| Mental Health Is Important
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| | Experiencing suicidal thoughts.
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| Mental health is how people think, feel,
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| | A child or adolescent experiences:
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| and act as they face life's situations.
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| | Poor concentration and is unable to think
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| It affects how people handle stress,
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| | straight or make up his or her mind.
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| relate to one another, and make
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| | An inability to sit still or focus
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| decisions. Mental health influences the
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| | attention.
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| ways individuals look at themselves,
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| | Worry about being harmed, hurting others,
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| their lives, and others in their lives.
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| | or doing something "bad".
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| Like physical health, mental health is
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| | A need to wash, clean things, or perform
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| important at every stage of life.
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| | certain routines hundreds of times a day,
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| All aspects of our lives are affected by
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| | in order to avoid an unsubstantiated
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| our mental health. Caring for and
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| | danger.
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| protecting our children is an obligation
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| | Racing thoughts that are almost too fast
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| and is critical to their daily lives and
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| | to follow.
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| their independence.
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| | Persistent nightmares.
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| Children and Adolescents Can Have Serious
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| | A child or adolescent behaves in ways
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| Mental Health Problems
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| | that cause problems, such as:
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| Like adults, children and adolescents can
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| | Using alcohol or other drugs.
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| have mental health disorders that
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| | Eating large amounts of food and then
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| interfere with the way they think, feel,
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| | purging, or abusing laxatives, to avoid
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| and act. When untreated, mental health
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| | weight gain.
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| disorders can lead to school failure,
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| | Dieting and/or exercising obsessively.
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| family conflicts, drug abuse, violence,
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| | Violating the rights of others or
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| and even suicide. Untreated mental health
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| | constantly breaking the law without
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| disorders can be very costly to families,
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| | regard for other people.
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| communities, and the health care system.
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| | Setting fires.
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| Mental Health Disorders Are More Common
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| | Doing things that can be life
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| in Young People than Many Realize
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| | threatening.
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| Studies show that at least one in five
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| | Killing animals.
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| children and adolescents have a mental
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| | Comprehensive Services through Systems of
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| health disorder. At least one in 10, or
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| | Care Can Help
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| about 6 million people, have a serious
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| | Some children diagnosed with severe
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| emotional disturbance.
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| | mental health disorders may be eligible
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| The Causes Are Complicated
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| | for comprehensive and community-based
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| Mental health disorders in children and
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| | services through systems of care. Systems
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| adolescents are caused mostly by biology
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| | of care help children with serious
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| and environment. Examples of biological
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| | emotional disturbances and their families
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| causes are genetics, chemical imbalances
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| | cope with the challenges of difficult
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| in the body, or damage to the central
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| | mental, emotional, or behavioral
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| nervous system, such as a head injury.
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| | problems.
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| Many environmental factors also put young
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| | To learn more about systems of care, call
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| people at risk for developing mental
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| | the National Mental Health Information
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| health disorders. Examples include:
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| | Center at 1-800-789-2647, and request
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| Exposure to environmental toxins, such as
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| | fact sheets on systems of care and
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| high levels of lead;
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| | serious emotional disturbances, or visit
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| Exposure to violence, such as witnessing
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| | the Center's web site at
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| or being the victim of physical or sexual
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| | Finding the Right Services Is Critical
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| abuse, drive-by shootings, muggings, or
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| | To find the right services for their
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| other disasters;
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| | children, families can do the following:
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| Stress related to chronic poverty,
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| | Get accurate information from hotlines,
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| discrimination, or other serious
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| | libraries, or other sources.
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| hardships; and
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| | Seek referrals from professionals.
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| The loss of important people through
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| | Ask questions about treatments and
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| death, divorce, or broken relationships.
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| | services.
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| Signs of Mental Health Disorders Can
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| | Talk to other families in their
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| Signal a Need for Help
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| | communities.
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| Children and adolescents with mental
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| | Find family network organizations.
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| health issues need to get help as soon as
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| | It is critical that people who are not
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| possible. A variety of signs may point to
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| | satisfied with the mental health care
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| mental health disorders or serious
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| | they receive discuss their concerns with
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| emotional disturbances in children or
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| | providers, ask for information, and seek
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| adolescents. Pay attention if a child or
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| | help from other sources.
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| adolescent you know has any of these
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| | Important Messages About Child and
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| warning signs:
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| | Adolescent Mental Health:
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| A child or adolescent is troubled by
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| | Every child's mental health is important.
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| feeling:
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| | Many children have mental health
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| Sad and hopeless for no reason, and these
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| | problems.
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| feelings do not go away.
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| | These problems are real, painful, and can
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| Very angry most of the time and crying a
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| | be severe.
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| lot or overreacting to things.
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| | Mental health problems can be recognized
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| Worthless or guilty often.
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| | and treated.
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| Anxious or worried often.
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| | Caring families and communities working
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| Unable to get over a loss or death of
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| | together can help.
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| someone important.
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| | Information is available; call
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| Extremely fearful or having unexplained
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| | 1-800-789-2647.
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| fears.
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| | This is one of many fact sheets on
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| Constantly concerned about physical
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| | children's mental health disorders. All
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| problems or physical appearance.
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| | the fact sheets listed below are written
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| Frightened that his or her mind either is
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| | in an easy-to-read style. Families,
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| controlled or is out of control.
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| | caretakers, and media professionals may
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| A child or adolescent experiences big
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| | find them helpful when looking for
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| changes, such as:
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| | information about mental health
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| Showing declining performance in school.
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| | disorders. For free copies, call
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| Losing interest in things once enjoyed.
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| | 1-800-789-2647, or visit
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| Experiencing unexplained changes in
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| | Listen to Arthur Buchanan on the Mike
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| sleeping or eating patterns.
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| | Litman Show! THIS LINK WORKS, LISTEN
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| Avoiding friends or family and wanting to
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| | TODAY!
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| be alone all the time.
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| | With Much Love,
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| Daydreaming too much and not completing
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| | Arthur Buchanan
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| tasks.
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| | President/CEO
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| Feeling life is too hard to handle.
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| | Out of Darkness & Into the Light
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| Hearing voices that cannot be explained.
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| | 43 Oakwood Ave.
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