How To Recognize Anxiety In Teens

Teenage anxiety symptoms

For young people, adolescence is a period of transition. Teens go through a number of physical, emotional, and cognitive changes as they transition from being younger children to almost adulthood. The Child Mind Institute states that worried teenagers are not the same as nervous kids. Children used to worry more about things like monsters, the dark, and horrible things happening to their parents. However, teens are more prone to worry about themselves. Adolescents may encounter novel mental health obstacles linked to social acceptance, scholastic achievement, and physical well-being. It might be challenging to distinguish between anxiety symptoms that call for more action and an anxious reaction associated with a typical developmental stage because of these changes. The signs and brief descriptions of a number of anxiety-related mental health conditions are provided below.

Physical signs and symptoms

Anxiety

Perspiration

Trembling or swaying

Intolerance

Headaches

Weary

Oversleeping or insomnia

Anxiety disorders related to social situations

Your adolescent may be suffering from social anxiety disorder if they are hesitant to interact with others or meet new people, or if they have an unfounded fear of being judged by them. Additional indications of social anxiety disorder include:

shunning social interactions and friends

feeling “sick” a lot but not showing any symptoms of disease

Fear of criticism

refusing to attend classes

Fearful of meeting new people

Unable to communicate with people

Inability to focus in social situations

Anxiety

Anxiety

Intolerance

Anxiety disorders

The abrupt, intense anxiety symptoms that accompany a panic attack can make a person feel helpless or like they’re losing control. Frequent panic episodes are experienced by those who have panic disorder, and this can have a serious negative influence on their social relationships, academic performance, and general mental and physical health.

Anxiety during tests

While it’s normal to worry or feel anxious before a big test, some people have such severe anxiety that it prevents them from functioning. Although the exact source of test anxiety may not be known, it’s possible that your adolescent has a fear of failing or was not comfortable taking tests in the past. Among the symptoms of exam anxiety are:

Ideas that race

Losing focus and being unable to concentrate

Negative ideas

Anxiety

PTSD

PTSD is a serious disorder that affects those who have gone through a stressful event of some kind. For instance, PTSD may arise as a result of an assault or rape, child abuse*, an alcoholic parent, a violent home, a vehicle accident, or even a natural disaster like a tornado or hurricane.

Here are a few examples of PTSD symptoms:

Anxiety

lightheadedness or fainting

Intolerance

Night terrors or nightmares

Lack of sleep

Anxiety associated with separation

Because they fear abandonment or worse, some nervous teenagers may develop an unusual level of attachment to a parent or caregiver. The following are a few possible signs of anxiety:

refusing to travel by yourself

experiencing anxiety when parents or other loved ones disappear from view

desire to spend the night in their parents’ room

Fears

Lack of sleep

Intolerance

Particular fears

Irrational, recurrent worries of circumstances or things that pose no genuine threat are known as phobias. Depending on what you are scared of, the physical signs of a particular phobia can vary, but typically include:

trembling

A great fear

accelerated heart rate

Tension in the muscles

Ear ringing

Reasons and protective variables

There are certain elements that might be thought of as risk factors for anxiety disorders, even if specialists are not entirely sure what causes anxiety. Genes might be one of these risk factors. Adolescents who have mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression, or ADHD in their immediate family may be at a higher risk of experiencing anxiety themselves. Additional risk factors for anxiety could be:

Environmental problems such difficulties in relationships, education, or family dynamics

Other illnesses like diabetes, cancer, and heart disease

Using booze or drugs

Feeling anxious as a side effect from taking some drugs

Handling the symptoms of anxiety

The course of treatment for anxiety disorders in children and adolescents might differ based on the teen’s age, the nature and cause of their anxiety, and other factors. Before choosing a course of action, it can be helpful to consult with a mental health specialist to ascertain the severity of the illness. Counseling, especially cognitive-behavioral therapy, or CBT, is frequently seen as the initial line of defense against teen anxiety. In certain situations, medication may be used to manage anxiety, such as when your adolescent has panic attacks. However, it is crucial to always start or stop taking medication only under a doctor’s supervision. In certain situations, different natural remedies containing vitamins and plants may also be employed. Teenagers may also be offered medication to treat severe anxiety or stop the progression of anxiety symptoms. Teens with anxiety should first try pharmaceutical treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which are commonly used to treat depression. A healthcare provider should always be consulted before beginning or discontinuing any drug.

Cognitive behavioral intervention

CBT is a useful treatment for the majority of anxiety problems. Numerous studies have shown that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is just as successful as medicine in treating the symptoms of depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses. Typically, the treatment strategy entails helping your adolescent comprehend how their thoughts impact their emotions, which in turn might influence their actions. Typical coping strategies covered in CBT might be as follows:

Therapy with breathing

gradual onset of muscular relaxation

Sorting

The activation of behavior

Preventing exposure and reaction

Restructuring cognition

Alternative therapies

Teens with anxiety symptoms may find relief from their symptoms through yoga, meditation, hypnosis, imagery-based exposure, mindfulness, and journaling, in addition to treatment. Reducing anxiety and enhancing wellbeing can also be achieved by making certain lifestyle adjustments, such as getting enough sleep, eating a balanced diet, drinking lots of water, and exercising frequently. Online or in-person group therapy might be helpful for kids who struggle with anxiety.