It is usually assumed that disturbed sleep is a symptom of depression. But health-care professionals are starting to think that maybe that idea is putting the cart before the horse, especially with adolescents. For example, a study of more than 350 middle- and high-school students found that sleep irregularities may actually happen before mental health problems.
The study indicated that teens with insomnia were more likely to have depression, generalized anxiety disorder, and panic disorder—and that early treatment of insomnia might have prevented the onset of depression in almost half of the cases.
When adolescents experience disturbed sleep, it usually occurs in the following ways:
Continue reading Treating Teen Insomnia Could Prevent Mental Illness
There’s a myth that has circulated for a long time that we have somewhere between 50,000 and 80,000 thoughts per day. This would mean that each minute, we’re thinking 35 to 50 thoughts. The reality is that nobody knows how many thoughts we humans have per day … but we certainly have many! And for those with anxiety and depression, a majority of those thoughts may be automatically negative.
Summertime is something students look forward to all year. But some people develop the “summer blues.” For these people, the summer’s brutal heat, bright light, and long days can contribute to depression. Also, when there are no plans or structure, as there is in the school year, the days can get boring. And boredom sometimes leads to sadness.
Have you ever eaten a load of sugar like a huge ice cream bar and felt kind of crummy? Have you noticed that when you eat lots of fruits and vegetables you feel better overall? That’s because what you put in your body and you brain and very connected. After all you’re all connected. Just as the the thoughts you think will affect how you feel, so too what you eat will affect how you feel.
How many times does your child log onto Facebook in a week? How many times in a day? More than once today?