Why Mental Health Disorders Emerge in Your Early 20s

As someone who has gone through hell during their early to mid 20s, I can honestly say that we have a bit of a mental health crisis going on in America. More specifically, it seems like almost every young adult out there struggles with their mental health.

The trope of the shaky, unbalanced, and perhaps a little bit emotionally lost young adult is a real one. I've seen it with my own eyes and lived it, too. For the longest time, many people wondered why this is the case.

Science confirmed that mental health disorders tend to show up during your young adult years — and also has managed to uncover why mental health disorders emerge in your early 20s, too.

Statistics also suggest that the rate of young adults with mental disorders is skyrocketing to the point that it may turn into a public health emergency. This is bad news, and if we want to live in a decent society, we're going to need to look at how we can prevent rates from continuing to climb.

Ever wonder why your 20s seem to be the worst time for your mental health? Well, so did the folks at Viceand other news groups. Here's what they discovered...

Why Mental Health Disorders Emerge In Your Early 20s: The Biology

Doctors have long known that the human brain undergoes a lot of drastic changes when one goes through adolescence. Studies have shown that many early childhood-onset mental disorders stem from changes that go awry.

Many genes also make you predisposed to mental illnesses. This is why depression and schizophrenia are both known to "run in the family," and why many doctors make a point to watch out for children who have parents that have these illnesses.

However, science has also shown that your brain continues to develop well into your mid-20s. Hormones still fluctuate, and your brain will continue to change during your early 20s.

Many of the genes that put you at a predisposition for mental illness are ones linked to illnesses known to have their onset during your early 20s. As a result, people who are born with genes that put them at risk for mental illness are more likely to have their first episode show up during this time.

Why Mental Health Disorders Emerge In Your Early 20s: The Emotional Side

The funny thing about genetic predispositions is that it's never a full guarantee that something will happen to you. More often than not, you need to have something that triggers it to happen — such as serious emotional upheaval.

Many mental disorders are chemical imbalances in the brain, which means that the stress hormones you make during rough times would very likely be enough to trigger a disorder's emergence during that time.

Our 20s are often a time where we are moving away from home, dealing with major life changes, and also possible coping with a lot of sadness that comes with growing up. Growing up is not easy, and it is absolutely stressful.

Considering the hardship that comes with this major transitional period, it's not hard to see why mental health disorders emerge in your early 20s.

Why Mental Health Disorders Emerge In Your Early 20s: Drug Use, Alcohol Use, and No Preventative Care

Lastly, one of the more subtle reasons why mental health disorders emerge in your early 20s deals with the way people take care of their bodies and their minds.

Many young adults simply can't afford preventative mental health care — or actively choose negative coping mechanisms as a way to deal with all the changes. Much of the willful ignorance comes from the stigma dealing with reaching out for help with mental health issues.

A surprising amount of young adults also don't know how to cope with stress in a healthy manner. So, they opt for drugs. You may already know that choosing to use drugs can easily make things worse. Addiction is a mental illness, and it can also cause further damage to the mental balance you're trying to regain.

Between poor preventative care, many young adults refusing to get treatment for mental health issues, and the fact that drinking and drug use can cause serious issues, it shouldn't be shocking that mental disorders are climbing in the young adult demographic.