Written by: Celine Yang
Nearly 32% of teenagers in the US have suffered from anxiety and 20% of teens have suffered from depression. All of the damages to the mental health of teens have resulted in them suffering in numerous ways and although there are many peers around us such as friends, parents, and school counselors, many teenagers tend to keep their feelings to themselves. However, this isn’t a great way to deal with the issues they have in their lives as talking about your feelings to others can be a great way to cope with your problems, which overall results in a positive effect on your mental health.
Talking about your feelings to others can be a great way to cope with the problems you’ve been carrying in your head. Being listened to can make you feel more supported and by opening up to others, others can also feel encouraged to share their emotions as well. This can help others have the mindset of normalizing mental care. Having this mindset is very crucial as it is always great to seek and receive mental health care. You can always rely on your peers such as friends or family members. Other sources such as talking to school counselors can also be a great way to cope with the events that are happening in your life.
Additionally, talking about feelings can lower the intensity of emotions. Psychologists at UCLA have shown that talking about feelings can be relieving and many brain imaging studies have proven that as people express their feelings in words, it reduces their activity in the amygdala. This is a primary area where the brain processes emotional responses which shows how the intensity of emotion decreases. While increasing your emotions in your brain, you can move on with the other events that are happening in your life and are opposed to obsessively pondering about a problem all the time. Improving your mental health would ultimately better your life as you’re going to be able to have a more productive mindset.
Opening up with our feelings can also be a great way to receive advice about what to do as you become open to new and other perspectives about your problems. As other people may have different opinions of the situation, you can gain a new perspective about the problems or the decisions you have to make. Having an open mind and a more objective view of your life can help you make better decisions.
Having people to talk to is also very crucial in order to not make your situation worse. Keeping your feelings bottled up can increase the intensity of them leading you to experience anxiety or depression. Therefore, in order to prevent or grow from these disorders, talking to others can be a great way to cope. Feelings are a sign from the brain that helps humans survive; however, if you ignore these feelings and let them pass, it may worsen them. According to Hilary Jacobs Hendel, a licensed clinical social worker, “when the mind thwarts the flow of emotions because they are too overwhelming or too conflicting, it puts stress on the mind and the body, creating psychological distress and symptoms.” As ignored feelings can become more intense, it is important to express them to your peers or solve the problems happening in your life instead of just letting them pass.
Who are some people you can rely on?
When expressing your emotions, it is always a great idea to rely on a psychologist, therapist, or counselor who has knowledge on how to cope with different situations. These people can give you an opportunity to explore your thoughts, feelings, and patterns of behavior which can ultimately improve your mental health. They are also a great tool that can give you numerous coping skills and techniques in order to manage the problems and the stress you have regarding your life.
Talking about your feelings to others has more benefits than you think as constantly keeping your feelings to yourself can have a detrimental effect on your mental health. Therefore, if you have a problem in your life, an important decision you have to make, or sometimes you are stressed about, I highly recommend that you go rely on someone for assurance or advice as it can ensure that you keep a good relationship with your mental health.
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