Dealing with Anxiety as a Teenager: How to Help Your Teen
We all deal with anxiety in one form or another. Some people get anxious around animals or certain insects, while others respond with anxiety to wide-open or populated spaces. Public speaking is a source of anxiety for many, while for others it’s heights or talking with strangers. Anxiety, whether mild or in its more severe forms, seems to be a part of our lives. One of the challenges that teens face is dealing with anxiety. There are things specific to that phase of life that can induce anxiety. It’s essential that teens get the support they need to handle anxiety in their lives, particularly if the anxiety is severe and persistent enough to disrupt their day-to-day activities. Anxiety and Teenagers: Some Causes of Anxiety Anxiety is an emotional and physiological response to something stressful and perceived as a threat. Each individual will have particular things that feel threatening to them. That’s one reason it isn’t always helpful to tell someone that they shouldn’t be anxious about a given situation. It’s not as though one is making a conscious choice to feel threatened, and it’s not an easy thing to turn that fear off. Each teen is unique, and what makes them anxious won’t necessarily look the same as for other people. In the same way, their anxiety may stem from a combination of factors, and understanding the underlying reasons for their anxiety can better equip you to walk alongside a teen to guide them through anxiety. Some of the common reasons why a teen may feel anxious include social and relationship concerns. Between having difficulties forming or maintaining peer relationships, navigating social hierarchies, the perils and vulnerabilities of dating, and handling their social media presence, many things can make a teen anxious. Additionally, tension or conflict in the family [...]