Local mental health professionals say they have been receiving more calls from teens who are having a hard time not being able to see friends and that they are feeling isolated and depressed.
23ABC spoke with local mental health professionals to find out what some of the signs of depression and anxiety are and how to reach out to your child if they are hurting.
TEENS WHO ARE HAVING AHARD TIME NOT BEING ABLE TO SEEFRIENDS AND THAT THEY AREFEELING ISOLATED AND DEPRESSEDDURING THIS TIME.23ABC'S BAYNE FRONEY SPOKE WITHLOCAL MENTAL HEALTHPROFESSIONALS TO FIND OUT WHATSOME OF THE SIGNS OFDEPRESSION AND ANXIETY ARE ANDHOW TO REACH OUT TO YOURCHILD IF THEY ARE HURTING.BAYNE?THATS RIGHT JESS I SPOKE TOBEHAVIORAL HEALTH EARLIER TODAYWHERE OFFICIALS SAY GENERICALLYSPEAKING 1 IN 5 STUDENTS SUFFERFORM SOME TYPE OF ANXIETY ORDEPRESSION IN THEIR MIDDLESCHOOL OR HIGH SCHOOL YEARS.BUT NOW, THEY SAY THEY'VE SEENAN INCREASE IN PHONE CALLSFROM TEENS ASKING FOR HELP."WE DO GET A LOT OF CALLS FROMTEENS.THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT ISSUESWITH THEIR PARENTS, THEY ARETALKING ABOUTDRUG USE, THEY ARE TALKING ABOUTBEING AWAY FROM THEIR FRIENDSAND THEYCAN'T STAND THAT, THEY'RESOMETIMES TALKING ABOUTSUICIDE."BEHAVIORAL HEALTH OFFICIALS SAYTHEY'VE SEEN MORE TEENS CALLINGFOR HELP, WHO ARE BATTLINGANXIETY AND DEPRESSION.THEY SAY THOSE DISORDERS CANTAKE ON MANY DIFFERENT FORMSIN TEENS."A LOT OF PARENTS, ESPECIALLYWITHTEENS, OH THEY'RE JUST ACTINGLIKE THAT BECAUSE THEY'RE ATEEN, THATCOULD BE, BUT I WOULD RATHER ASKAND SAY 'HEY LOOK ARE YOU OK?'"BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND ASPIRECOUNSELINGSERVICE SAY SOME OF THE MAINSIGNS INCLUDE, SELF-ISOLATING, FEELING WOUND UP,RESTLESSNESS,DIFFICULTY SLEEPING, UNEXPLAINEDOUTBURSTS, AISOLATING, FEELING WOUND UP,RESTLESSNESS, DIFFICULTYSLEEPING, UNEXPLAINED OUTBURSTS,ADECLINE IN ACADEMIC PERFORMANCEOR OVER USE OFDRUGS AND ALCOHOLTHEY SAY ANXIETY AND DEPRESSIONCAN ALSO TAKE ON FORMS OF SELF-HARM, SUCH AS CUTTING OR EATINGDISORDERS,ESPECIALLY IN GIRLS.BUT FOR BOYS, MENTAL ILLNESS CANLOOK DIFFERENT."FOR MEN, YOU WILL SEE IT INTERMS OFIRRITABILITY, AGITATION, ACTINGOUT, EXPLOSIVENESS BECAUSE THESEARELIKE SOCIAL ACCEPTABLE WAYS TOEXPRESS THEIR EMOTIONS."PROFESSIONALS RECOMMEND CREATINGA SUPPORTIVEENVIRONMENT TO HELP YOUR KIDFEEL LIKE THEY CAN EXPRESSTHEMSELVES."WE ARE DEALING WITH AN ILLNESSPROCESS, SO I DON'T KNOW ABOUTYOU BUT WHEN SOMEBODY IS SICKTHE LAST THING I'M GONNA DO ISCOME IN THERE AND GET AGGRESSIVEWITH THEM, OR TELL THEMEVERYTHING THEY'RE DOING WRONG,OR CRITICIZING, AGAIN WE AREGONNA APPLYLOVE, WE ARE GONNA SUPPLYUNDERSTANDING, WE'RE GONNA TRYANDMEET THEM WHERE THEY'RE AT."AN OPEN LINE OF COMMUNICATION ISKEY IN HELPING YOUR CHILD BEHEARD AS WELL AS GETTING MEDICALAND PROFESSIONALHELP."ASK THEM, FIND OUT WHAT ISGOING ON, WEKNOW THAT IF WE ASK PEOPLEWHAT'S GOING ON IN ANON-JUDGMENTAL WAY,PEOPLE WILL TELL YOU."IF YOU EVER NEED HELP OR SOMEONETO TALK TO, YOU CAN CALLBEHAVIOR HEALTH CRISIS HOTLINEAT 800-991-5272 FOR NOW INBAKERSFIELD, BAYNE FRONEY 23ABCCONNECTING YOU
