Page 5 - Teens and Mental Health

Mood swings and periods of sadness are a normal part of being a teenager. Cause
for concern arises when one’s moods and feelings negatively affect one’s ability to
lead a full and healthy life.

of normal human experience. Everyone experiences sadness,

stress, anxiety, and negative thoughts from time to time, and many
people find it hard to cope when they hit a rough patch. For teens
in particular, varying emotions and moods are a normal part of
development. So is a certain amount of gloominess and angst.
The difference between ordinary emotional struggles and mental
health problems comes down to degree and duration. As the US
Department of Health and Human Services defines them, mental
illnesses are conditions “characterized by alterations in thinking, mood,
or behavior (or some combination thereof) associated with distress

and/or impaired functioning.” In other words, negative mental and
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emotional states become a problem when they have a serious impact
on a person’s life. Psychological symptoms that are very intense, last
a long time or occur very frequently, and significantly disrupt daily life
may be signs of an illness.

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