I worry about myself or a friend, but how do I know what is going on?

Almost all of us want to be happy and healthy. We also want the same for our friends. But sometimes, life can be tough. We might feel strong emotions or things we do not understand. We might have trouble at school, with family, or with friends. We also might not know how to act in certain situations. It’s normal to wonder if everything is okay or if we need help. If you feel this way, this guide is for you.

What are typical challenges we go through when we are children or adolescents?

Growing up isn’t always easy. When you’re young, there are many things to learn. You learn to walk, talk, handle your feelings, and how to get along with friends and adults. As you keep growing, you learn more about yourself and the world. You feel many new emotions and face different situations. It’s normal to find some things hard and to feel upset sometimes. With so much to learn and so much going on, it’s okay to have some problems or take longer to learn some things. You might find it hard to deal with your feelings or know how to act correctly all the time.

If some difficulties are typical, when should I be concerned?

Knowing if your feelings or actions are normal or not can be hard. Here are six things to help you figure it out:

– Frequency. It’s a concern if emotions or actions start bothering your everyday life. It’s normal to feel worried sometimes, like when starting a new school. But if you worry all the time, that’s a concern.

– Intensity. Everyone has mild feelings and mood changes that do not stop daily activities. But if anger leads to fights, breaking things, or thinking about hurting yourself, it’s a concern.

– Duration. It’s okay to feel upset for a short time after something goes wrong. But staying angry or upset for days often means there’s a concern.

– Context, or situation. Emotions usually match what’s happening around us. Feeling sad for no reason might be a concern. It’s more typical to feel sad after something bad happens.

– Uncommon behaviors/experiences. Some things are concerning no matter what. For example, hurting yourself or hearing voices mean you need help right away.

– Impairment. The biggest sign of a problem is if your feelings or actions mess up your school, friendships, family time, or fun activities. If they do not cause problems, they might be normal.

What are concerns about children and adolescents?

Concerns about kids and teens can be grouped into three main areas:

1. Learning Problems. These often show up early and mean trouble learning skills like reading, writing, math, or talking with others.

2. Emotional Problems. These can show up early or later and involve strong feelings like fear, anxiety, sadness, or anger and may lead to avoiding fun things.

3. Behavior Problems. These can also show up early or later and involve not following rules or acting out inappropriately.

Here are some common concerns kids and teens may have. Remember, if you or a friend is facing any of these problems, you do not have to deal with them alone. This guide will help explain these issues, give you more information, and show you how to ask for help.