Mental illness is something that, as stigmas around it break down, is found more and more commonly in society. It’s in issue that comes in many forms across a wide spectrum of severity and more people are realising how to best access professional help with their issues.

The teenage years are some of the most stressful and demanding a person can go through. Not only are their bodies and hormones changing, but the way they see their place in the world as well.

Issues like depression and anxiety are very common amongst teenagers and its good idea for them to speak to a professional psychologist for teenagers. They have a unique understanding of youth and how NDIS psychology in Campbelltown can best to assist young people with these issues.

Let’s take a look at some of the major signs that a teenager can benefit from seeking out therapy.

They have trouble expressing their feelings

Whether they find it difficult or outright refuse to, many teenagers do not often reveal their true feelings. A therapist is an unbiased professional who can talk to them in a relatable way and teach them how to process and express their emotions.

When young people bottle-up their feelings they are prone to act out behaviourally in acrimonious, aggressive or even violent ways. They can become anti-social and misanthropic in general which affects their home life with family.

Therapists are experts at prompting patients to outpour their emotions and find ways to articulate them. They will often discover new things about their emotions and what’s triggering them.

Their academic performance is worsening

If a young person is suddenly dropping in grades in a way that seems inordinate, it may be because of an underlying issue. They may feel unmotivated or disillusioned with the future that schooling can give them.

Therapists also act as somewhat of a life-coach. They can help young people to discover what they really want in life and advocate the educational pathway to achieve it.

They carry out self-destructive behaviour

This can be related acting out behaviourally but also can be caused by environmental influences. If they are socially isolated, bullied or alienated in other ways they may begin to blame themselves and seek out destructive behaviour.

This can range from abuses of drugs and alcohol to self-harming and suicidal thoughts. If left unchecked, these issues can spiral out of control and have sinister consequences.

It’s important that young people suffering from these types of issues seek out professional therapy so that they can begin a path to recovery. These issues can be highly related to mental illness and may require a therapist to organise more intensive treatment.

They have trouble with their identity

Forming an adult identity is one of the biggest parts of what a young person goes through in their formative years. A mix of experience, environmental factors, relationships and other factors are all concentrated and form the adult person they will become.

This process is far from seamless, with many young people experiencing issues with their identity. This can range from anxiety about what style their hair is to being unsure of their gender or sexual orientation.

Societal stigmas that linger can force young people to repress true feeling about their identity in order to conform and this is very unhealthy.  A psychologist for teenagers is an expert at helping them talk honestly about their identity issues in a safe and unbiased environment.

Because young people can feel very ashamed or embarrassed about their identities it may be hard to identify these issues. Therefore it’s important that parents are open with their children and act on their suspicions about their well-being.