Challenges come to us daily in life. As teenagers, we often face challenges related to relationships, sports, peer pressure, bullying, obesity, school bullying – the list goes on and on. It is important to remember that these challenges do not necessarily mean the end of the world as some of it prepare us to a better future as well as we learn from it. Indeed, most of our challenges are short-lived and with a little work we can overcome our problems, some time we need to be gratitude in our situation and flip round the challenges in area of positive instead of negative area.
The topic that is emerging around the world today is young people in mental health. All teen anxiety, depression and other mental health problems are increasingly common in adolescents for many reasons such as developmental changes like hormonal changes and societal pressure. Our brains are asking for rest, but many of us forget to take care of our brains.
What is this mental health?
Evidence shows that 1 in 4 of us suffer from mental health problem. Mental health is just as important as physical health. Every young person knows that a broken arm takes cast and time to heal. What about our brains? Do we know how to support a part of our body that is most important? All teens should know the basics of dealing with mental health problems, but not all of us know.
Many studies have found out that there are things that every young person should know about dealing with a mental health problem. These tips apply to teens who have a hard time maintaining their mental health, and teens who know someone who is struggling to maintain their mental health. Here are top ten!
Young people struggling with mental health problems
1. Asking for help when dealing with mental health problems is a sign of strength.
It will take a lot of effort, personal responsibility, and courage to come forward and accept that you may not be able to face your challenges alone. Let face it there are this saying like a problem shared is problem solve. There is nothing wrong with asking someone for help. Sometimes young people are afraid to talk. We may feel angry with others or feel sorry for others. We are afraid that people will think we are weak because we cannot do it all ourselves or letting the family down.
For three straight months I cried every day at school. I refuse the help. I’m embarrassed to say that I’m too worried. I finally got to the point where I found help acceptable. It was at this point that I felt like I wasn’t alone for the first time in months. Ask for help to gain confidence and it will not be a sign of weakness at all. Asking for help would give you opportunity to get other person idea and perspective which you have not thought about before.
2. Living a healthy lifestyle helps to keep one mind balance.
During adolescence, things constantly change, and we are constantly evolving. We are growing and becoming more independent. It is our responsibility to make sure we make healthy choices.
We need the right amount of sleep. I spent most of the night early and the next morning my brain was unconscious. I have a hard time focusing on school and sometimes I even get a little hurt. My solution is simple. Go to bed at the right time! Having a good night sleep helps the brain function properly and increase our immune system.
We also need a fair amount of exercise. Exercise has proven to be a great way to relieve stress. It helps me feel better inside and out. Good nutrition has helped me feel better inside and out.
3. You are powerful and positive self-affirmation
“I have control over my life.” “I’m wise.” “I’m unique.” “I have a purpose!” Giving recommendations to yourself every day is a good reminder that you have the power. It is about recognizing what you can control and what you cannot.
We all have incredible abilities, incredible experience, and passion. They should not be overlooked. They should be constant reminders that you can overcome and that positive results are possible. Language is important and avoid derogatory language.
As I deal with (and continue to deal with) my mental health issues, I think about all the good things about myself. I remember being told that I was ugly, stupid, and useless. For a long time, those were the only words I heard, and I found that my power overcame those words are within me. I can prove that everyone is wrong. It took a while, but mental health issues did not overwhelm me. This is because I have used my strength to do good and focus on tiny positive change on daily basis which compound to massive positive outcome for my mental health.
4. There are tons of different coping strategies to manage mental health.
Mental health problems are controllable, is about working and enjoying life irrespective of our deficit. There are many ways you can find out how to manage your mental health. Identifying the best embarrassing strategies makes a huge difference. I spent months trying to find ideas that made me feel comfortable. I have finally discovered that music is my passion and closest connection. Singing, listening to motivational talk, playing the guitar, and recording new creations took me to a place where I felt there was light. Engaging myself in activities distract my mind and keep me focus and help me appreciate life a bit more. To this day, listening to music is still my favourite pastime. In the end, I live a happy life no matter the challenges, I do not feel very depressed, finding one reason that make you happy would help you to identify many more reason to keep going.
5. Surround yourself with people who are healthy for you make the healing process easier.
They say tell me the friend you keep, and I will tell you who you are. If you associate yourself to wealth person that trait would rub towards you as you would learn one or two things that would enhance your financial outcome. The same can be said with mental health well-being. Involving self in a bullying and unfriendly relationships make dealing with mental health problems much more difficult. Finding friends who support and care for you will help keep you positive in your life. Relieve much of the pain that comes from experiencing mental health problems. Good support network is great assess as they help in recovery journey talk more about support, support groups, family for support. You need to be careful not to overdo it and say that support itself takes pain away from mental health problems. Also, you need to know the type of friend and family you have to see if they are beneficial to you as some people comes from high expression family who put you on pressure on individual to be something they don’t want to be which may compound and exacerbate their mental problem. So, finding a balance is the key to take home here.
6. Young people who struggle with mental health problems are often misunderstood by their peers.
Education and better understand mental health in general. The more you know, the less you will judge. Ignorance should not be a factor that prevents us from understanding a partner. As young people, we are also too ready to judge. Not knowing someone is not an excuse to judge that person. Helping someone is trying to create a comfortable environment instead of scary and putting yourself in that person shoe.
7. Sharing of knowledge reduces stigma.
Stigma surrounds our teenage world. To eliminate the stigma, we need to understand. One way to do this is to start or join a mental health team on campus. There are mental health awareness teams like NAMI on the campus that have already been created. Joining such a group, or starting your own, is a great step toward reducing the stigma surrounding mental health.
It is also important to refer others by name, or a name they have clearly indicated they would like to call them. Labelling and branding is a common stigma among young people that causes pain and suffering to others. Derogatory names like psycho, crazy, retarded are unacceptable. Respect and dignity are needed.
8. Your friend may have emotions that prevent him from talking to you.
We all have some bad or crisis episode treat your friend with caution would help. They may need space but be sure to let them know you are there to help. Give them your true love and support. Try to include your friends in the activities you participate in or at least invite them. The worst part is when they treat you like an adversary. It is very difficult to open about a mental health problem. Giving your friend time can be a great way to practice. Your friend is likely to be frustrated, and this may lead to a breakup. Maybe that is why they are not in a hurry to talk to you. Giving them time to do thing when they are ready would empower the person instead of pressure piling on the person.
9. The stability of your support really helps a person experiencing a mental health problem.
Many clients with mental health problem have been let down in the past in one way or the other from family, friend and from services provider. Steady and frequent support gives the person a rock, shoulder to lean on. Being non-judgemental and keeping an open one will let you see how your friend feels. Teens with mental health problems really need someone to take care of them, encourage and promote their independent as possible. They need someone who is genuine, trustworthy, reliable and wants to help them rather than someone who see them as burden or irritating and or to take advantage of them.
10. Living a good life can be helpful.
Dealing with a mental health problem can be quite overwhelming. Having positive vibes with you is a great way to improve your friend’s mood. Possibilities is a way to find hope and see light in any situation, or at the end of the tunnel, and so on.
Leading by example of a good life can be a revelation to the struggling person.
This list of 10 things that every young person should know about dealing with a mental health problem is a start. Add it to this list as you learn new things about mental health. Remove anything that you think is not good for your life. Just remember to do everything with purpose, love, and care!
You can visit or help a teenager visit places like local accident and emergency (A&E) to speak with a mental health practitioner, Mental Health Crisis Team and Mental Health Charity e.g. The Samaritan in the UK. This could help you or help someone out there get a remedy to his/her mental challenges
There is this saying prevention is better than care, seeking advice on time without delay and helping teens fight against mental health can be of great help to reduce mental cases around the globe. Are you experience mentally problem? Or know anyone who is? “You are not alone and is ok not to be ok”. Do drop your message on the comment box. And don’t forget to like and share to help others outside. Don’t forget to also subscribe to the goal.
