12 Common Mental Health Warning Signs in Teens
The consequences of not addressing adolescent mental health conditions extend to adulthood, impairing both physical and mental health and restricting opportunities to live meaningful lives as adults.
Major mental disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder rarely strike out of nowhere. Most often family, friends, teachers, or individuals themselves recognize small changes in their thoughts and behaviors or experience a feeling that “something’s not quite right” before an illness appears in its full form.
Learning about developing symptoms, or early warning signs, and taking action can help. Early intervention may help to mitigate the seriousness of a disorder. It might also be possible to avoid or prolong the onset of a major mental illness.
Today, I will shed light on 12 common mental health warning signs in teens.
Disclaimer: This article is meant for educational purposes only. Do not use information in this or any other article to self-diagnose or diagnose other people. If you feel that you or someone close to you may possess some of the characteristics mentioned in this or any other article on our blog and need help then please, consult a licensed mental health professional. This article is not a substitute for professional advice, but for general guidance.
1. Drop-in functioning —
Constantly feeling sad, nervous, empty, hopeless, pessimistic, guilty, useless, or powerless can take a toll on an individual’s mental health. Personality shifts and changes that are out of character, such as aggressiveness and extreme frustration, may signify the onset of a mental illness.
2. Changes in sleep patterns —
Sleep and mental health are closely connected. Sleep deficiency affects your mental and emotional well-being. Insomnia and other sleep disorders are more common among people who have mental health disorders. Excessive sleeping, sleeping too less, beyond usual teenage fatigue, etc could be some signs that indicate depression or substance abuse, insomnia, and other sleep disorders in teenagers.
3. Mood changes —
If you switch from extremely happy to extremely depressed regularly you may have a medical condition. You should notify your doctor if you experience severe and regular mood swings. They will talk about why you’re getting them and what could trigger them. Extreme mood swings, such as uncontrollable “highs” or feelings of euphoria, and irritability, can be indicators of mental illness in teenagers.
4. Losing interest in hobbies or activities that used to be enjoyable —
Anhedonia (the inability to feel pleasure in ordinarily pleasurable activities) causes people to lose interest in the activities they used to like and to have a reduced ability to sense pleasure. It’s a hallmark sign of major depressive disorder, but it can also indicate the presence of other mental illnesses.
5. Emotional or psychological changes that occur quickly or dramatically—
An unusual drop in functioning at school, work, or social activities, such as quitting sports, failing in school, or difficulty performing familiar tasks can be a sign of mental health disorders in teenagers.
6. Increased sensitivity —
While no one likes to be rejected, some people are more sensitive than others to social rejection. Rejection sensitivity is a trait in which people are so afraid of and averse to rejection that it affects their daily life.
These people are always expecting to be rejected. They also act in ways that drive other people away as they anxiously search for signs that someone doesn’t want to be with them. This action sets in motion a painful cycle that is difficult to break. Increased sensitivity to sights, sounds, smells, or touch, and avoidance of overly stressful environments, may be signs of mental illness in adolescents.
7. Struggling with fatigue or lack of energy –
Depression and chronic fatigue syndrome are two illnesses that can leave you feeling drained even after a full night’s rest. it’s possible to have both conditions at the same time. It’s also easy to confuse exhaustion with depression, and vice versa.
8. Feeling disconnected —
Mental illnesses are characterized by extreme isolation, abandonment of friends and social networks, avoidance of friends and social events, and emotional detachment. Being emotionally distant might help some people avoid unneeded drama, worry, or stress.
For others, detachment isn’t always voluntary. Instead, it is the product of events that prevent the individual from being open and truthful about their feelings. Unreality is a vague impression of being separated from oneself or one’s surroundings.
9. Having thoughts of death or suicide-
Having suicidal thoughts is a hallmark symptom of major depression and depressive episodes in bipolar disorder. Suicidal ideation may be passive (frequently thinking about death but not acting on these thoughts) or aggressive (acting on these thoughts) (making plans to act on your suicidal thoughts).
10. Engage in risky or destructive behavior alone or with friends-
When you engage in self-destructive behavior, whether it’s emotional or physical, you’re committing self-harm. It may be because of earlier life experiences. It may also be linked to a mental health issue like depression or anxiety. Mental health issues can lead to self-destructive behavior.
11. Experiencing unexplained changes in appetite or weight-
Changes in your eating habits could be linked to other mental health problems like exhaustion and a lack of enjoyment from activities. Although lack of appetite is a common symptom of most mental illnesses, feelings of depression or worthlessness may lead to overeating and emotional eating, which is a common occurrence in which the need to eat is unrelated to physical hunger.
Teenagers with a deep fear of gaining weight or a preoccupation with their appearance may suffer from mental health issues.
12. Repeated actions or checking things many times-
This could be done out of fear that something bad may happen. The child may have obsessive thoughts that are not wanted. These feelings are often associated with fears, such as touching filthy things. To cope with his or her fears, he or she engages in compulsive rituals such as constant handwashing, etc.
If a person is having several symptoms at the same time and the symptoms are interfering with his or her ability to evaluate, function, or connect to others, he or she should see a physician or mental health professional. Suicidal thoughts or intent, and thoughts of harming others, need immediate assistance.
Treatment is available for depression, bipolar disorder, and other mental disorders. If you’re struggling to deal with mental illness, remember that there are services available to you, such as online and in-person support groups. If you’re assisting a family member who is struggling with mental illnesses, there are also support groups for caregivers that can offer resources.
References;
Susan Newman Ph.D. (Sep 30, 2016) 13 Possible Signs of Childhood Mental Illness. Retrieved March 18, 2021, from
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/singletons/201609/13-possible-signs-childhood-mental-illness
Ranna Parekh, M.D., M.P.H. (July 2018) Warning Signs of Mental Illness. Retrieved March 18, 2021, from
https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/warning-signs-of-mental-illness
Ann Pietrangelo (Updated on October 22, 2019) Fatigue and Depression: Are They Connected? Retrieved March 18, 2021, from
https://www.healthline.com/health/depression/fatigue#an-unfortunate-connection
Chris Iliades, MD (Updated on September 10, 2012) Depression’s Effect on Your Appetite. Retrieved March 18, 2021, from
https://www.everydayhealth.com/hs/major-depression/depressions-effect-on-appetite/
Ann Pietrangelo (July 21, 2020) Understanding Self-Destructive Behavior. Retrieved March 18, 2021, from
https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/self-destructive-behavior
Stanford Children’s Health. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) in Children. Retrieved March 18, 2021, from
National Alliance on Mental Illnesses. Warning Signs and Symptoms. Retrieved March 18, 2021, from
https://www.nami.org/About-Mental-Illness/Warning-Signs-and-Symptoms
Harvard Health Publishing (March 18, 2019) Sleep and mental health. Retrieved March 18, 2021, from
https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/sleep-and-mental-health
WOW!!!!! SO WELL WRITTEN. 🤩