Everyone experiences anxiety at some point in their lives. However, it’s important for families to know how to identify when anxiety in teens becomes a problem. According to behavioral health data, 7.1% of children and teens have anxiety disorders. In order to do that, they need to understand anxiety disorders and the symptoms to look for.
About Anxiety in Teens
There are a lot of situations in which teens feel anxiety. Some of these include starting a new school year, taking exams and filling out college applications. Aside from school-related activities, they could also develop anxiety from stressful situations with friends or family. When they can’t control their emotions and it affects their lives, anxiety is a problem.
Anxiety affects teens more than younger children, and it’s more common in teens than behavior disorders and depression. Among all children with anxiety, 37.9% also have behavior issues, while 32.3% also have depression. In addition, only 59.3% receive anxiety treatment.
Common Types of Anxiety and Symptoms
There are numerous types of anxiety, but some are more common in teens than others. Also, they each have their own symptoms. In any case, it’s essential for teens to get help at a behavioral health treatment center NC provides.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
GAD is very common and involves excessive worry about many things. When teens have this disorder, they might worry about family members’ health or safety, the future and school. The worst case scenario could come to mind in every situation. Because of that, they always have anxiety, and there’s no specific trigger for it.
Social Anxiety
Social anxiety is an intense anxiety related to social situations and talking in front of others. While it’s normal for teens to worry about what others think, this disorder makes them worry beyond what’s normal. In fact, social anxiety in teens could make them stop spending time with friends and participating in class.
Panic Disorder
Panic disorder involves episodes of anxiety that trigger panic attacks for no apparent reason. During panic attacks, intense physical symptoms develop suddenly. Some of these include dizziness, shortness of breath and pounding heart. In severe cases, they develop agoraphobia, which is a fear of panic attacks that makes them avoid going anywhere.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
PTSD is the result of the brain not processing trauma correctly. The trauma could be a serious vehicle accident, natural disaster, or being a victim or witness of a crime. When PTSD develops, it can cause nightmares and flashbacks that trigger significant distress and fear. This is why it is important to receive PTSD treatment from experienced professionals if you are struggling with this mental health disorder.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Believe it or not, OCD is a common form of anxiety in teens. With this disorder, they have trouble controlling recurrent images, impulses or thoughts that cause a great deal of distress. In order to relieve the anxiety, they develop compulsions or obsessions, such as excessive redoing actions or hand-washing. OCD treatment can help manage
How to Address Teen Anxiety
The best way for families to deal with adolescent anxiety is to seek professional help. In particular, cognitive behavioral therapy NC therapists provide is very effective. It guides teens in recognizing the causes of their anxiety and how to manage their responses. However, it’s crucial for treatment to include a combination of services, such as:
- Anxiety and mental health education
- Family counseling
- Medication management, if necessary
- Dual diagnosis treatment
- Seek Help for Anxiety Disorders in Adolescents
Don’t let an anxiety disorder degrade your teen’s quality of life. Talk to your family doctor to learn more about anxiety in teens and where to seek treatment.