Being a teenager can sometimes feel like a roller coaster. It’s important to know the difference between mental health issues and life’s flat spots – and get support or treatment early.

Sometimes life’s ups and downs are more than just the usual ups and downs.
Depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts may be caused by a combination of factors, including:

• Stressful events like the break-up of parents, or loss of a loved one;
• A family history of depression;
• Relationship break-ups or problems with friends;
• Learning difficulties; or
• Social isolation such as having no friends or whānau that you feel connected to.

Checking on our mental wellbeing is helpful during times of changes or challenges. Having good mental health allows us to:

• Develop a sense of who we are including our identities, values, and beliefs;
• Cope with strong emotions;
• Work out how to get on with the people around us;
• Get by at school, work, and home;
• Have respect for ourselves and others;
• Express what we’re thinking and how we’re feeling; and
• Accept responsibility for our own thoughts and actions.

What you can do if you are stuck feeling bad

There are heaps of ways you can start tackling feeling bad, overwhelmed, or just plain sad. A lot of them are pretty easy too, like getting some fresh air and sleeping better.

• Find out more about the Five Ways to Wellbeing (Mental Health Foundation).
• Explore ways to help yourself (The LowDown).

It’s OK to ask for help – especially before your stress or anxiety escalates into something more serious.

Talk to someone you trust like a family member, your doctor, or school counsellor.

You can also ask questions or chat anonymously about your feelings with one of many support services just for young people.

Common Ground: An innovative project to help young people

Common Ground aimed to give parents, families, whānau, and friends of young people easy access to information to help support young people to:

• manage hard times;
• enjoy positive mental health and wellbeing; and
• get the right kind of help when they need it.

Tools and support are available for whānau from the Common Ground website.

Visit the Common Ground website for more information.

Anna Wilkinson, School Nurse