Feeling anxious during the teenage years is incredibly normal. For some, the teen years are the most stressful years of their life. Feeling anxiety can be a motivator for some teenagers who are nervous about a test or upcoming event. Anxiety can encourage them to want to study harder or break through nervousness about talking to someone they may like.
While feeling anxious is completely normal, there are several anxiety disorders that can be so impactful that they can become concerning to parents and school officials. Anxiety is one of the most common forms of mental disorders, affecting all ages and backgrounds and it can have very different effects from one person to the next.
For teenagers, anxiety disorders can cause them to become uncontrollably worried about a specific person, place, or event. Teenagers can also have fears that are so intense that it changes their life and the lives of those they care about. Teenagers who have an anxiety disorder will often want to be alone, away from crowds or their peers.
Consequence of Ignoring Anxiety
According to the Child Mind Institute, nearly 80% of all children who currently have anxiety live with untreated anxiety. For some families, it could be because they assume their child’s outbursts or worries are just normal teenage behaviors or that the anxiety will work itself out as the child ages. But, the Child Mind Institute also found that 30% of adults who receive treatment for anxiety recall having feelings of anxiousness during their adolescence.
Untreated anxiety can lead to larger problems as the child ages. Someone who suffers from anxiety can struggle to cope with stressful situations, which can affect their ability to get and maintain a job or carry on a relationship. Some victims of anxiety disorders will turn to drugs to numb the pain. This is clearly not the desired course of action.
Anxiety can Lead to Depression
Like most mental illnesses, when left untreated, anxiety can lead to depression. A person with anxiety can feel like an outcast that has no support system which can make them feel alone and stuck. These feelings are common amongst those diagnosed with depression.
How Can a Teenager with Anxiety Get Help?
Getting help for your teenager as soon as the signs begin is the best course of action. There are therapies that can help children manage anxiety as well as medications or support. For information on how Advantage Mental Health can help support your teenager through their anxiety, contact us today. Do not delay.