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Teenage mental health 

Since the pandemic, young people have been impacted in several ways and mental health difficulties have been on the rise for young people and teenagers. The effects are long lasting and many teenagers are struggling to know what they are feeling, and what to do about it.  Many young people suddenly find themselves surfing a big wave of emotions and, struggling to stand upright,  can feel easily overwhelmed, intense or frustrated. Teenagers can often present with a physical symptom which in part,  is an outward manifestation of unhappiness or anxiety.  They also may lack the emotional insight, vocabulary or maturity to express how they are feeling.

Anxiety is defined as a feeling of worry , nervousness or unease, and a nervous disorder can be marked by excessive uneasiness or apprehension combined with compulsive behaviours or panic attacks.  Although it can manifest as butterflies in the stomach, a dry mouth, nausea, sweating, shortness of breath and feeling  nervous, it is really important to recognise that anxiety is a natural response for the body to have.  Changes that young teenagers are undergoing are physiological and should be what is happening.  The internal feeling states that all come under the umbrella of anxiety or depression include:

  • Stressed, sad, furious, irritable, overthinking, worried, fearful, agitated, restless, uneasy, feeling on edge, hopeless,  cut off, self critical , overwhelmed or constrained.

Issues often arise when children are going through the constrains of life against a background of depleted energy. Over scheduling, too much screen time and mental activity plus a desire for independence, freedom and space balanced against rest, peace and quiet, rhythm and routine with nurturing, protection and care  means that the Yin/Yang of daily life can easily become imbalanced.  Factoring into that computer games and digital media and it's easy to see how the organs from a Chinese Medicine perspective either becomes depleted (sleep disorders), agitated (outbursts of emotions), or 'revved up' (constant states of desire - the latest phone, trainers, the quest of instant gratification or the 'perfect selfie'). Behaviours that may arise as a result of an imbalanced internal feeling state can include:

  • Panic attacks, disturbed sleep, trouble concentrating, aggression/flying off the handle, school refusal, self-harm, disordered sleeping or the avoidance of social contact.

In addition to specialised acupuncture treatments, I have a range of support and self care techniques available to teenagers and young adults including acupressure kits, tapping techniques, ear magnets and seeds and an aromatherapy 'survival' kit of essential oil blends.  Please contact me to discuss individual cases and how acupuncture can support you or your child. 

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Tel: 07590 259888 

Clinical Psychologist, Dr Gursharan Lotey has kindly helped put this guide together with us.  There are many reasons as to why a teenager may be struggling with mental health difficulties. Whatever the cause, there are numerous ways to help manage and to start feeling better.  

Here are some tips for teenagers to help:

Be kind to yourself - you are important

  • When going through a difficult time, it is easy to think you’re the only one and that there is something wrong with you or your experience. Try not to be too hard on yourself and instead tell yourself it’s ok to feel how you feel, whether it’s anxious, low, angry or confused.
  • Sleep is one of the things which can become disrupted when we feel anxious or low. Sometimes overthinking can keep us up at night, and leave us feeling tired in the day. Try to develop a good sleep routine, where you can feel rested. You may want to develop a night-time routine such as switching off from devices, creating a nice environment, making sure you get to bed early enough to get at least 7-8 hours of rest.
  • Our appetite can also become affected when we don’t feel good. Check what you’re feeding your body as this will also be what you feed your mind. Tips: Try to drink plenty of water, ensure you don’t consume too much sugar, eat foods which are nourishing such as vegetables and fruit.
  • Use your body and breath. Go for a walk, get some fresh air and do exercises/activities to get moving. This will help your body to produce chemicals and hormones which will allow you to better regulate your emotions better. Use your breath to feel grounded, more present, and to feel calmer. Tip: Try 4-2-6 breathing exercise -  breathe in through your nose for 4 counts, pause for 2, and breathe out for 6 counts, practice for a few minutes daily.
  • Use one of our specialised "Magnificent 7" Essential Oil Blends daily such as  Calm, Happy or Sleep.
  • Managing your social media. It’s easy to scroll for a while and not realise where the time has gone. Whilst this may feel like you’re “switching off”, it can create a habit where you’re disconnected from your real life. Sometimes this influences unhelpful comparisons and can maintain overthinking and difficult feelings. Reconnect with other activities you enjoy.
  • Support network. See if you can identify people around you, both friends and family that you can speak to, openly and honestly. It might be helpful to have a supportive adult that you can go to when you need to. If you find this hard, journaling might be helpful to get your thoughts and feelings out.
  • Seek help. If the above hasn’t helped you to feel better, there are trained professionals that can support you in a tailored and personalised way. You can ask your GP for support that is available local to you or check the websites below.

A Parent and Carer's Guide

It can be hard to know what to do if you see your teen struggling, and you’re not sure whether it’s normal teenage development, or if it is something to be more concerned about. Building a good relationship with them will protect against their mental health difficulties becoming worse. They will feel more able to manage knowing that they have a support system. The following pointers can help you offer your support and hopefully work things out together:

  • Try to speak to them about what is going on. Gently engage in conversation saying that you have noticed changes and that you want to help.
  • Validate their feelings, encourage them to speak assuring that you will listen. You may want to ask what you can do to help or try to work out what sorts of things make it better or worse.
  • Natural health therapies such as  acupuncture, cranial osteopathy  or specialised chiropractic adjustments can help benefit the growing body 'fit into itself'.
  • Sometimes using an activity to talk can help them to feel more relaxed about voicing their experiences. Suggest going for a walk together, cooking, or listening to music/playlists.

If they don't want to talk, or just find talking hard then  you can try the following:

  • Let them know you are available if they change their mind and that there is no pressure, for example, “when you feel ready to talk, I am here for you”.
  • Explore whether texting or other forms of communication better suits them e.g. writing things down.
  • Reassure them – that whatever they are feeling is normal/understandable, and that it is also temporary.
  • Encourage them to speak to a professional, or someone else if they feel more comfortable.

Further support for teenagers and parents:

Dr Gursharan Lotey - Glow Therapy https://glowtherapy.co.uk 07849 933931

Young Minds - https://www.youngminds.org.uk

Mind - https://www.mind.org.uk

Samaritans - https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/schools/young-people/

Get Self Help - https://www.getselfhelp.co.uk