Understanding mental health conditions
Learn about some common conditions
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Mental health is super important!
It’s key to how we think, feel, learn, work, build relationships, and contribute to the world. It’s more than just not having mental conditions — it’s a big part of our overall health and well-being.
For teens, mental health means being able to handle school or university demands, making healthy friendships, and navigating first romantic relationships. It’s about thriving and living a fulfilling life.
Remember, good mental health is a journey. Whether you’re dealing with everyday challenges or unique struggles, seeking support and practicing self-care are essential steps to thriving.
Let’s dive into some common mental health conditions.
Understanding anxiety
Anxiety is the feeling you get when you’re worried or scared about something. It is a natural, human feeling, after which we usually calm down and feel better.
Small amounts of worry and fear can help keep us safe and even protect us from danger. But sometimes anxiety can make us feel like things are worse than they actually are and can feel overwhelming. Constant worry is not good for our mental health.
If anxiety is preventing you from doing things you enjoy or feel excessive worry or panic in everyday situations, then it’s important to get support.
Understanding depression
It’s ok to feel low sometimes. A bad mood doesn’t always have a clear cause. It’s totally normal to not always feel your best or to skip activities you usually like. But when the days of not feeling well outnumber your good days, you could be struggling with depression.
Despite common beliefs, depression is not a weakness or laziness that needs to be powered through. It is a mental health condition that can affect anyone at any age, and any time in their life. There may be no clear reason but it might be also triggered by some difficult experiences. It might happen even to those who look lucky and happy to the outside world.
Remember that even in the darkest times you need to love and cherish yourself, and the best way to do this is to ask for help. If you think you’re dealing with depression you have many options for finding support. You can choose to speak to someone you like and trust – a friend, family member, teacher, or school psychologist. You could also ask your family doctor for help.
Understanding panic attacks
A panic attack is an intense feeling of fear and anxiety. It often happens when you’re really stressed or worried about something in your life. It's when you suddenly get so excited that it's almost impossible to get back to a steady heartbeat and breathing.
In panic attacks, these feelings come suddenly and are usually accompanied by intense physical symptoms such as lightheadedness, shortness of breath, and a racing heart. Sometimes, it feels like something terrible is about to happen, even when there’s no real danger.
If you experience panic attacks, remind yourself that this feeling is temporary - try to remember that panic attacks always end, and you are not in danger. Remember that physical sensations are caused by the release of adrenaline. During this state, try to be patient and wait for the adrenaline level to decrease. A panic attack can occur both under conditions of a stressful situation and accidentally, under normal circumstances. Such a state can seem scary to a person. During such a state, a person is accompanied by the feeling that they are detached from their mind, body, or environment. However, it is worth noting that panic attacks do not cause physical consequences.
You could also seek support from your family doctor. If no other physical illness or condition is found as a cause for your symptoms, they might refer you to a mental health professional.
Understanding stress
Stress is what we feel when we are worried, uncomfortable, or pressured by something. We all experience stress sometimes but when we experience too much stress or for too long, it can start to have an unhelpful effect on us.
Stress is when you feel overwhelmed or under too much pressure. Stress can affect us physically. Sometimes our bodies might feel very tense, our hearts can beat faster, and it can become harder to sleep.
A little stress can be good and motivate you to achieve goals, like acing an exam or giving a speech. But when it becomes too much, stress can negatively impact our ability to do everyday things like schoolwork, sleep, doing things we enjoy, or the way we interact with others.
Most people experience stress from time to time. And for young people, it's important to remember that your body and brain are developing very quickly. There are many tips for managing stress, but if you’re finding it hard to cope or if your stress lasts a long time, reach out for support – a school psychologist is a good start.
