Teens and college students can easily feel anxious trying to juggle school, work, friends, and family while trying to figure out the rest of your life. Most of us bounce back. But frequent, intense, and uncontrollable anxiety that interferes with your daily routines may be a sign of an anxiety disorder. Read more ›
In many ways, college offers a “blank slate” and is the perfect time and place to reinvent yourself. Between the independent living, opportunities to pursue your own interests, new people to meet, and different social scenes to become a part of, it may feel like you can leave your pre-college self behind and start over.
Despite these many ways to reinvent yourself, if you are living with a mental health disorder it’s important to remember that your condition still exists and can’t be ignored or erased as you work on establishing your “new” self. Read more ›
To help put a thoughtful plan into place should a mental health condition arise, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and The Jed Foundation have created a guide to help start the conversation. It offers both parents and students the opportunity to learn more about mental health, including what the privacy laws are and how mental health information can be shared. Read more ›
College means new freedoms and new opportunities. Making the transition to college isn’t easy for anyone. Classes will be more difficult than high school and you have to plan ahead and motivate yourself to study. Plus you may have the new and stressful experience of living with a randomly-assigned roommate. All these things can impact your mental health. To make sure you succeed in college, know where to find support and how to put your best foot forward. Read more ›
NPR host Sarah McCammon interviews Mira, a Michigan teen with generalized anxiety disorder, who shares her struggles and coping strategies in this 4-minute podcast. Read more ›
Millions of young voters are gearing up to vote in November—many for the first time—but feeling overwhelmed by the constant barrage of information on social media. Read more ›
Eating disorders are thriving during the pandemic. Hotline calls to the National Eating Disorders Association are up 70-80% in recent months. For many, eating is a form of control — a coping mechanism tied to stress. Food scarcity and stockpiling behavior can trigger anxieties about eating, or overeating among some. Read more ›
For her Girl Scout Gold Award project, local teen Lavanya Kannan chose to tackle an issue that she has personal experience with, invisible disabilities. Read more ›
Depression can be hard to talk about. But if a friend or loved one is depressed, having a conversation about getting help can make a big difference. Use these tips to start talking. Read more ›
Teen depression is a serious medical illness. It’s more than just a feeling of being sad or “blue” for a few days. It is an intense feeling of sadness, hopelessness, and anger or frustration that lasts much longer. These feelings make it hard for you to function normally and do your usual activities. You may also have trouble focusing and have no motivation or energy. Depression can make you feel like it is hard to enjoy life or even get through the day. Read more ›
