Alec Daneau

Ms. Price

English II Honors

October 15, 2018

Mental Health Issues Faced By Generation Z

Mental health issues such as anxiety and depression are big problems faced by teens in

Generation Z.​ Mental Health issues such as anxiety affect teens by providing a feeling of fear

and loneliness but can be resolved by medication and therapy.

Anxiety is one 4of the biggest problems in Generation Z. These problems make teens feel

scared, worried or even lost. Anxiety has many effects on the human body which Healthline.com

lists: A sense of doom, panic attacks, headaches, depression, irritability, breathing problems,

pounding heart, upset stomach, extreme fatigue, increase in blood pressure, and other muscle

aches and pains. These effects could lead up to suicide which is “​the ​second ​leading cause of

death for ages 10-24​” , ​according to the Parent Research Program (Parent Research Program).

Although there are many effects of Anxiety on the body, there are also several solutions for these

issues that may help with these problems.

There are many different medications doctors can prescribe for anxiety that will make the

patient feel less stressed or anxious. According to Everyday Health there are many different

types of medications used to treat anxiety consisting of: “Antidepressants, Benzodiazepines,

Buspirone, Hydroxyzine, and Beta-blockers” (Konkel). Although medications have positive

effects in helping with anxiety there are also certain negative effects that may occur. These

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consist of a list of side effects depending on the medication and could even lead to dependency

on the drug and/or depression or suicide. An article from The New York Times states “​The

number of Americans filling prescriptions for anti-anxiety drugs — benzodiazepines like Valium

and Xanax that are used to treat anxiety, panic disorders and insomnia — increased 67 percent

between 1996 and 2013, the study found. But the rate of overdose deaths involving these drugs

increased more than fourfold” (Rabin). ​ To conclude, anxiety medications have certain effects

and consequences that come along with the prescriptions and can lead to a large amount of

negative effects but can also stop a person from feeling anxious in certain situations.

Another solution for mental health issues such as anxiety is going to see a therapist.

Therapy is often used to treat psychological disorders such as anxiety and depression and is often

referred to a psychotherapy. Therapists talk about certain situations to “ ​resolve problematic

behaviors, beliefs, feelings, relationship issues, and/or somatic responses” (GoodTherapy).

Therapists also provide coping mechanisms and behavioral changes to help patients get through

anxiety issues. The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance states that Therapy can help with

“understanding the mental health condition”, and “Define and reach wellness goals” (​ ​Depression

and Bipolar Support Alliance). By understanding how a mental health condition affects the body

and making goals to better the problem, anxiety will be more easy to overcome. To conclude,

therapy is a more efficient way to help with anxiety problems by attacking them from the root of

the problem.

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 In conclusion, there are many ways to help better the effects of mental health issues such

as using medication and therapy. Although the use of medication can provide a quick form of

relief, it can provide many side effects and other mental problems. Before using prescribed

medication, therapy is recommended to help get through mental health issues.

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 Works Cited

Cherney, Kristeen. “12 Effects of Anxiety on the Body.” H

​ ealthline​, Healthline Media, 20 July 2018, 

www.healthline.com/health/anxiety/effects-on-body#1​. 

Greenlaw, Ellen. “How Your Depression Medicine Can Affect Your Life.” ​WebMD​, WebMD, 

www.webmd.com/depression/features/antidepressant-effects#1​.  

“Hotline Information.” ​Therapy: How It Works and How It Can Help - Depression and Bipolar Support 

Alliance​, 

secure2.convio.net/dabsa/site/SPageServer/PageServer?pagename=wellness_brochures_psych

otherapy. 

Konkel, Lindsey. “What Are the Best Medications for Anxiety? | Everyday Health.” ​EverydayHealth.com​, 31 

Jan. 2018, ​www.everydayhealth.com/anxiety/guide/medications/​.  

The MNT Editorial Team. “Anxiety: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments.” M

​ edical News Today​, 

MediLexicon International, 12 Dec. 2017, ​www.medicalnewstoday.com/info/anxiety​.  

“What Is Therapy?” W
​ hat Is Counseling and Therapy?​, ​www.goodtherapy.org/what-is-therapy.html​.  

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