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Teenage Mental Disorders Are Common, And Often Go Untreated

As of 2015, 17.1 million teenagers in the U.S. have or have had a mental disorder -- more than the number of kids suffering from cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined. And knowing what you know about the state of medical care in this country, do you think these kids are receiving the care they desperately need to become functioning adults?

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"God! I'm so tired of these rhetorical questions!"

5

A Suicidal Teenager Acts Exactly Like A Normal One

One of the great tragedies here is that when a teenager acts out due to mental disorders, it often looks no different from everyday teenage drama. And because almost every adult experienced some stress and difficulty navigating their own teenage years, they dismiss it when they see it in other teens, even their own children. "Just a normal part of growing up," or "Walk it off, tiger."

rubberduck1951/Pixabay
Should we ignore our natural inclination to laugh at this girl? Surprisingly, the answer may be "Yes."

In the case of suicide, what sparks a teenager to attempt to take their life is often wildly unpredictable. While "obvious" things like depression or drug use can serve as catalysts for a suicide attempt, everyday setbacks like a breakup or even a bad grade can do the same thing. Even something as explicit as cutting or other self-harming behavior isn't a solid indicator, because teens, being the impressionable little mimickers that they are, have been known to harm themselves not out of their own distress but because they're emulating their troubled counterparts. What would be a great sign of severe emotional distress becomes maddeningly useless.

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Also, many teens are clumsy as f**k.

4

Self-Harm Has Been Scientifically Proven To Work At Regulating Emotions

So we've got a bunch of kids with serious mental health issues, and we're letting them go untreated. The adults around them don't recognize they need help because they're disinterested (or just dumb), and their friends may be as fucked up as they are, so not much help to be found there. So what DIY option are these troubled teens turning to to manage their mental state? Self-harm.

DWilliams/Pixabay
Not a licensed mental health professional.

What's craziest about this is that it actually works. Studies have shown that the infliction of pain can help regulate emotional responses in people. Even if these kids don't understand why cutting or burning makes them feel better, it really is helping them manage their feelings. Combine that with the fact that self-harm releases endorphins which makes the sufferer feel rad, and you can see how easy it is for someone to fall into an addictive and dangerous cycle. And if you understand some of the side effects of scissors and open flames, that's a little bit terrifying.

paulbr75/Pixabay
Hint: They both end up with a trip to this place.

3

Bullying And Racism Physically Weaken Teens

Hey, speaking of harassing vulnerable children, let's turn a chair around backwards here and have a little rap session about bullying. Did you know that aside from the psychological toll that bullying can take on a teen, there are significant physical effects it can have as well?

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And not just noogie-related bruising.

2

Teenage Brains Are Wired To Make s****y Decisions

Kids' brains still aren't fully developed well into their teen years. That's not an insult, but science. The nerve cells that connect the frontal lobes to the rest of the brain still aren't fully attached, which slows down the analytical process and prevents teens from fully considering the consequences of their actions. You know, consequences like "If I do this, will I die?" or "If I do this, will I get kicked out of school?"

DGLimages/iStock
"If I do this, will the living envy the dead?"

1

Society Punishes Teenage Bodies Every Morning

Fortunately, not every teenager has to suffer from mental illnesses, or being bullied, or uncool moms. Some of them even manage to overcome their biological constraints and listen to their parents. Yet even these seemingly perfect, healthy teens will find themselves betrayed by something even more permanent and unrelenting: the Sun.

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"DO DRUGS. DO THEM NOW." -- The Sun