August 12 – International Youth Day
‘’Young people don’t need to have everything figured out. They need to know that support is available while they’re figuring it out.’’
Young adulthood can be an exciting period of possibility, independence and change.
But it can also be a time when mental health challenges become increasingly difficult to manage.
For many young adults, the transition into university, employment, relationships and a greater sense of independence often brings new pressures and expectations.
Anxiety, depression, loneliness, substance use and difficulties with identity and self-worth can all emerge or become more significant during these years.
What can make these challenges particularly difficult to recognize is that young adults may continue to appear as though they are doing well on the surface.
Many excel at university, build a fulfilling career, maintain good relationships and appear socially engaged while privately struggling with their mental health and wellbeing.
It’s worth noting that just because someone appears to be coping well with the natural progression of life, it does not necessarily mean they are.
If this sounds familiar, it may help you to know you are not alone; many young adults face similar pressures as they move through the different phases of life.
Knowing this is crucial as it may help you feel less isolated and serve as a reminder that you are not the only person who struggles in this way.
There is support and help available, and the first step is understanding this and, if it feels supportive, reaching out.
We’re here to help.
Contact us today for a no-obligation conversation with one of our professionals.
Supporting young adults before crisis
International Youth Day is an opportunity to look beyond the headlines and consider what it actually feels like to grow up in Canada today.
For many young people, the transition into adulthood is taking place against a backdrop of economic uncertainty, career pressures, social isolation and growing concerns about the future.
These pressures can have a profound effect on mental health.
For some young adults, uncertainty about employment and financial security can fuel persistent anxiety. For others, isolation and the pressure to appear successful can contribute to depression, low self-worth or a sense of being overwhelmed.
And these experiences are not shared equally either.
Many young people from racialized and 2SLGBTQ+ communities often face additional social and structural pressures, making access to appropriate mental health support particularly important.
International Youth Day is therefore about more than recognizing young people. It is about asking whether the environments around them are allowing them to thrive.
Mental health support should not be something a young person has to reach crisis point to access.
Creating earlier opportunities to talk, seek professional help and build healthier ways of managing stress can make a meaningful difference – particularly during the formative years of young adulthood.
At Centres for Health and Healing, we recognize that every young person brings a different history, set of circumstances and experience of mental health.
Effective support begins with listening to that individual rather than making assumptions about what they need.
‘’Young people don’t need to have everything figured out. They need to know that support is available while they’re figuring it out.’’
The pressures facing young adults today
Young adulthood involves significant psychological, physical, and social change.
It often involves new responsibilities, greater expectations and, for many, considerable uncertainty about the future and what lies ahead.
Academic pressure, career expectations, financial concerns, relationships and social comparison can all contribute to increasing levels of stress and overwhelm.
For some young people, social media can intensify these pressures by creating a constant stream of carefully curated images of other people’s achievements, relationships and lifestyles.
The net result can be a growing sense that everyone else is managing better and coping well.
Over time, this can contribute to feelings of anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, isolation and a reluctance to ask for help even when you feel you need it.
When coping becomes concerning
Young adults have a way of managing stress differently to people from younger and older generations.
For some, that might involve exercise, socializing or spending lots of time alone.
For others, alcohol, cannabis or other substances may initially become a way of relaxing, socializing or finding a way to temporarily escape difficult emotions.Â
The difficulty here is that coping strategies can gradually become patterns that are harder to control, particularly if they become more chronic and ingrained in lifestyle rather than something you do occasionally.Â
In other words, what begins as occasional substance use can develop into psychological dependence.
Avoidance can become isolation.
Excessive exercise or rigid behaviours can become increasingly disruptive.
Working around the clock can become a way of avoiding emotions that feel difficult to confront.
This is why understanding the function of a behaviour is often as important as understanding the behaviour itself.
If you are a concerned parent or caregiver, instead of asking:
What is this young person doing?
It can be more useful to ask:
What is this behaviour helping them manage?
That question can open the door to a much more individualized understanding of mental health and addiction issues instead of going straight to judgment and shame.
Many young people already fear being shamed and judged to some degree anyway. Hence, a more helpful approach is to get curious about what lies beneath the behaviour rather than judging it.
However, we understand this can be difficult, particularly when you already feel worried or concerned about your teen or young adult’s mental health or substance use patterns.
When should parents become concerned?
For parents, recognizing that something may be wrong can be particularly difficult.
Young adults naturally crave more independence, and parents may worry that raising concerns will feel intrusive or critical.
There is no single sign that means someone has developed a mental health disorder or substance use issue. However, some significant or persistent changes are worth paying attention to.
These might include:
- Withdrawing from friends or family.
- Significant changes in sleep and/or appetite.
- Increasing irritability or emotional volatility.
- Losing interest in activities they previously enjoyed.
- Declining academic or professional performance.
- Increased secrecy and isolation.
- Relying increasingly on alcohol or other substances.
- Persistent anxiety or low mood.
- Difficulty managing everyday responsibilities.
- Appearing increasingly overwhelmed or disconnected.
The answer is not necessarily to confront every single change you notice. Sometimes, a calm, compassionate conversation is the more helpful starting point.
You could say something like:
“I’ve noticed you’ve seemed different recently. How are you really doing?”
Your young adult may not immediately open up. But that doesn’t mean the conversation has failed or hasn’t had a positive effect.
Keeping the door open, so to speak, can be just as important as finding the right words to say.
Remember: It’s the intention behind the words that matters most. The right seeds are being sown, ensuring your young adult feels like they can come to you in the future, and this can make all the difference.
Early mental health support can make all the difference
Mental health difficulties do not always develop into an obvious crisis.
Often, there is a long period of subtle change before someone reaches the point where they recognize that they need professional support.
Early intervention can provide an opportunity to understand those changes before they become more entrenched and problematic.
For young adults experiencing anxiety, depression, substance use or co-occurring mental health concerns, professional treatment should look beyond the presenting symptom(s).
Most rehab centres in Canada take a whole-person approach to addiction and mental health care.
At Centres for Health and Healing, many aspects of an individual’s health and circumstances are taken into account.
For instance, our approach often includes exploring the individual’s family relationships, environment, history, personality, strengths, goals and circumstances, which all form part of the clinical picture.
This is particularly important when mental health and addiction issues overlap, which they often do.
Treating substance use without understanding the psychological difficulties beneath these patterns may leave an important part of the problem unaddressed, including unattended trauma, stress, grief, or social comparison.
Creating a safe environment for recovery
Young adults need somewhere they can talk honestly and openly without feeling judged, labelled or defined by a diagnosis.
It’s important to hone the message that asking for help does not mean someone is weak or that they have failed.
It means they have recognized that something needs care and attention, and this alone can be transformational.
As mentioned earlier, at our treatment centre in Toronto, we believe effective treatment begins with understanding the individual as a whole.
Our approach to mental health and addiction treatment is individualized, recognizing that every young adult comes to us with a different history, different challenges and different reasons for seeking support.
For some, that may mean support for anxiety or depression. For others, it may involve substance use treatment, trauma, co-occurring mental health concerns or a combination of different challenges.
The aim is not simply to manage symptoms.
It is to help young adults develop the psychological tools, insight and support they need to move forward with greater stability and confidence.
Mental health support in Toronto, Canada
If you are concerned about a young person in your life, seeking professional advice can be an important first step toward understanding what is happening and what support may be appropriate.
Our team provides compassionate support and guidance to help you make an informed decision about your or your loved one’s health and wellbeing so that you can move forward with clarity and confidence, knowing you’re on the right path.
Contact our treatment centre in Toronto today for further advice and support, and begin supporting your young adult through what can often be a difficult transition.