERIENCES, THOUGHTS, AND FEELINGS SIGNAL THE PRESENCE OF A VARIETY OF
MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS OR THE NEED FOR HELP. THE FOLLOWING SIGNS ARE IMPORTANT
TO RECOGNIZE:
*finding little or no pleasure in life
*feeling worthless or extremely guilty
*crying a lot for no particular reason
*withdrawing from other people
*experiencing severe anxiety, panic, or fear
*having big mood swings
*experiencing a change in eating or sleeping patterns
*having very low energy
*losing interest in hobbies and pleasurable activities
*having too much energy, having trouble concentrating or following through on
plans
*feeling easily irritated or angry
*experiencing racing thoughts or agitation
*hearing voices or seeing images that other people do not experience
*believing that others are plotting against you
*wanting to harm yourself or someone else.
It's not necessarily easy to spot these signs, or to figure out what they mean.
Qualified mental health professionals are skilled in making an accurate
diagnosis.
As a general rule: the longer the signs last, the more serious they are; and the
more they interfere
with daily life, the greater the chance that professional treatment is needed.
FIRST STEP: REACH OUT TO PEOPLE YOU TRUST.
Think of all the people you can turn to for support. These are people who are
concerned about you and can help comfort you, who will listen to you and
encourage you, and who can help arrange for treatment.
In other words, find the caring people in your life who can help you.
These people might include:
*friends
*parents and other family members
*someone who seems "like a parent" to you
*other adults whose advice you would value--perhaps a favorite teacher or coach,
a member of your church or other place of worship, or a good friend's parent.
Research shows that males are more reluctant to look for help and receive it
than females are. While some people may have difficulty reaching out to others
they trust, taking this first step in getting help is important for
everyone to do.
Some families have health insurance that helps them get the services they need
from mental health professionals. Insurance may cover some of the cost of these
services. Many insurance companies provide a list of licensed mental health
professionals in your area.
TEAM MENTAL HEALTH
Health professionals who specialize in helping individuals and their families
with mental health
problems include psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, counselors, and
psychiatric nurses.
Psychotherapy, sometimes known as talk therapy, is often an important part of
mental health treatment by qualified professionals. In some situations,
physicians may recommend the use of medication for an individual with mental
health problems. Health professionals often work together, for example, as
members of a treatment team. Family members may also be asked to support an
individual in his or her treatment.
WRP Child & Adolescent Team
COMMUNITY RESOURCES CAN HELP PROVIDE SERVICES AND SUPPORT.
Schools play an important role in connecting students with mental health
professionals. For example, school psychologists, counselors, and school nurses
help students get services they need either at school or somewhere else in the
community. University and college students may have access to health services
through college counseling centers.
Families that are limited in their ability to pay often have access to
community-based services such as community mental health centers. State
departments of mental health and local community health centers can help direct
families to community resources. Phone listings for state and local mental
health departments often appear in the government section of telephone directory
white pages.
There are free self-help and support groups in many communities for dealing with
specific mental health problems such as coping with alcohol and drug abuse.
Through sharing information and ideas with others, participants realize they are
not alone with their problems.
Most major cities have at least one mental health crisis center which may be
located through telephone directory assistance. The centers typically are
staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and can refer a caller to local sources
of health care and support.
TAKE ACTION
THE MORE YOU KNOW, THE EASIER IT IS.
Libraries are an excellent source of information about mental health. Bookstores
often have "self-help" or "psychology" sections.
For those with Internet access, there are many Web sites related to health and
mental health. Some are better in quality than others. It is important to know
if the information on a site comes from sources you can trust. Use caution
whenever you're sharing or exchanging information online: there's a chance that
it will not be kept private.
NOTHING IS WORSE THAN NOTHING.
The consequences of not getting help for mental health problems can be serious.
Untreated problems often continue and become worse, and new problems may occur.
For example, someone with panic attacks might begin drinking too much alcohol
with the mistaken hope that it will help relieve his or her emotional pain.
ONE FINAL WORD: TO BE A GOOD FRIEND, NEVER KEEP TALK OF SUICIDE A SECRET.
Friends often confide in one another about their problems. But if a friend
mentions suicide, take it
seriously and seek help immediately from a trusted adult or health professional.
Never keep talk of suicide a secret, even if a friend asks you to. It's better
to risk losing a friendship than to risk
losing a friend forever.
Sometimes being able to get the help, support, and professional treatment you
need is a matter of changing your mind about mental health and changing the way
you react to mental health problems.
Here are some important reminders:
*Mental health is as important as physical health. In fact, the two are closely
linked.
*Mental health problems are real, and they deserve to be treated.
*It's not a person's fault if he or she has a mental health problem. No one is
to blame.
*Mental health problems are not a sign of weakness. They are not something you
can "just snap out of" even if you try.
*Whether you're male or female, it's OK to ask for help and get it.
*There's hope. People improve and recover with the help of treatment, and they
are able to
enjoy happier and healthier lives.
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