The Circle of Wellness Newsletter 5/25
Anxiety and depression manifest differently in adolescents and adults, both in terms of symptoms and how they respond to treatment. Here’s a breakdown of the key differences:
Symptoms
Adolescents
Mood Swings: More frequent irritability, anger, or moodiness rather than sadness.
Physical Complaints: Headaches, stomachaches, and fatigue are common.
Behavioral Changes: Withdrawal from friends/family, decline in school performance, risk-taking or defiance.
Anxiety Expression: Social anxiety, school refusal, and specific phobias are more common.
Self-Harm: Higher likelihood of self-injurious behaviors (e.g., cutting) or talk of suicide, sometimes as a form of emotional regulation rather than intent to die.
Adults
Persistent Sadness: Feelings of hopelessness, emptiness, or persistent guilt.
Cognitive Symptoms: Difficulty concentrating, memory issues, or indecisiveness.
Sleep and Appetite Changes: Insomnia or hypersomnia, weight loss or gain.
Generalized Anxiety: More chronic worry about finances, health, or family.
Functional Impairment: More likely to experience occupational or relationship issues.
Treatments
Adolescents
Therapy First: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) are front-line, often preferred before medication.
Family Involvement: Treatment usually includes parents/caregivers in sessions.
School Coordination: Collaboration with school counselors or educators may be needed.
Medication: SSRIs (like fluoxetine) may be prescribed but require close monitoring due to FDA black-box warnings for increased risk of suicidal thoughts.
Adults
Therapy + Medication: Combination of CBT and medication (SSRIs/SNRIs) is often effective.
Greater Autonomy: Adults make treatment decisions independently, affecting adherence and consistency.
Broader Treatment Options: May include mindfulness-based therapy, interpersonal therapy (IPT), and lifestyle interventions (e.g., exercise, diet).
Medication Management: Greater flexibility in choosing and adjusting medications.
While both adolescents and adults experience anxiety and depression, adolescents often show more behavioral and somatic symptoms, while adults display more emotional and cognitive signs. Treatments overlap but differ in emphasis—adolescents benefit from therapy-first approaches with family involvement, while adults often engage in combined treatment and manage their care more independently.
I’m currently accepting new clients for Psychotherapy and MARI sessions. All current clients receive 20% discount for MARI services, and newsletter subscribers receive 10% discount as new clients.
Our only responsibility is for ourselves. We can only control what belongs to us: our actions, our thoughts, our choices. We can’t fix, heal or change someone else. It’s a personal responsibility to shape the life we want ourselves.
This article expands more on the topic of differences in mental health symptoms presentation between children and adults.
Read the article here Depression in Children and Adolescents vs Adults | Psychiatry Redefined
Anger is a normal emotion just like joy, sadness, and fear, but it can be difficult to know how to express those feelings in a good way. The Anger Management Workbook for Kids is filled with 50 playful exercises to help kids handle powerful emotions. Teach kids to stay calm and make better choices when they feel angry.
Get this workbook here.
One of NAMI’s National Alliance for Mental Illness) main goals is to ensure that people get help early. Since mental health conditions typically begin during childhood, adolescence or young adulthood, they have compiled essential information and resources intended to help young people get the mental health support they need.
Get valuable resources here.
The relationship between nutrition and mental health is bidirectional: the foods we eat affect our mental health, and our mental health status affects what and how well we eat. A growing body of research points to the mental health benefits of a healthy diet.
Read about the latest scientific recommendations here.
May is generally associated with Mother’s Day, and we celebrate all the moms (to human and fur babies). Though self-mothering should be practiced and celebrated every month, or better yet - daily. This month’s homework is practicing self-mothering: being kind, loving, caring, supportive, encouraging, forgiving toward oneself.
May is Afina’s birthday month. She just turned 4. She enjoyed a doggie cake and a run by the ocean. Afina wants to remind you that it’s necessary to enjoy life’s little moments and have your cake too.
