Today's teenager is under more stress than ever before. These stress events come in a variety of forms from school to peer pressure and many others. One response to these stressors is anxiety. When anxiety becomes an issue, parents must act.
We all know that it is not uncommon for teenagers to have issues as they grow and learn. This is normal. For some teens, however, their level of anxiety becomes more than average and can affect their daily life. For these teens, they may encounter trouble with their school work; they may have problems making or keeping relationships; and they may avoid social events and activities.
Many of these teens will feel as if they have to be perfect in all areas of their lives. This can lead disappointment as no one is perfect. It can also be a root cause for avoiding certain tasks or activities.
It is important that parents monitor their teenaged children for any of the symptoms that come about with severe anxiety disorders. Teens are at a special time in their lives and their psychological development is just now beginning to form into what they will carry into adulthood.
Parents already know that teens are often less than open with it comes to expressing their feelings or fears. They may not come to the parent when they feel anxious, thinking it a form of weakness. For this reason, parents must be on the lookout for the symptoms of anxiety disorders.
Some of the things to look for include being overly irritable for no apparent reason; trouble sleeping or waking up a lot during the night; problems at school; unexpected mood swings; and depression.
Parents should also be on the lookout for drug or alcohol use as these are often used by anxious teens as a form of self-medication. Use of these substances should always be considered a symptom of anxiety until it is proven to be otherwise. To make matters worse, the use of these substances will actually increase the symptoms of anxiety, thus causing the teen to use them more often or at higher levels.
If you feel your teen is suffering from anxiety above that which is normal, sit down and talk with him or her. Encourage the child to express his feelings, no matter what those feelings are. Do not be judgmental as this may cause the teen to shut down. Let your child know that you care and that as a family you will find treatment options that will work!
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