We live in a society where teens and young adults dominate the culture. This means that we are immersed in the world of youth and their culture most of the time. For young adolescents, this can be a difficult thing to navigate. Adolescent anxiety is common and should be addressed in a sensitive, non-judgmental, and comprehensive way that also attempts to help adolescents cope.
Adolescent anxiety is an everyday experience. But to work effectively through it, people need to become comfortable with it, learn how to work with anxious adolescents, and provide a safe environment for them to feel comfortable expressing their experiences.
Today, we will learn about how anxiety is different in teenagers, the early signs of adolescent anxiety, and the various ways to treat it.
- How is tension different in young people?
Teenagers who are anxious are unique in relation to anxious children. With passing every age of development, teens face different worries.
Younger children are inclined to be anxious about more tangible things — like animals or bugs, the monsters under the bed, or something terrible happening to their mother and father. However, teenagers are bound to be stressed over themselves — their performance in everyday schedule, how and what people think about them, the progressions in their bodies, etc.
Some anxious teens have been suffering for a while by the time they reach adolescence. Perhaps guardians have known about it, but because the child worked well despite their distress, no steps were taken to treat it. Or on the other hand, the child dealt with anxiety, and things improved. However, when they are in middle and high school and grow more focused on their friends, the anxiety can reemerge and become more extreme. Furthermore, some who weren’t anxious before adolescence
start having anxiety, including social anxiety and panic attacks.
- What are the early signs of anxiety in adolescents?
Let us look at the early signs of adolescent anxiety:
2.1 – Emotional Changes
While a few anxious teenagers express sensations of extreme concern, others experience emotional changes, for example, feeling tense or annoyed and having trouble concentrating.
2.2 – Sleep Disturbances
Many researchers prescribe that teenagers aged 13 to 18 get 8 to 10 hours of rest consistently to promote ideal health. Studies also suggest turning off screens 30 minutes before sleep time and eliminating all gadgets from the room.
When teens are in middle or high school, they are swarmed with homework that cuts into their sleep. Along with extracurricular activities, exercise, and screen time, adolescents’ sleep habits are greatly affected. Hence, it very well may be hard to tell whether adolescent anxiety results from uneasiness or being overloaded with responsibility. It would help if you watched for warnings like trouble falling asleep, staying awake, or having continuous bad dreams.
2.3 – Poor School Performance
Considering that adolescent anxiety can influence everything from sleeping habits to eating habits to missing school because of physical problems, poor school performance can also bring anxiety in adolescents. Avoiding school days because of anxiety-related sickness can make it difficult for anxious adolescents to perform well. Watch out for a downfall in performance (lower grades) or feelings of being overwhelmed with responsibility.
2.4 – Physical Changes
Anxiety in adolescence can cause physical health problems as well. Headaches and stomach aches are big red flags. You should watch for frequent headaches, migraines, gastrointestinal issues, and unexplained pains.
3 – What are the different ways to treat anxiety?
Helping adolescents and teens manage anxious feelings is a fundamental ability. Some ways of doing this are described below for your reference:
3.1 – Motivate your child to talk about their anxious feelings
Simply discussing what makes them anxious can reduce how much tension an adolescent feels. Talking and listening also assist you with understanding what’s happening to your adolescent. What’s more, you’re better ready to assist your kid with managing anxieties and finding the solutions for these issues when they arise.
3.2 – Providing safety and security
When adolescents feel safe and secure, they’re better ready to adapt to the regular difficulties and tension of youth. You can assist your adolescent with having a real sense of reassurance and security by:
3.2.1 – Spending quality time with them – for example, planning lunch or going out to see a film together.
3.2.2 – Having a family routine that comes with time for some family meals, in addition to other family occasions.
3.2.3 – When you spend time with your child, they feel comfortable around you and also find it easy to open up to you.
3.3 – Encourage them to make healthy decisions
A healthy way of life decisions can frequently assist your child with taking care of adolescent anxiety. For instance, taking a walk and not sitting at home stressing can assist with clearing your kid’s psyche.
Here are a few sound decisions that can help your kid with chronic anxieties:
3.3.1 – Stay busy, get rest, and eat a good diet.
3.3.2 – Stay away from caffeine, liquor, and other potentially harmful substances.
3.3.3 – Do breathing activities, muscle relaxation activities or meditation, and yoga.
3.4- If nothing works, you can go for professional help
You can get professional assistance for your adolescent’s anxieties from:
3.4.1 – Local community health center
3.2.2 – Local mental health services
Final thoughts:
During adolescence, young people experience anxiety, but this is far outweighed by the excitement of new experiences and the pleasures of exploration. Adolescents with anxiety often fear that they are not good enough or that others view them negatively, which will somehow impact how others perceive them. It is important to help your teenager understand that, no matter what, other people will always view them in a positive light and help them with adolescent anxiety.
If your adolescent is struggling with anxiety, you can get professional help from True Health CEW, which deals with adolescent anxiety with utmost care.
