Anxiety and worry are becoming more common among young people - here is help to get

During the last 20 to 30 years, mental disorders such as anxiety, depression and anxiety have increased in children and young people according to the Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare.

Louise Aronsson is head of operations at the organization Tilia, which works with young people's mental health.

According to her, there is no problem that is too small to talk to anyone about.

What to do if you feel unwell?

- All people are unique and what an individual needs is different.

Try to find out if it is possible to find a sense of what you need right now and then see if it is possible to meet that need.

A good first step to get your thoughts out and be able to ventilate with someone.

But there are many ways to get an outlet for their feelings and thoughts.

There are those who listen to others, read, watch videos, draw and dance, Louise Aronsson explains.

When should you seek help?

- There is no requirement on how to feel.

You do not have to have everything ready for you, as many believe.

It feels like you need to talk to someone then you should do it.

It is better to seek help once too much than once too little.

How bad do you have to feel to get support?

- It can only be that you have a lump in your stomach and it does not feel good.

One of the most common questions we get at Tilia is "how do I know if it's mental illness or just life that hurts?".

Many times you do not need to know it as a young person, but the care can be given the task to find out and it is not something you need to think about yourself.

If you feel that it would be nice to be able to ventilate with someone, then you have the right to do so.  

Why should you seek help?

- The reason is actually quite simple: you do not have to manage everything yourself.

Going with things alone can often make both thoughts and feelings bigger.

It can be a relief and a relief to get it out, not to be completely alone.

Who or where to turn to?

- For a start, you can turn to anyone who feels safe to start playing ball with.

If you go to school, there is student health, a school counselor and a school nurse.

Student health is found at universities and folk high schools.

Youth clinics also usually have both psychologists and counselors and we can also go to the health center.

They can then guide you further if you need more support for some reason.

What should you do if you do not get the help you need in time?

- Maybe there is another person in your life who can help you because most of the time it can be difficult to help yourself in those situations.

You can always turn to Tilia or another non-profit organization so we can help and guide you through it.

What to do if it feels difficult to seek help?

- Chatting with someone can be a good first step if it's scary.

(See fact box below on where you can chat).

You decide when you log out, no one knows who you are and the call is on your terms.

Listening to other people's stories can also be a way to get help to put into words what is going on with oneself.

Everyone needs help at some point in life, it is human to need support, says Louise Aronsson.