Anxiety is a common everyday feeling that many people feel. However, anxiety can escalate into depression, or could be an anxiety disorder. In these cases, treatment can help.
On this page:
Signs of depression in youth
- Continuous low moods or sadness
- Being irritable or intolerant of others
- Showing feelings of helplessness
- Increasing social isolation
- Little to no enjoyment of things you once liked
Helpful Link from Kids Help Phone
How to treat depression
- Engage in regular physical activity and exercise
- Maintain healthy and regular sleep patterns
- Spend time with friends and loved ones and accept help when offered
- Understand that your mood will improve gradually, not immediately
- Talk to a professional. It’s a great first step to learning more about how you’re feeling and the options around managing your mental wellbeing that will be most effective for you
- Continue to learn more about your depression and maintain awareness of what works and what doesn’t, as you and your doctor try out different treatment options
Signs of anxiety in youth
- Crying a lot
- Constantly worrying about grades
- Always trying to be perfect / Being afraid to make mistakes
- Not sleeping well / Having nightmares
- Being afraid of the dark
- Worrying about something horrible happening to loved ones
- Feeling like you’re going crazy
- Obsessing about dying
- Avoiding friends or social situations
- Being afraid of speaking up and asking questions in class
- Blanking out or freezing up in stressful situations
Helpful Links from Kids Help Phone
Healthy coping mechanisms
- Ask for help
- Blow off some steam with some exercise
- Get some sleep, ensure you’re getting 6-8 hours of sleep a night
- Talk to a professional
Programs/Groups/Resources
Anxiety Canada provides free resources and programs.
HWDSB Teen Activation Group (TAG): TAG is a treatment group for youth (Grade 9-12) struggling with depression and anxiety who are not ready to access other treatment options at this time. The group is based on Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and Behaviour Activation Therapy. The goal of the group is to help child and youth to reduce their depressive and anxious symptoms and increase their overall activity level, so they can access other treatment options or so they no longer require treatment. The group engages in education sessions, as well as, social and physical activities. This is an open group and referrals are accepting on an ongoing basis.
HWDSB TRAILS Anxiety and Depression: TRAILS (Transforming Research into Action to Improve the Lives of Students) groups are designed to help our children and youth (Grades 6-12) who struggle with moderate symptoms of stress, anxiety, and/or depression by teaching evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness skills. TRAILS A+D aims to help children and youth develop effective coping skills and strategies to help manage their emotions and choose helpful behaviours. This is a 10 week program that may be offered virtually and/or in person, as public health guidelines allow. Children and youth who might benefit from the group are primarily having difficulty with both anxiety and depressive symptoms/low mood that is impairing their functioning. Children and youth interested in participating should have some awareness of their struggles and would be motivated to improve their coping skills. Parent sessions are also available as part of the program, so that parents have a better understanding of their child’s mood and anxiety difficulties and effective strategies to continue to improve overall wellbeing. This is a closed group and we are currently accepting applications.
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