If only it was sex, drugs and rock and roll: the Modern Dilemma.

Mental health disorders are common in children and adolescents. As GPs we see an increasing number of teenagers with symptoms of anxiety and depression.

 It is a good thing that these young people present for help and recent mental health promotion and increasing recognition and acceptance of these illnesses has helped make it easier for people to seek help.

Anxious Children

Childhood anxiety disorders are one of the most common mental health issues in young people and can often continue in some form into their adult life. There are many helpful psychological strategies they can learn at any age to help manage their anxiety so that it becomes less of an issue. 

A degree of anxiety can be a good thing in all of us by giving motivation to change and adapt to new requirements in the environment. However, if the level of anxiety is not appropriate to the situation or causes a person to avoid doing things that are in their best interest, it can become a problem.

Post Natal Depression

All new parents will experience fatigue and extremes of emotion at some point but how can you tell the difference between simple tiredness and Postnatal depression (PND)?

It is common for new mothers to experience the baby blues in the first few weeks after birth. This can be crying and feeling low, but if these symptoms persist after the first month, or occur in the year after birth, this may be postnatal depression. 

Stress and your Locus of Control

One of the major factors contributing to psychological distress in our lives is the amount of control we perceive we have over our circumstance and events that occur. Much of what happens in our lives we can’t control: from the traffic on the road through to the loss of a loved one, life is full of uncertainty and unpredictability. There are, of course, many things well within our control such as the lifestyle we pursue and how we treat those around us. 

RUOK

RUOK is a suicide prevention charity in Australia, reminding people that having meaningful conversations with mates and loved ones could save lives.

Staying connected and having meaningful conversations is something we can all do. You don't need to be an expert - just a great mate and a good listener. So, if you notice someone who might be struggling - start a conversation.

One of the more common presentations to General Practitioners are complaints of tiredness without any particular other symptoms to suggest a cause. People will just say they feel tired all the time and don’t know why.

Most often no physical illness can be found and the tiredness is related to work/life balance issues, lifestyle factors such as insufficient sleep, life stresses and sometimes mood disorders such as depression and anxiety.