Many mental disorders begin in adolescence. What are the reasons and what symptoms are important to pay attention to in time, clinical psychologist Ekaterina Trizmina (Russia) told the sb.by portal.
– In adolescence, certain mental disorders begin to appear in those who are genetically predisposed to them. During this transition period, significant changes occur in a person’s physical, emotional and social development. Teenagers face new life circumstances and stress caused by changes in appearance, communication with new people, academic loads and other reasons. These factors can trigger the development of the disorder. The risk of mental illness increases even more if the child grows up in a dysfunctional environment (for example, lives under the same roof with a person with a psychiatric illness) or experiences a traumatic event (death of a loved one, parental divorce, etc.). A lack of parental love and attention, a low level of social support at school and society (poor relationships with classmates and peers from other groups, conflicts with teachers) can also provoke the development of mental disorders. Most often in adolescence, the following of them make themselves felt.
Depression
Clinical depression in adolescents is manifested by persistently low mood, feelings of sadness, melancholy, despair and other emotional disorders.
According to various sources, from 10 to 20 percent of adolescents suffer from depression.
Psychological vulnerability is caused by rapid growth and hormonal changes in the body, fatigue from stress, increased emotionality, and difficulties in relationships with parents and peers. Teenagers can withdraw into themselves, become irritable, apathetic, and immerse themselves in their inner world and experiences.
A non-specialist cannot distinguish clinical depression from an adolescent crisis, so you should not try to help your son or daughter on your own. Take your teenager to see a psychiatrist who knows the specifics of the disease and has complex diagnostic and treatment methods.
Anxiety disorders
Frequent emotional stress, constant worry, and fears may indicate an anxiety disorder. At the center of a sick teenager’s experiences are negative expectations, “premonitions” of failures and misfortunes regarding his own life, health, relationships with loved ones and friends.
Painful anxiety can be expressed in the form of obsessive thoughts, compulsive actions following an obsessive thought, phobias, panic attacks, and nightmares.
Anxiety disorders, like clinical depression, require consultation with a doctor.
Autism Spectrum Disorders
ASDs are associated with impairments in social interaction, communication, and behavior. Children and adolescents with these characteristics find it difficult to establish contacts with people and maintain friendly relationships. Many people find it difficult to express their thoughts and feelings with words and gestures. Typically, children and adolescents with ASD have a limited range of interests – they are passionate about one single topic (for example, space, drawing), and ignore all others. Also among the symptoms of these disorders are rituals and repetitive behavior (waving hands, repeating the same words), hypersensitivity to sounds, light, and other stimuli.
Eating disorders
These are primarily anorexia and bulimia, which indicate a person’s inadequate attitude towards food and their weight. These disorders are characterized by strong disgust and rejection of one’s body. The teenager suffers from shame and feelings of inferiority, considers himself a freak. He constantly compares his appearance with beauty standards, can severely restrict himself in nutrition, and engage in excessive physical activity in order to find an ideal body. As a result, serious health problems, both physical and mental, often arise.
With anorexia and bulimia, adolescents usually suffer from psychological imbalance. It manifests itself in the form of excessive anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, decreased motivation and emotional instability.
Attention and hyperactivity disorders
This is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (there is a series of materials about ADHD on sb.by, the first of which can be found at link. – Approx. ed.) and attention deficit without hyperactivity.
In adolescence, behavioral, personality, mood, and sleep disorders also appear. Clinical psychologist Ekaterina Trizmina will talk about them in the next article.
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2023-09-10 17:34:43
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