Teens experience feelings of stress and anxiety on a regular basis. A teenager might get stressed because she has an upcoming math test, got into a fight with her boyfriend or is trying out for the cheerleading team. Teens' bodies are capable of handling normal amounts of stress. However, stress and anxiety become a problem when they affect a teen's daily life. This is when they might be labeled as an anxiety disorder.
Overwhelming Fear and Anxiety
When a teen feels anxious most of the time, is constantly worried or fearful and experiences physical symptoms of anxiety, such as a racing heart, nausea and sweating, he might be suffering from generalized anxiety disorder. When a teen suffers from this disorder, his home, school and social life are affected. For instance, he might fail tests because he's too nervous when he takes them, and he might have a hard time maintaining relationships with peers.
Social Issues
Social anxiety, a type of anxiety disorder, occurs when a teen becomes nervous in social situations. This can greatly affect a teen, because fitting in and having a significant peer group are two important parts of adolescence. A teen suffering from this disorder might become overwhelmingly anxious when he has to talk in front of his class, meet new people or work in a group setting for a class project. Because of these limitations, the teen's grades might drop, and she might get into arguments over her grades with her parents.
Panic Attacks
Teens who have panic attacks have an overwhelming sense of fear at a specific time, feel out of control and experience many physical symptoms, such as tightness in the chest, rapid breathing and dizziness. A teen who suffers from panic disorder may become fearful of having a panic attack in class or in front of peers. She might skip school or classes when she's feeling anxious. This could cause issues at home and at school.
Compulsive Behaviors
Obsessive-compulsive disorder is characterized by obsessive thoughts that lead to compulsive behaviors. For instance, a teen might have obsessive thoughts about germs, so he might wash his hands 200 times each day. This could seriously impact his life in many ways. He would spend a lot of time each day washing his hands, his peers might make fun of him and he might feel hopeless and depressed. His parents may not understand his need to wash his hands, and he might feel like an outcast at home and at school.
Nightmares, Hypervigilance and Concentration Issues
Post-traumatic stress disorder is an anxiety disorder that occurs after someone experiences a traumatic event, such as being robbed at gunpoint or getting into a serious car accident. A teen who suffers from this disorder may be hypervigilant around her friends, not be able to sleep at night or have nightmares, not be able to concentrate in school and avoid people and places associated with the traumatic event. This could lead to poor grades, loss of friends and issues at home.
