Arizona Teen Depression and Anxiety Podcast

The speaker, Nadine Sanders, addresses the challenges faced by teenagers in Arizona due to the pandemic. She describes depression as persistent sadness and lack of interest, and anxiety as fear and uneasiness caused by stress. She shares a story about Melanie, a teenager who struggled with self-doubt and experienced depression and anxiety after returning to school. With the support of teachers, counselors, and a teen support group called Arizona Sun Teens, Melanie was able to overcome her challenges and regain confidence. Sanders encourages teenagers to seek help from trusted adults, school resources, or the Teen Lifeline hotline if they are experiencing similar feelings. She emphasizes that they are not alone and that together they can overcome these difficulties. Hello, Arizona. I'm Nadine Sanders. As you know, we have come out of the pandemic procedures, lockdowns, and isolation that challenged all of us here in the Grand Canyon State. Many of us have experienced challenges adjusting to the return. I want you to know that you are not alone. It has been especially hard on teenagers. A lot of teens have experienced depression and anxiety. For depression, these are feelings of persistent sadness and a lack of interest or pleasure in previously enjoyed activities. For anxiety, these are feelings of fear, uneasiness, and dread that may happen as a reaction to stress. Both are really hard to live with. Let me share with you a story of hope about someone I know named Melanie. Melanie is a typical teenage girl who attends school and has a loving family. The COVID lockdown protocols were hard on her socially, and secretly she suffered from self-doubt. She compared herself to what she saw in the media. Low self-esteem affected her more when at school, and Melanie became withdrawn. Online learning in the past was much easier for her to deal with, but being back in school combined with the return of normalcy in school workload created a cycle of depression and anxiety leading to crippling bouts of reclusiveness. Staff and teachers noticed the strain and wear on her face, and one called to talk to her over her solitary school life. They asked her how things were progressing, and she confided that she was overwhelmed and wanted to give up. She admitted to wanting to stay in bed all day and not to see people or sunlight. A kind teacher took Melanie to a safe place, to the social worker on campus. In a caring manner, her parents were called, and they all met with school counselors to address her depression and anxiety. They found a child psychiatrist to counsel Melanie through her mental health challenge. With the help of an entire staff, including school social workers and counselors, They encouraged her to meet with the Arizona Sun Teens, a group of teens and adolescents like herself. Melanie found teens just like herself. They had a common bond of struggles and friendships grew. Melanie was able to participate in activities such as ziplining, hiking the Grand Canyon, and attending simple socials for support. Along with mental health care and gentle encouragement and support of the group, she was able to gain confidence, friends, and the ability to get back on her regular schedule. You may see your own struggles in this story. If this is something you think you're experiencing, or you know you're affected by these feelings, go to your parents, trusted adult, school nurse, social worker, or school psychologist. You can call the Teen Lifeline at 602-248-8336. The hotline provides a safe way for teens to talk to other teens about thoughts of suicide, depression, anxiety, grades, and friend-family issues. Volunteers are truly a connection of hope to troubled teens who reach out as a last resort, or just to talk to someone who listens and cares. Teenagers, you are not alone. We can all work together to help you through this. Don't forget to drink water, get moving, and get the assistance you need. You are important to us.