Adolescence is a challenging time for any young person, but for neurodivergent teens—those with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other neurodevelopmental conditions—these challenges are often amplified. While neurodevelopmental conditions are not mental health disorders, neurodivergent individuals experience mental health struggles at significantly higher rates than their neurotypical peers. Yet, mainstream conversations about youth mental health often
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During adolescence, children and teenagers start to become more aware of how other people may see them and their social status among their peers. Over the past few decades, media aimed at this age group has become more focused on narrow ideals for men’s and women’s bodies and impossible beauty standards. It’s around this age
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Bipolar disorder is an often misunderstood mood disorder that combines elements of other conditions. Though it’s relatively common and treatable, getting an accurate diagnosis can be a challenge. The symptoms of bipolar disorder can vary a lot from person to person. If you experience this condition, it may take months or years for all of
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Many people who survived tragedies like the Holocaust, Hiroshima, and the HIV/AIDS crisis struggled to understand why they made it yet so many others didn’t. The sense of remorse or regret that they felt is called survivor’s guilt. It’s a feeling anyone can experience after a traumatic event where other people were injured or killed.
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There are times in each person's life when we must lose things or people that are dear to us. Grief for unexpected losses can bring shock, denial and overwhelming sadness. When we do have some warning about a death in the family, a job loss or a big move, it can cause a different kind
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Young people in their preteen and teenage years are known for having intense emotions. It takes time and experience for people to learn healthy ways to manage their feelings. To someone on the outside, suicidal thoughts may seem extreme or dramatic. The person experiencing them, more often than not, is so overwhelmed or exhausted that
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Being alone sometimes can be a good thing. You can decompress in your room at the end of a stressful day. Perhaps you see a movie that your friends wouldn’t be interested in. Giving yourself some alone time can help you gain independence, self-sufficiency and confidence in your sense of self. However, being alone is
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While therapy is essential for treating anxiety and depression, medication can also play a role in your mental health journey.  There are several different types of medicine that may be effective in helping you manage your anxiety and depression symptoms. If you’re unsure about how they all differ and how they can work to improve your
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Anxiety can manifest in many different ways for teens. Some may start sweating and trembling when they get overwhelmed by worry or uncertainty. Others have changes in their sleeping or eating patterns. It’s also possible for teens to focus on rigid routines as a way to reduce their anxious thoughts and feelings. Those routines can
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There are unavoidable aspects of being a teen that can affect your child’s mental health, such as difficult schoolwork and planning for the future. However, bullying is an issue that should be addressed to not only stop the harmful behavior, but also reduce the impact it can have on a teen’s mental and emotional well-being. Bullying
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Depression symptoms in your teen are always concerning, no matter how severe they are. It’s common to only associate depression with overwhelming sadness, isolation and extreme fatigue. Those symptoms come from major depressive disorder. However, there’s a less severe yet more chronic type of depression that can impact your teen’s overall quality of life: persistent
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Has your child been the victim of bullying? Bullying, whether in school or online, can have a profound impact on your child’s mental health. It can lead to trauma, depression, school avoidance and more. If your child is being bullied, you may want to take action right away. While early intervention is key, it’s also
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