Anxiety is our normal response to stressful or dangerous situations. A person who is afraid to fail an exam will study harder or if a person is nervous in giving a speech, he or she will keep focused to deliver the speech properly. In general, anxiety is usually helpful to keep us focused and alert but when anxiety becomes excessive or irrational that it prevents you from functioning normally on your daily life, it becomes a disorder. People with anxiety problems or disorders are experiencing symptoms like trembling, sweating, increased or pounding heartbeat, nausea, numbness, shortness of breath, dizziness, uncontrollable obsessive thoughts, losing grip of reality and the feeling of going crazy during anxiety attacks. Symptoms of anxiety problem or disorder sometimes begin in childhood or adolescence. Anxiety problems in teenagers are common mental illnesses suffered by many adolescents. Various types of anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, specific phobias and panic disorder. Teens suffering from anxiety disorders must be given the needed attention before this kind of disorder could take over their lives.
Teenage years are considered the most important development years of a person and if anxiety problems will take its toll and ruin this important stage, a person’s life can be really miserable. If not recognized and treated it can affect their relationships and schoolwork. Teens suffering from anxiety disorders may begin to feel anxious even when they are not having anxiety attacks. The mere fear of having another episode of anxiety attacks can make their lives miserable. They will learn to avoid going to school or avoid daily situations that may trigger another anxiety attack. This pattern of avoidance and fear of future attacks if not treated can develop into depression and other problems. Proper handling of anxiety problems is important if you want to help teens suffering from anxiety disorders to overcome their anxiety problems.
Proper diagnosis and treatment. Only a small percentage of teens are receiving mental health care, maybe because proper diagnosis was not performed and the condition was overlooked. Anxiety problems in teenagers can be difficult to diagnose but when diagnosed properly, teens suffering from anxiety disorders usually respond well to treatments. Anxiety disorder is one of the most treatable mental disorders. Teens suffering from anxiety disorder symptoms should be evaluated by a mental health professional trained to handle anxiety problems in teens. There are continuous developments and studies in the treatment of anxiety disorders and those seeking treatment are the ones who will benefit from those treatments.
Help your teens deal with stress. Stress is one of the major triggers of anxiety problems and teens like adults may also experience everyday stress. You should know how difficult to be a teenager and how stressful to do well in school, get along well with everybody or fit in an environment they are in. With their young age, they may find themselves confused and unable to cope with the stress they are experiencing and they need help from people around them. The problem sometimes is that not all teens suffering from anxiety disorders brought by stress are very open in asking help when they are overloaded by stress but they try to hide it and suffer alone. If teens are unable to manage their stress, it could lead to anxiety attacks. Parents should be sensitive and well aware of what is happening with their teenager. Parents should be able to tell if their teen child is being overly stressed. It is best to monitor if stress is affecting your child’s feelings, behavior, eating habits and overall health. Listen to your child and watch him or her carefully for any symptoms of anxiety problems due to stress. Be supportive and make your child know that you are always there for him or her. Encouraging them to talk about the things that give them stress is a good start in helping teens suffering from anxiety disorders.
Anxiety problem is a treatable disorder and teens suffering from anxiety disorders should not suffer the condition for the rest of their lives. Help your teen to get his or her life back and get rid of the devastating symptoms of anxiety attacks.