Mental Health is how people think, feel and act as they face life, handle stress, relate to other people and make decisions. Teenagers can have mental health problems that can lead to upset with school, friends, and family, and some things increase your risk:

• Violence, witnessing or being a victim of abuse or drive-by shootings or disasters.
• Stress related to serious hardships
• Loss of important people through death, divorce or broken relationships.

Being sad or feeling hopeless, and feelings do not go away.

• Being very angry and overreacting.
• Feeling fearful or having fears that don’t make sense.
• Being unable to get over the loss or death of someone.

• School grades start to go down.
• Losing interest in things you enjoyed.
• Avoiding friends and/or family.
• Day dreaming too much and not completing tasks.

• Unable to make up your mind or concentrate.
• Worrying about being harmed or hurting others.
• Racing thoughts that are almost too fast to follow
• Nightmares.

• Using alcohol or other drugs.
• Eating large amounts of food or worrying about weight gain.
• Doing things that can be life threatening.
• Breaking the law, or setting fires, or hurting other people.

Getting the right help is important.

Talk to some adult about your concerns and ask questions of anyone who might want to help you about what they think the problem is and what they think will help.