Mental health
You may feel that mental health only affects adults, but this is not true.
Growing up can be a stressful and emotional time. How you deal with stress and your emotions will have an effect on how their mental health. Examples of things that are likely to affect your mental health are:
- when someone you love dies
- puberty and hormonal changes
- bullying and peer pressure
- abuse
- not feeling loved
If at any time you feel that you cannot cope with life and things around you, find support.
If you don't get help, it will only make the problem worse. Some mental illnesses triggered by these stressful events could mean you end up always anxious, not be able to sleep, having nightmares or you change the way you behave.
Not getting proper help could lead to you trying to cope with your worries by using other methods, such as alcohol and drugs.
Good physical health means good mental health. If you are very worried or unhappy, you may eat too much or too little, or eat the wrong foods – in other words, too many sweets and fatty food – and your body won't function well. This can make you feel ill and if your body feels ill, this too can affect your mental health.
Most adults will be willing to help you. If they can't, they will know where you can get help. If you have any worries about your mental health, please speak to someone you trust. Don't be frightened to tell them how you are feeling.
You can get more information from NHS Choices: mental health services information for children and young people.