“Screening for Depression & Anxiety?”
Female | 18 years old
Complaint duration: 2 years
14 Answers
PsychiatristPsychiatristThank you for asking this. Please know that you are being a lifesaver to your self and are brave to ask this. Even if you experience loneliness, isolation, or fear you are not alone. Supportive communities, groups of encouraging people, people with answers, and people searching together to find new solutions are readily available. Also, while not being a doctor, I am a school psychologist trained to answer with general information. Most of my training is for people early ages to 12th grade. I am trained to know your question in general terms. Any information beyond what I can share, please consult with your physician.
Because I am an M.A., I am always going to start with a focus on faith, family, health, and wellness. I do help a private practice assist families and children. Knowing about teen years and hormones adolescence can help you.
Seek intervention, coping strategies, health, and holistic options as a first line of support before knowing if you need to be screened clinically. Some might recommend formal testing, yet you can start with a selfscreener. If you find any one of the areas is out of sync, and something you can adjust in your daily routine, make the adjustment first. Any treatment is only a mask if the other foundations to health and wellness are not considered. That means having to make daily adjustments.
Interventions could include replacement strategies to alleviate symptoms of withdrawal, loneliness, apathy, fear, vigilance, night terrors, being too alert, and fatigue. A balanced approach to understanding unconditional care from friends and family that also includes healthy food, exercise, and rest is key to revitalization. The more severe, the more likely a physician will consider an intense treatment. I recommend trying moderate sunlight, vitamins, and one activity of enjoyment before you determine if you think you have it.
For teens, those two years for you might have included intense activity, studies, and more. Teens also have been asked to consider more in decisionmaking than is developmentally appropriate. While considering the hormones of teen years combined with moral dilemmas intended for adult years, the response might have been forms of depression andor anxiety. If those factors health, wellness, intense activities, decision making are in sync and feelings of intense depression andor anxiety occurred, do more than a self screener, and consult with a trusted family member and physician.
If something is found, treatment is contingent upon the age and other possible coexisting health needs. Thus, have a trusted accountability friend help you understand what changes you might adjust before assuming a clinical route is needed.
As I reiterated to a previous teen, teen years of adolescence and puberty do have changes in mood. Those changes in mood last several years. They are similar to what happens when children turn two years of age only over a longer period of time. Mood swings can vary in frequency how often, intensity how strong or weak, and duration how long. Because you recently were a teen, many teens experience moodiness. Mood swings characterize adolescence and puberty due to the changes in hormones experienced by teens. Even teens that knew when younger what preferences they had for activities and future work found themselves frequently changing attitudes, preferences, thoughts, and feelings about previously enjoyed activities during puberty. Therefore, be a teen and learn to be comfortable in your skin.
Hormones associated with teen years, while common, are expressed differently in all teens. Because of the intense hormonal changes during puberty, try amidst all the fun to stay on a faithful course for spiritual, emotional, and physical wellness spirit, mind and body. Stick with moral, faithful, and gracious people who understand. Many found that the dangers of moral turpitude combined with hormonal changes only contributed to the challenges. Many teens want moral living for future family, volunteer, work, and community goals, so I do not think it will be as difficult to find others that want to be healthy friends. Many teens want to avoid trouble, so they avoid the offense of moral turpitude. Make sure to rest, sleep, and relax. Scheduling that could be a priority so you do not feel stressed and under pressure trying to get alone time. Add a cushion of time to each day and each week to rest, sleep, and relax.
Take time to consider if your emotions match the situation. If you were to get irritable with a friend, ask yourself this
Was the irritation because of something a friend did or did not do? Did I misunderstand? What the intensity appropriate for the offense someone did? Was the irritation misapplied to someone that did not offend with as big of offense i.e. dishonesty as originally thought?
Was I too sad and dismissive because I did not understand, or was it appropriate because of the event death, loss of job, relationship challenges, grades, other disappointment in an activity?
Was I too fearful, or did the response match the situation an intruder, a violator to the body of a minor even if wanted in the future, a bully, a natural disaster, an accident?
Try your best to see if you can recall the length of time you experienced what you described
a mere matter of days? months? years? only during teen years?
Once you answer those questions, set health goals with the input of a trusted adult, and determine thoughts about teen years, then determine if the moodiness was combined with any other behavior or feeling. PLEASE know this moodiness is not something that can be experienced in isolation if someone has a mood disorder like depression or anxiety.
Again, depression or anxiety are two mood disorders if intense, frequent, and over a certain duration. They can exist together. There is a point when they become disorderly.
IF after your selfcheck and making daily adjustments to consider health, rest, morality to avoid turpitude while enjoying freedom, diet, exercise, and community, you still feel like you might have a mood disorder, do go for a screening.
Webmd, medlineplus.gov, mayoclinic and others even have online screeners to try. Most of those questions will be asked by a physician, MD or DO. Also, remember that most will advice a health physical. That is reason you want to start with a selfcheck and make daily adjustments first to rule in or out any other factors. Making daily adjustments might be your answer. If the fear resulted after an intruder or someone that violated you, adjusting boundaries and setting limits might be what is needed. If the anxious response, however, existed with no stressor or source or if it occurred for a lengthy duration a physician can help you sort through determining the level of significance.
You have been suffering for two years. I am surprised that neither your family members nor your friends have encouraged you to seek help from a licensed psychologist. I would encourage you to contact one in your area ASAP. And in case you have not confided in your family about how you have been feeling for the last two years it is time for you to open up to them and request their help in finding a licensed psychologist in your area. The licensed psychologist will do whatever is necessary about screening and diagnosing. Do not put it off. There is help available in your area. So find it.
Take care and remain safe.
Dr. Lata Sonpal