Do you ever feel... like you're not in control?

What is mental health?
Most of us cope well enough with our lives on a day-to-day basis, but sometimes we let our feelings build up and things get on top of us. Our behaviour can become out of order, we become restless, argumentative or even violent. When our lives become as difficult as this, we have Mental Health problems.

When things go wrong:
When things go wrong, young people can experience all kinds of difficulties. They may not sleep well, gave nightmares or night fears. Or wet the bed. They can have difficulties in learning or become disruptive in the classroom. They may become increasingly fussy about food or cleanliness, or, as teenagers, develop eating problems. They may become very sad and depressed and try to harm themselves, or even become suicidal. Perhaps they have trouble making friends, or find relationships at home increasingly difficult.

Some people become overwhelmed by their fears and thoughts, which can lead to the development of anxiety disorders. They may have:

	Phobias - Severe and unreasonable fears
	Obsessive Compulsive Disorders - They feel they have to repeat things over and over again.
	Eating Disorders - click here for more information
	Post Traumatic Stress Disorders - They feel overwhelmed by very frightening events or experiences that have happened to them.

How long can a mental illness last?
Like any illness, mental health problems vary from person to person; some people recover quickly whilst others need longer term care. But with medication and professional help most people recover.

Getting help with a mental illness
People who have a mental illness need help from a specialist mental health service, this could include:-

	GP/Nurse
	Psychiatrists
	Psychologists
	Psychotherapists
	Counsellors
	Social Workers

They will be offered treatment to help them recover, or just to help them cope better. Treatment usually starts by assessing the person's problems. Most people who have a mental illness are offered a 'talking treatment' or medication to help them get better. Sometimes they are both offered.

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