Helping Your Teen Cope with Anxiety
By Leslie Davis
Feeling anxious is something everyone can relate to. Most people get nervous speaking in front of groups of people or have trouble sleeping the night before a big test. Some people feel like their hearts are going to pound out of their chests in anticipation of an upcoming event.
When you are a teenager, a fair amount of anxiety is typical. But if your teen is excessively worrying, finding it difficult to sleep, or experiencing frequent sweating and a rapid heart rate, he may have teen anxiety disorder.
Teen anxiety disorder is generally characterized by worry and stress that go above and beyond what is normal for a teenager. It is normal for your teen to worry about grades, friends, college and relationships. It is not normal for your teen to be in a constant state of panic, feeling restless, anxious and irritable.
If your teen is experiencing constant worry in addition to one or more of the following, they likely have an anxiety disorder:
• Restless or no sleep, causing fatigue
• Rapid heart rate and dizziness
• Muscle tension, including soreness and twitching
• General restlessness and fidgeting
• Difficulty concentrating
• Sweating and nausea
• Irritability
• Depression
Your teen’s anxiety may manifest itself physically, or may strictly affect their mental functioning. What is important is to recognize if your teen is just dealing with life as a teenager or experiencing enough anxiety that it is interfering with their everyday existence. If left untreated, your teen’s anxiety disorder may lead to less developed social skills, poor performance in school, and a higher risk of substance abuse.
Types of Anxiety Disorders
There are a variety of anxiety disorders that are common to teens. Generalized anxiety disorder occurs when a teen has excessive worry and anxiety over things both in and out of their control, such as school, natural disasters, and family issues, in such a way that it interferes with everyday life. Social anxiety disorder results in an intense fear of social situations, including speaking in class, initiating conversations, and making plans with friends. Extreme shyness may be confused with social anxiety disorder, so consider the characteristics above to determine if your teen has this disorder.
Panic disorder is the most extreme anxiety disorder your teen can experience. If your teen has panic disorder, they will unexpectedly experience intense fear or discomfort for a short period of time. That panic may include feelings of imminent doom, choking, chest pain, and a fear of dying. Though panic attacks are more common among people in their twenties, they often began during adolescence.
Reducing Your Teen’s Anxiety
It is a helpless feeling to watch your teen be in a constant state of worry, but there are things you can do to help minimize your teenager’s anxiety.
As always, it is best to start by having a conversation with your teen to find out if there is a resolvable issue at hand. It may be that your teen is anxious about starting at a new school, moving to a new city, or attending their first high school dance. If the issue is immediate and your teen does not appear to be experiencing many of the symptoms of anxiety disorder, then talking through the problem may be all that is needed.
Professional treatment in the form of a therapist or residential treatment center is necessary if your teen cannot seem to control their anxiety and their regular patterns are being affected. With the guidance of a mental health professional, your teen can learn to control their anxiety in such a way that it does not interfere with daily life.
