Information for young persons (12 to 26)
Adolescence and young adulthood can be a period characterized by many social and personal difficulties. One in five adolescents are estimated to suffer depressive symptoms severe enough to impair their intellectual and social development. Depression often co-exists with anxiety and high rates of alcohol and drug use and impacts on family, friends and education.
Symptoms of drug/alcohol/depression/anxiety issues, that could be helped with treatment:
- Having trouble concentrating
- Difficulty falling or staying asleep, or sleeping A LOT compared with others your own age
- Feeling flat, down, and depressed most of the time
- Feeling really nervous or worried most of the time
- Drug use that feels out of control, e.g. pot, ice, pills, h, chroming, etc
- Feeling worthless and/or guilty
- Anger and/or lashing out at others
- Irritable or restless
- Alcohol use that feels out of control, e.g. every day or need it to cope/feel numb
- Stealing or other ways of getting money for drugs or alcohol
- Feeling a bit paranoid or on edge
- Feeling isolated and alone
- School grades getting worse, or work performance declining, don't feeling like trying
- Getting into trouble all the time
- Mood swings
- Stopped doing many of the things you like doing, to try to feel better, or can't see the point anymore
- Feel like life is not worth living, nothing seems pleasurable anymore
- Sweaty, nauseous, racing heart when not exercising
- Worried about quitting or tried to quit drugs or alcohol but it's really hard
- Drugs/alcohol causing problems for you
The Deakin Family Options Program offers services to young persons 12 to 26, and/or the parents and families of young persons aged 12 to 26. The services offered to participants include a family based intervention, a one-on-one intervention with the young person, or both of these options together.
