Month: July 2017

How can teenagers develop depression?

ccasati Mental health

As a teenager, running into mental health issues are more common than people think.

One of the most over looked illnesses is depression, therefore making sure you are alert to some of the symptoms can help you discover it early. Many people, even parents of suffering teenagers, can mistake mental illness for sadness and attribute it to being young.

However, many teens are now struggling with depression for many different reasons. Teenagers can experience depression in a manner very similar to adults, although it can be a lot harder for them to process these emotional changes making them more prone to taking extreme action. Having emotional highs and lows are normal; without sadness there would technically be no way to feel happiness.

However, being in a slump for months at a time is a definite sign of an untreated mental illness. Knowing some reasons why teenagers would develop a mental illness and how to treat it can stop any fatal incidents before they occur.

A few symptoms of depression

There is a wide range of symptoms a teen may showcase that can give away a mental health disorder. If a teen has low self-esteem, it may mean that they are suffering from depression. Not being able to develop confidence in any areas of your life may mean that they have a mental health issue that should be treated.

Another sign of depression is if they are frequently lashing out at people closest to them for the smallest of reasons. Being irritable and constantly angry is a sign of feeling insecure about themselves and unable to bring happiness into their own lives.

If they are spending a lot of time on their own or do not have many friends, this can also mean they are suffering from a mental illness. They want to lock themselves away from the world, maybe they do not feel worthy or lack the confidence to be a part of a friend group.

Finally, if they have irregular sleeping or eating habits it could mean something is happening biologically that is affecting their daily routines. If you feel a loved one or a friend has been showcasing some of these symptoms, it could be time to reach out for help.

There are many rehab centers that can provide the help and care for a suffering teenager. Having depression is a very unpleasant experience; therefore getting the right help is crucial to getting them back on the right path.

Depression is a much more common illness than people think; it has caused a lot of suicidal deaths for people ranged 10 to 24, thus finding help is a necessity if you think someone you know has depression.

Why do teenagers develop depression?

One of the reasons some people take depression lightly is they do not fully understand why teenagers would develop depression.

From the outside, everything may seem normal; however, deep down, there could be something seriously wrong which needs to be addressed. Depression can be developed mainly as a reaction to environmental stresses; these can include trauma, such as verbal, physical, or sexual abuse.

If a teen was abused physically or emotionally from a young age, it drastically increases their chances of developing depression in later years of their childhood.

Although this is not the only reason depression may develop. Sometimes it is a genetical problem and there are blood tests that can test for depression.  

Other external events that can affect teenagers are the death of a loved one, school problems, or being the victim of bullying or peer pressure. Any such events that are dramatic in a teenager’s life can cause them to react very intensely. This may mean they want to hide away and deal with their issues on their own, and over the period of months or years, a serious mental health issue may occur.

There is no time to waste when it comes to mental health; it can affect every aspect of a young teen’s life. Make sure to look out for symptoms and understand the right ways to treat it!

The importance of being mindful

ccasati Holistic therapy, Mental health

From a personal and outside experience, it seems that many people rush around in their daily lives and do not stop to think about what is actually going on around them.

Many people are so busy they do not give themselves a chance to relax throughout the day which can lead to increased levels of stress and anxiety. This can be an uncomfortable experience and it is definitely best to avoid this happening if possible.

There are a few ways to deepen our senses and come to terms with what brings value to our lives and what we should let go of, such as these stresses and worries that we sometimes bring into our lives unnecessarily.

Having a designated time and space where you feel safe is especially important in letting go of these anxieties that can make you feel trapped in your day to day lives. There are a few methods that can greatly help relieve these tensions, such as relaxation techniques and other options you can use to wind down after a long day, or even in the middle of it.

Making sure you are being mindful and aware of the present and what is going on around us can greatly improve your quality of living. Mindfulness practice is a form of holistic therapy that can be used for effective stress management, anxiety disorders, and in some cases, drug addiction treatment.

Some ways to relieve anxiety

Whether you are currently having a terrible day, need to relax after a stressful day of work, or need some space after taking the kids to an event, there are a few ways to unwind and reconnect with ourselves.

Understanding your personality and what you enjoy will determine what methods are the right ones for you. Many people do not fully appreciate the benefits of ‘switching off’ a few minutes a day. It can rejuvenate you mentally and give you an extra boost for the rest of day.

The process of letting go and being mindful only comes when you are in touch with your entire body. This means that you can feel all of your senses strongly, from the breeze touching your skin to the faintest smells that your nose is picking up. Allowing yourself to be in control of these senses, while emptying your mind and letting thoughts pass through without judgment, is the key to having a mindfulness practice.

Activities which lend itself to this type of mindfulness practice are yoga, meditation, visualization, or even sports where you have a singular focus that can help keep your mind free.

Visualization, in my opinion, is a great technique that can relieve you of anxiety. In this mindfulness-based exercise, you will go through the details of a specific event and imagine the desired outcome. Seeing these types of positive visions can relax the mind and bring an upbeat energy to your life.

You will no longer start to worry about the ‘what-ifs’ and only concern yourself with your goals and what you want to happen. However, it is you choose to bring awareness into your life, it should be something you enjoy that allows you step out of your busy day and see the bigger picture.

Alternative practices to achieve mindfulness

A treatment specialist would begin to break down your past and present habits and the way you live, and try to pinpoint the source of the problem. It is a way of fixing the problem long term and not just a short-term fix. They would help you live a more balanced lifestyle allowing the problem to disappear naturally and not forcefully. There is never anything wrong with reaching out for help when it comes to achieving peacefulness in life.

The tough transition from college to employment

ccasati Drug addiction

As college students, they will become the new wave in the workforce world.

However, these young adults do not realize some of the immense pressures that await them can arise from tight deadlines and high expectations that they may not feel they can live up to in the first few months.

This can cause many of these transitioning graduates to panic and look for ways to calm themselves down once they get home from work.

With the stresses of work continually wearing on their mental health, many people become vulnerable to drug abuse. One study showed that 8.7 percent of full-time adult workers aged 16 to 64 used alcohol heavily in one month, 8.6 percent used illegal drugs, and 9.5 were dependent on one or both of the substances during the year.

Yet it is not only the middle-class workers that are susceptible to the lure of drugs and alcohol.

As we know, there is a high percentage of the wealthy population that feel these substances are the answer to some of their problems in life, whether it’s to fit in or to just experience something new. Many affluent individuals find themselves caught in a cycle of addiction which is tough to break.

Although, no matter what background you have, there is always a way to get your life back on track if you truly want to.

There are many different methods to combat these addictions and rehab centers that provide intervention programs of the highest quality.

What professions are more prone to drug abuse?

Depending on what job you have found yourself in, you may be interested to know if you are one of the most susceptible to substance abuse. Many workers in unexpected professions are turning to drugs on the daily to deal with their stress and anxiety, therefore being educated on what professions these are may help you protect yourself or someone you know from these vices.

Being involved in professions such as advertising, cooking, painting, or of course being a bartender are 1.45 to 2.33 times more likely to die to substance abuse than someone not in one of these careers. Along with this, a whopping 10 percent of health care professionals are thought to abuse drugs; this ranges from emergency room surgeons to anesthesiologists.

This is beyond surprising, as the very people who warn you about the dangers of these substances and help you recover from the effects are some of the people abusing them.

Another surprising statistic is that 44 percent of lawyers reported alcoholism addiction and suffered from a range of mental diseases like depression and extreme stress.

After looking at these kinds of figures and the type of professions with these statistics it’s no wonder that the number of drug-related injuries and fatalities are climbing year after year. If some professions which are the backbone of society, i.e. people in law, health etc. are abusing these drugs then how can they help the rest of us?

Wealth and drug addiction

As discussed earlier, it is not only the working and middle class that can fall into the trap of substance abuse.

Since much of the wealthy has a lot of spending money and ultimately experience unwarranted financial freedom, it’s easy for them to also fall victim to a vicious cycle of addiction. Most of society doesn’t realize that is just as easy, if not easier, for them to have these issues.

It’s important to fight the stereotypes associated with addiction. It isn’t just for the poor and homeless. If you suspect a loved one of having an addiction, looking for a treatment center or interventionist immediately can save a life.