Anxiety, stress or panic are things everyone experiences sometimes, things most people can manage and cope with most of the time.
But if any or all of those things:
- feels unmanageable for you OR
- keeps happening about things that aren't based in reality OR
- becomes constant or chronic, rather than only happening every now and then, and pretty easily passing in a few minutes, hours or days
Then you probably need some qualified help and information to learn to cope with and manage those ways of feeling, and to reduce how often or intensely they occur.
If what you've been doing to manage these feelings doesn't seem to be making any difference in the long-term, or makes you feel better at first but leaves you feeling even worse later, you'll need qualified help and information to figure out what ways of dealing do work.
Needing mental health help isn't anything for anyone to ever feel ashamed of, just like needing healthcare for our bodies isn't: mental health care is just healthcare for our minds, and it's something many people utilize and benefit from. If a mental health issue, like anxiety, is causing you suffering and getting in the way of your life and how you want to live it, then getting help and learning management skills can reduce or alleviate that suffering. The rates of anxiety disorders -- like OCD, social anxiety or generalized anxiety disorder -- in young people worldwide have been increasing greatly over the last decade, so know that if you're struggling with this, you aren't weird or alone.
If you would like help managing and coping with anxiety or other mental health issues:
- Contact a healthcare provider . You can either start by contacting a mental healthcare provider specifically, or with a general healthcare provider, and ask them for a referral to a mental healthcare provider.
- Look into online support groups specifically for those suffering from anxiety or the mental health issue you're struggling with. Entering "online anxiety support group" into a search engine will net you a range of good results.
- Check out the online, hotline and print resources below for anxiety help.
To find out more about anxiety and get help:
- Anxiety Lies
- Basic self-help strategies (great for calming yourself down right this very second)
- Anxiety information and self-help at MOODJUICE
- The SAM app (excellent, customizable mobile anxiety management tool)
- Headspace(the National Youth Mental Health Foundation, Australia)
- SANE Australia
- Mind UK
- Anxiety UK
- NHS mental health help
- Reach Out (Ireland)
- Anxiety and Depression Association of America
- Finding low-cost mental healthcare in the US
- Anxiety in Teens
- The Anxiety Disorders Association of Canada
Mental health phone hotlines:
- Australia: The SANE Helpline: 1800 688 382
- Australia: Lifeline Australia: 13 11 14
- Canada: Kids Help Phone: 1 800 668 6868
- India: iCALL Psychosocial Helpline: +91-22-25563291
- Malaysia: Befrienders Hotline: 03-79568144 or 03-79568145
- South Africa: The South African Depression and Anxiety Group: 0800 20 50 26
- United Kingdom: MIND infoline: 0300 123 3393
- United Kingdom: Anxiety UK Helpline: 08444 775 774
- United States: National Mental Health Association Hotline: 800-273-8255
Some books for anxiety and stress management self-help:
- My Anxious Mind: A Teen's Guide to Managing Anxiety and Panic by Michael A. Tompkins
- The Anxiety Survival Guide for Teens: CBT Skills to Overcome Fear, Worry, and Panic by Jennifer Shannon LMFT
- The Anxiety Workbook for Teens: Activities to Help You Deal with Anxiety and Worry by Lisa M. Schab
- The Mindful Way through Anxiety: Break Free from Chronic Worry and Reclaim Your Life by Susan M. Orsillo PhD and Lizabeth Roemer PhD
- The Mindful Teen: Powerful Skills to Help You Handle Stress One Moment at a Time by Dzung X. Vo MD, FAAP
- Fighting Invisible Tigers: Stress Management for Teens by Earl Hipp
- My Age of Anxiety: Fear, Hope, Dread, and the Search for Peace of Mind by Scott Stossel