Stress is the body's reaction to any change that requires an adjustment or response. The body reacts to these changes with physical, mental, and emotional responses. Stress becomes negative when a person faces continuous challenges without relief between stressors, causing wear and tear on the body – both physical and emotional. Signs of stress can show up in various ways like becoming irritable or short-tempered, eating or sleeping habits that change, neglecting responsibilities, getting sick more often, and overall changes in well-established behavior. 

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Depression is a common, but serious mood disorder that occurs when someone feels sad most of each day, for extended periods of time (two weeks or more). It can cause severe symptoms that affect how you think, feel, and handle your relationships and daily activities at home, school, and/or work. There are many symptoms of depression, but some common signs are a persistent "down" mood, feeling hopeless, being irritable, loss of interest in once-loved activities, withdrawal from friends, frequent crying spells, drop in grades,  and a change in eating or sleeping habits.

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Anxiety is where your brain and body perceive ordinary activities or situations as potentially harmful causing you to experience more than a temporary worry or fear. Anxiety becomes a disorder when the feelings interfere with your life. There are many types of anxiety disorders, but a few of the most common are general anxiety, social anxiety, specific phobias, and panic disorders. Symptoms of anxiety can be mental such as having feelings of dread, watching for signs of danger all the time, feeling tense and jumpy, having racing thoughts, and/or trouble concentrating. Anxiety can also have physical symptoms such as a pounding heart, sweating, upset stomach, dizziness, headaches, insomnia, tremors, and/or twitches.

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Self-harm occurs when a person harms their own body on purpose.  It is most commonly used as a form of punishment or as a way to numb or avoid painful memories or feelings. Some examples of self-harm are cutting yourself, punching yourself or things (like a wall), pulling out your hair, breaking your bones, or bruising yourself. Additionally, eating disorders such as restricting, binging, and/or purging foods are considered a form of self-harm. Any of these behaviors can have negative short-term and long-term effects on physical and psychological health. A few common signs of self-harm are wearing long pants or long-sleeved shirts even in hot weather, wearing baggy clothes, brushing off injuries as accidents, needing to spend a lot of time alone, unexplained scars, withdrawing from friends and activities, and/or unpredictable, impulsive behaviors.

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Suicidal Thoughts can arise if a teen is dealing with bullying, conflicts with a loved one, depression, anxiety, loss of someone close, or questioning their sexual orientation. While nobody is immune, there are factors that make teens more vulnerable than others. Many teens who attempt suicide have difficulties in coping with the struggles they face at home and/or school. Experiencing even one of these struggles can lead a teen to suicidal thoughts, so knowing the risk factors, warning signs, and steps you can take are important in preventing suicide. Warning signs could be voicing statements like "I want to kill myself", writing a will, making a plan or researching ways to die, giving away cherished possessions, and/or saying goodbye to family and friends.  They could also include extreme mood swings, a change in eating and/or sleeping habits, taking greater risks, withdrawing from social situations, and/or misusing harmful substances.  If these warning signs apply to you or someone you know, reach out to a professional as soon as possible, particularly if the behavior is new or has increased recently.