How can young people cope with depression and anxiety?

10% of teenagers suffer from depression and anxiety at some point so this is a good question.

In my opinion it is good to create an environment at home where they can talk about their struggles, academic pressures, social problems, feelings, worries, and so on. Because feeling alone and isolated and like nobody can understand you, which a lot of teens feel like, is not the way to get out of depression and anxiety.

Maybe the next step should be seeing a therapist. People often mention that alcohol and drug abuse also make things worse and you want to prevent teens from "self medicating" with these things and steer them in the direction of professional help.

I read that 80% of teenagers with anxiety and 60% with depression are not getting treatment for their disorders, so this is a very serious question! "Cope with depression and anxiety" kind of suggests dealing without professional help, but professional help is what so many teenagers in this position need most! Both on an individual scale and society wide, it appears to me that the best we can do to help teenagers and other young people cope with anxiety and depression is to destigmatize mental health treatment. Mental health problems are so very common and nothing to be ashamed of, and getting treatment for it is as normal as getting treatment for breaking your leg. That is the message that needs to be conveyed.

Well, not with alcohol and drugs, that's for sure. 

Other than that, basically, young people cope with depression and anxiety the same way as everyone else. If it's mild anxiety and depression, better support and techniques you can read about on the internet can come to the rescue. If it's worse, well, I hate to break it and I know it's intimidating, but therapy and medication may be your only way out. You'd be amazed how much better you can feel with some help behind you, once you get over the hurdles of shame and guilt. It's best to do this as soon as possible. 

My son was always painfully shy, starting from toddlerhood to the point of awful, hear wrenching tantrums/breakdowns when I first enrolled him in preschool and never stopping since than. One teacher even commented that he displayed the same symptoms as kids raised in domestic violence environments which was difficult to hear because that was definitely not true!

Years later, he was diagnosed with social anxiety. I kicked myself for not catching on earlier but it answered so many questions! I have actually enrolled him in a virtual public school which the therapist did not necessarily agree with, but since being away from the scenarios that stressed him most he has definitely got better. He's able to connect with people on the internet without any problems at all, the not in person thing helps for sure.

Apart from that, cognitive behavioral therapy. And even the therapist can see the virtual school is helping him thrive, whereas he couldn't concentrate on academics before at all. It's an uphill battle for sure but one I think we are winning.

Cognitive behavioral therapy is the gold standard for treating both depression and anxiety in any age group. Just the CBT might be as effective as just meds or even CBT and meds combined. I think we're moving to a place where medication is often the first thing recommended or talked about, either that or alternative remedies, but here you have a treatment that has been PROVEN to be very effective. After teens *and other age groups too* get over the fear of therapy it really is the very best thing out there.

Cognitive behavioral therapy and interpersonal therapy can definitely help people with anxiety and depression, and because antidepressants are slightly more risky in younger people, I do agree that therapy should always come before meds unless there is a medical emergency.

But at the same time, it's also important to say... antidepressants are there to help. They are being tested in younger people all the time and they can definitely be more effective than therapy alone, when both are done.

There is no need to say no to medications that could really help where they are determined to be appropriate for some people.

Tips for young people with depression:

- Be smart about self care. Your body needs to have its needs met for your mind to get its needs met. Get enough sleep, not too much or too little. Have a predictable daily routine so your body knows what to expect. Eat well, a healthy and balanced diet, not too much or too little. Exercise regularly, but don't get addicted to exercise either.

- Talk to the good, healthy people in your life. Ditch friends who make you feel more depressed, who put you down, who want you to be someone you're not.

Things can get better. If it's so bad that you are feeling suicidal, reach out for help, call the national suicide prevention hotline if that makes you feel safe or even call 911. Make sure to get out every day no matter how bad you feel and look for counseling if you cannot cope.

Keep hope. Things won't always be this way.

I agree with that. For milder depression or low mood, lifestyle changes can make a BIG impact! That it doesn't work if you are suffering from major depression doesn't mean it should not be tried in young people and people of any age group who are suffering from mild depression.

In young people too, it might be hard to tell the difference between depression and just finding yourself, if that makes sense. Teens often go through a stage of soul searching where they are low, feel they don't fit in, need to find their place in the world, need to separate their own identity from their parents', all of those things.

But by the stage you are feeling suicidal or completely hopeless, yes, you do need professional help. Thank God it is available.