“The human brain… is one of the most complicated material objects in the known universe. The number of possible active pathways of such a structure far exceeds the number of elementary particles in the known universe” - G.M. Edleman (Nobel Prize, 1972)
It is definitely NOT easy being a teenager! It's tough to avoid feeling stressed, and pressure can build up in many areas of life (pressure to be liked, to do well in school, to get along with your family, to perform well in athletics, and to make big life decisions). Worrying about these pressures is NORMAL, but feeling VERY sad, hopeless or worthless might be a sign of a mental health problem.
When the brain is not working properly, one or more of its six functions will be disrupted (thinking or cognition, perception or sensing, emotion or feeling, signaling, physical functions and/or behavior). Symptoms can include thinking difficulties or problems focusing attention, extreme emotional highs and lows and sleep problems. When these symptoms significantly disrupt a person's life, we say that the person has a mental disorder or a mental illness.
Many mental illnesses begin during childhood and persist into adolescence. Some of these include Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs), and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). However, some illnesses begin during adolescence. The illnesses that most often begin during adolescence include Major Depression (MD), Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder (BD), Social Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), eating disorders and addictions.
