Anxiety is a common emotion, but how teens deal with it can be different. Most of the time, anxiety sets in as a kind of warning when a risky situation arises. However, anxiety can worsen and take over your thoughts so much so that it makes it hard to manage. This situation is prevalent in teens as their young minds and bodies are still learning how to deal with all kinds of emotions. These emotions stem from things like peer pressure, traumatic loss, and even injuries. Understanding the signs of anxiety in teens is the key to controlling it. At Stonewater Adolescent Recovery Center, we can help your teen manage their anxiety and develop a plan for lifelong recovery. Call us at 662.373.2828 for more information.
What is Anxiety?
Anxiety in teens tends to result from the many pressures they are dealing with and the expectations they feel they have to live up to daily. Today’s teens are facing the pressure to succeed more than any other generation. Other generations may have dealt with pressures like a poor economy, unemployment, and debt, but as adults. Never before has the pressure been greater on young adults to deal with these factors as they wholeheartedly dedicate themselves to their future. Teenagers are expected to have a resume by the time they apply for their first high school job. Not to mention having the perfect balance of extracurricular activities, in addition to a rigorous academic workload.
Additionally, schedules are overloaded, and kids have little time just to be kids. Downtime is spent online with social media, where bullying and trauma are rampant among teens.
Anxiety can come in many forms, including:
- Social anxiety, meaning that your teen confines themselves at home to avoid socializing
- Separation anxiety, which means that teen shows signs of distress being away from home or loved ones
- Post-traumatic stress disorder often occurs in teen struggling to deal with their physical and emotional response to a stressful or dangerous situation
- Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) leads to your teen excessively worrying and enduring anxiety attacks regularly
- Phobias, which mean that your teen struggles with irrational fears
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), meaning your teen has compulsions that cause severe stress
Anxiety doesn’t mean that your teen is weak or making a grab for attention. However, it does indicate that they need treatment at an adolescent treatment center.
Anxiety Symptoms in Teens
Facing life’s pressures and struggling with fear of not living up to expectations is how many teens develop anxiety. Their anxiety may manifest itself through psychological symptoms, physical symptoms, poor academic performance, and substance abuse. Symptoms of anxiety can differ and may include everything from preoccupation and demonstrated stress to emotional shutdown and defensiveness.
The first step is to realize when there is a problem that needs treatment. Anxiety in teens and young adults tends to be different, especially if you are a friend or a family member trying to offer help. Some of the most obvious signs of anxiety to watch for include:
- Feeling restless and nervous a lot of the time
- Trouble sleeping or falling asleep
- Expressing a feeling of panic or doom
- Having the urge to avoid things that make you anxious
- Physical problems such as sweating, trembling, or rapid breathing
- Feeling tired and weak
- Unable to control worrying
If you’ve witnessed several of these symptoms in your teen, it may be time to seek treatment from an adolescent mental health treatment center.
Contact Stonewater Adolescent Recovery Center
Society expects teen boys to be high achievers. Those expectations are the most significant cause of teen anxiety. It’s counter-intuitive because they can miss opportunities in life due to anxiety disorders. Fortunately, Stonewater can help. We offer evidence-based treatment at our treatment center, so your teen can avoid the consequences. Our programs include:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
- Experiential therapy programs
If your teenager cannot undertake day-to-day activities due to anxiety, do not wait any longer. Contact Stonewater Adolescent Recovery Center at 662.373.2828 today to access a wide range of treatment programs for holistic healing.
