Anxiety can affect a teen’s life in both negative and positive ways. Anxiety may make a teen fearful of failing a test or it may push him to study harder and advance academically, so he can get into the college of his choice. Anxiety can include alertness, shallow breathing, a pounding heart, tense muscles, lightheadedness and increased sweating, reports Kid’sHealth.org.
Basics
Anxiety can be a normal experience for teenagers and may remain that way if the teen has the means to cope effectively with symptoms. If a teen’s anxiety becomes uncontrollable, it may develop into a more severe anxiety disorder. According to Kid’sHealth.org, anxiety disorders cause the individual to experience anxiety, fear, nervousness, worry or dread on an excessive level, which can be so intense that the teen will become preoccupied by it.
Considerations
While therapeutic treatment may be necessary for some teens with anxiety, there are self-help steps that can be taken to reduce anxiety. Kid’sHealth.org suggests several steps a teenager can take to reduce her levels of anxiety. These include understanding how to relax, for example, by using deep breathing or meditation; engaging in the relaxation techniques daily; taking care of her health; getting enough sleep, eating right and exercising; socializing with others; spending time outside by hanging out at the park or hiking in the woods; and engaging in positive thinking.
Treatments
There are a variety of effective treatments available when a teen’s level of anxiety develops into something more severe, such as an anxiety disorder. According to the Anxiety Disorders Association of America, or the ADAA, cognitive-behavioral therapy and medication are generally used in the treatment process. Cognitive-behavioral therapy teaches teens to identify negative thought patterns and replace them with positive ones and separate realistic thoughts from unrealistic thoughts. Cognitive-behavioral therapy includes homework assignments that help her apply to real life what is learned in therapy. Medication can be used along with therapy to reduce the intensity of the symptoms or get rid of the anxiety symptoms all together.
Warning
Medications used to treat anxiety in adolescents should be used with caution and intense oversight by a physician. The ADAA reports the Food and Drug Administration has found that antidepressant medications including some selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors may increase suicidal thoughts among some adolescents who take them. Despite the risk, medications are still effective for treating teen anxiety, but concerns should be brought to the attention of the teen’s doctor and therapist.
Tips
There are ways parents and caregivers can help control and reduce a teen’s level of anxiety. The ADAA suggests paying attention to the teen's feelings and avoid dismissing them. Instead, it is important to talk about his concerns and help him work through them. Provide praise for even the smallest accomplishments and avoid punishing his mistakes. Create routines in your teen’s life and stick to them; this will allow him to feel a sense of control, because he will know what is expected of him.
