Author: VISIONS

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Therapy

15 Healthy Therapy Activities for Teens

Exploring therapy activities for teens offers numerous benefits, including enhancing emotional expression, promoting self-awareness, and fostering resilience. These activities provide a safe space for teens to explore and understand their feelings, develop coping strategies, and build confidence. Engaging in therapy can also improve communication skills, support mental health, and encourage positive behavioral changes, which are crucial for adolescent development and well-being.

Looking for healthy therapy activities for teens? Therapy activities for teens are not just about talking; they involve creative, engaging, and effective methods to help teens express themselves, understand their emotions, and build essential life skills.

Imagine your teen learning to manage stress, communicate better, and gain confidence through activities that are both fun and therapeutic. These activities are designed to resonate with teens, making therapy something they look forward to rather than shy away from.

In this article, we explore 15 healthy therapy activities for teens to explore.

Healthy Therapy Activities for Teens

Engaging in healthy therapy activities offers significant mental health benefits for teens.

These activities are tailored to meet the unique developmental needs of adolescents, providing them with tools to navigate emotional challenges. They foster self-awareness and emotional intelligence, which are crucial during these formative years.

Through such activities, teens learn to articulate their feelings, manage stress, and develop coping mechanisms. This proactive approach to mental wellness not only addresses current issues but also equips teens with lifelong skills for emotional resilience. By participating in these therapeutic activities, teens can build a strong foundation for their mental health and overall well-being.

Here are some therapy activities for teens that can help improve and support mental health and well-being.

Expressive Arts Therapy

Expressive arts aren’t limited to a single canvas or medium. During expressive arts therapy, teens are encouraged to utilize a variety of mediums to express what they might not be able to via face-to-face communication, on paper, or through their voice. A creative outlet can be freeing, but it can also be an opportunity for introspection. 

Outdoor Activities

The benefits of the great outdoors on the human psyche are well established. We have a connection to nature, and spending more time around it can help us feel calm, improve our mood, and even positively impact our physical health – more so than just walking around. 

Mindfulness Meditation

Meditation techniques can be difficult to learn, but mindfulness exercises focus on bringing a step-by-step approach for teens to learn how to live in the moment and reap the mental benefits of side-stepping rumination or a negative spiral. 

Journaling

Consistently writing down your daily thoughts and experiences – whether in a structured diary entry, a dotted list of keywords, or via stream-of-consciousness – can help teens reflect on their experiences, review emotional outbursts or strong feelings with a sense of introspection, and focus on the good versus the bad. 

Music Therapy

Just like expressive art therapy helps teens convey emotion through a physical medium, music therapy aims to help teens do the same via music. Some teens are not just musically inclined but actually have a much greater emotional connection to music and are able to feel and share much more through sound than through words or pictures. Collaboration is also a crucial part of music, emphasizing social skills. 

Animal-Assisted Therapy

Working with animals and caring for animals can help calm teens, and give them a sense of purpose, boosting their self-esteem. Animal-assisted therapy also takes advantage of the fact that we feel better when we’re doing something for someone else. Animal-assisted therapy also helps teens cultivate feelings of responsibility towards others and practice empathy, learning to relate to people with greater compassion. 

Yoga

Yoga combines physical activity with mindfulness and relaxation through breath and release. Teens learn to incorporate and explore a new kind of exercise while learning to practice mindfulness through a physical approach.

Adventure Therapy

Adventure therapy emphasizes teamwork in outdoor and indoor environments through obstacle courses or even escape rooms. These help teens learn to work together and foster important social skills. 

Drama Therapy

Drama therapy utilizes roleplaying and stage preparation (including prop and costume creation) to help explore different roles and discuss therapeutic lessons through the lens of a figure or character, especially for teens who aren’t otherwise able to process their own experiences at the moment.

Volunteer Work

Spending time giving back to others can be cathartic and deeply rewarding. Volunteer work teaches teens to benefit from selflessness and aspire to continue to leave a positive impact on other people around them while expecting nothing in return. 

Narrative Therapy

While drama therapy focuses on each of the elements necessary in theater, narrative therapy focuses specifically on harnessing your own experiences as a tool for therapy in teens who might benefit from learning to re-explore their lives through a different, more positive, and more constructive lens.  

Dance Therapy

While some teens use music or a canvas to express themselves, others can use their bodies through dance. Dancing as a form of exercise, creative expression, and even a form of active mindfulness helps teens process their emotions and experiences positively. 

Mind-Body Connection Exercises

For teens who might not necessarily respond to yoga or dance, there are other mind-body connection exercises, including breathing exercises, self-practicing martial arts, and even weight training. 

Cooking or Baking Classes

Cooking and baking are valuable life skills, but also help teens explore a different kind of constructive creativity while directly benefiting from their own labors of love. 

Conclusion

Experiential therapies and therapeutic activities can be more engaging than group therapy or individual therapy sessions in a classroom or residential setting.

Sometimes, engaging with teens on a physical or creative level helps them better understand the lessons taught during therapy and helps them internalize their treatment goals. These experiences also help create lasting memories that teens can draw on later in life. 

We at Visions focus on holistic treatments. We believe that it is important to provide a multimodal approach to mental health treatments, and our teen treatment programs help teens cultivate a large repertoire of useful tools for their long-term mental health while addressing the current symptoms of their condition. To learn more about our residential treatment program and other treatment modalities, send us a message today. 

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Depression

The Dos and Don’ts of Helping Teens with Depression

By understanding the dos and don’ts of helping teens with depression, parents can approach their teens in a way that’s more effective. While your instinct is to protect and fix things, it’s essential to recognize that depression is complex. Parents need to balance support with respect for their teen’s individual experience. Knowledge of the dos and don’ts is a significant first step in providing effective support.

Depression in teens is a challenging and sensitive issue, requiring a careful balance of support, understanding, and boundaries.

As a parent, it can be overwhelming to discern the best way to help your struggling teen. The path to supporting a teen with depression isn’t always clear, but with the right knowledge and approach, you can make a meaningful difference in their lives.

In this article, we explore the dos and don’ts of helping teens with depression.

What Parents Should Know about Teen Depression

Teen depression is a serious mental health issue that goes beyond typical adolescent mood swings. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), 4.1 million American teens had at least one major depressive episode in 2020.

It can manifest in various ways, including persistent sadness, loss of interest in activities once enjoyed, or changes in sleeping and eating patterns. Teens may also exhibit unexplained physical symptoms like headaches or stomachaches.

It’s crucial for parents to recognize that teen depression is not a weakness or something that can be overcome with willpower – it requires professional intervention.

Understanding the risk factors, such as family history, trauma, or bullying, can also be helpful. Teen depression can significantly impair a teenager’s ability to function in daily life and, in severe cases, can lead to self-harm or suicidal thoughts.

Early detection and support are vital. By being informed, parents can take proactive steps in identifying signs of depression and seeking appropriate help for their teen.

Related: 12 Common Teen Depression Symptoms

The Dos and Don’ts of Helping Teens with Depression

Navigating the complexities of teen depression requires a nuanced approach.

As a parent, your role is pivotal in providing the right kind of support and environment for healing and growth. From maintaining open communication to ensuring they receive professional help, the approach you take can significantly impact their recovery journey.

Here are the dos and don’ts of helping teens with depression.

What You Can Do

To effectively support a teen with depression, it’s essential to foster a supportive and understanding home environment.

Listen Actively: Active listening involves fully concentrating, understanding, responding, and remembering what your teen says. It’s about giving them your undivided attention and acknowledging their feelings without judgment. This approach shows that you value their thoughts and emotions, creating a safe space for open communication.

Promote Healthy Habits: Encourage your teen to adopt healthy habits like regular exercise, balanced nutrition, and sufficient sleep. These habits not only improve physical health but also have a significant positive impact on mental well-being. A structured routine with these elements can provide stability and a sense of control for teens battling depression.

Provide Unconditional Support: Offering unconditional support means being there for your teen without conditions or expectations. It’s about accepting them as they are and showing love and support regardless of their mood or behavior. This unwavering support helps build their self-esteem and assures them they’re not alone in their struggles.

Educate Yourself: Educating yourself about depression is crucial to understanding what your teen is going through. Learn about its symptoms, treatments, and ways to support someone with depression. This knowledge not only helps in providing appropriate support but also in empathizing with your teen’s experience.

Be Patient: Patience is key when dealing with teen depression. Recovery is a process that takes time and can have ups and downs. Being patient shows your teen that you understand the complexity of their situation and are willing to support them through their healing journey at their own pace.

Encourage Professional Help: Encouraging your teen to explore professional help is vital. Mental health professionals can provide the necessary teen depression treatment and guidance. It’s important to communicate that seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness, and it’s a crucial step towards recovery.

What You Should Not Do

When helping a teen with depression, it’s vital to avoid certain behaviors that could hinder their progress.

Don’t Dismiss Their Feelings: It’s essential not to dismiss or trivialize your teen’s feelings. Depression is a serious condition, and their emotions are valid and real. Avoid saying things like “just cheer up” or “you have nothing to be depressed about.” Acknowledge their pain and struggles, showing them that you take their feelings seriously. This validation is crucial for building trust and understanding.

Avoid Punishment for Depression-Related Behavior: Recognize that certain behaviors, such as withdrawal, irritability, or a decline in school performance, can be manifestations of depression. Punishing your teen for these behaviors can exacerbate their feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness. Instead, approach these changes with empathy and understanding, seeking to understand the root cause rather than responding with discipline.

Don’t Force Conversations: While open communication is important, it’s also crucial not to pressure your teen into talking before they’re ready. Respect their need for space and time to process their feelings. Let them know you’re available to listen whenever they feel ready to talk. Forcing conversations can lead to further withdrawal and resistance to sharing.

Avoid Overwhelming Advice: Bombarding your teen with advice or trying to fix their problems can be overwhelming and counterproductive. It’s better to offer guidance and support rather than solutions. Allow them to make decisions about their treatment and recovery process. Your role is to support and empower them, not to solve their problems for them.

Don’t Ignore Warning Signs: Take any signs of self-harm, suicidal thoughts, or major changes in behavior seriously. These are critical warning signs that require immediate attention. Do not dismiss them as typical teenage drama or a phase. Seek professional help immediately if you notice any alarming signs. Early intervention can be lifesaving in cases of severe depression.

Teen Depression Treatment

Are you feeling overwhelmed trying to help your teen navigate through depression? At Visions Treatment Centers, we understand the complexity of adolescent mental health.

Our team of professionals offers comprehensive care tailored to each teen’s unique needs. With our support, your teen can rediscover their strength and resilience.

Contact Visions Treatment Centers today to learn more about our teen depression treatment program.

Conclusion

Helping your teen with depression requires understanding, patience, and the right support. Now that you know more about the dos and don’ts of helping teens with depression, you can approach your teen in a way that supports their needs.

Remember, you don’t have to navigate this challenging time alone. At Visions Treatment Centers, we specialize in adolescent mental health and are here to offer the care and support your teen needs.

Contact us to learn more about how our teen depression treatment programs can help your family find a path to recovery and well-being.

Categories
Mental Health

How Does Screen Time Affect Mental Health in Teens?

Excessive screen time can negatively affect mental health, leading to issues like sleep disturbances, reduced physical activity, and increased feelings of isolation. It can also contribute to anxiety and depression, especially when it replaces face-to-face interactions and physical activities.

Today’s teens are more depressed than previous recorded generations, even when accounting for factors such as a greater awareness of mental health issues. Today’s teens are also more likely to struggle with anxiety disorders, suicidal thoughts, and eating disorders. 

Furthermore, some of today’s teens are using smartphones more than experts agree is healthy, to the point that it may be impacting the quality of their sleep, as well as their attention span. Studies also show that social media usage can have a negative impact on teen self-esteem and contribute to eating disorders and anxiety problems. 

Let’s also look at some other key points of information. Today’s teens are more well-informed. Today’s teens and young adults are remarkably media-literate and able to spot fake information. They’re less likely to use drugs and engage in sexual activity later than their parents and older peers. They’re more passionate about climate change and political action than previous generations. Many teens also benefit from social media, and studies that show negative effects in some teens through smartphone usage also show that other teens see no negative effects as a result of increased screen time. 

It’s hard to get a full picture when there are contradicting points being made – but the main point here is to illustrate that screen time, like many other things, has its upsides and its downsides. What’s most important, however, is to acknowledge that teens with existing mental health issues tend to struggle more with the negative sides of the internet and general screen time. In that sense, their smartphone and internet usage reflect the problems they are already facing. 

The Upsides of Screen Time

Before we address the benefits of access to the World Wide Web, it’s important to point out that technological progress is often like Pandora’s Box. A tool as widespread and integrated in today’s world as the Internet – and subsequently, social media – will never go back in the box, and it’s up to parents and their children to navigate the question of how to grow up in this world and make the most of its benefits while avoiding its worst problems. 

As for benefits, there are plenty. Never has there been such a wealth of information, and the potential to learn. Teens can self-study up and past the university level, through bespoke online courses and free information. They can learn languages and valuable skills at a rate never before possible. They can instantaneously communicate with people from around the world, at a fraction of the cost of long-distance calls in decades past. 

Teens themselves say that social media and other internet tools help them feel more connected to one another, more expressive, and more creative. While we rightfully fear and condemn online echo chambers, research points out that teens and adults today are actually exposed to a wider range of beliefs and political thinking than they would have been with cable and printed news. 

Furthermore, digital literacy is becoming increasingly important in a world that is defined, more and more, by its digital spaces. In the unfortunate absence of physical spaces for meeting and mingling, learning how to behave and socially adapting to digital norms will be crucial for young adults, whether to network or forge lifelong friendships. 

The Risks of Excessive Screen Time

There are many hypotheses behind why excessive screen time – and especially social media – plays a negative role in teen mental health. From what we know today, social media and smartphone usage don’t necessarily make teens more anxious or depressed, but they can make existing anxieties and depressive thinking worse. 

One potential reason is that the anonymity and lack of face-to-face interaction behind online communication can fuel more vicious and hateful cyberbullying. While real-life bullying has stagnated or barely slowed down, cyberbullying has grown into a bigger problem. 

Sure, a fake picture might not seem comparable to getting punched in the face, but the emotional damage and humiliation can often be much more severe, and permanent – the pain of a shove or a kick fades, but many instances of cyberbullying and online slander remain archived on the Internet forever or are resistant to takedowns. 

Another reason is the effect between social media use and self-esteem. Teens can reinforce a negative self-image by consistently scrolling through the profiles and posts of thousands, if not tens of thousands of people who seem more successful, more attractive, more popular, and so on. It’s normal for teens to compare themselves with others, to the point of debilitation.  

Then, there is the way that excessive screen time can polarize a teen’s thoughts, which can radically alter their worldview and make them feel even worse about the state of things. Entire algorithms have – sometimes unintentionally – led millions of young people to consume content that ranges from outright hateful to self-harming, because of the way platforms like YouTube and TikTok promote content that drives the most engagement, despite controversy. 

Balancing Screen Time and Mental Health

If your teen consistently shows signs of struggle, then ask them if they’d consider talking to someone with you – be it a counselor or therapist. Be at their side through every step of getting help and stay with them until they’re comfortable talking with someone on their own. Make your love and concern felt. 

Talking about professional help if you suspect signs of serious depression or anxiety can be helpful. Sometimes, depressive thoughts are the result of grief or loss. Maybe they’ve just broken up with someone and feel like dying. Maybe their low mood is the result of a pet’s death. Temporary increases in anxiety or sadness are normal – in teens and adults alike. 

If their thoughts and feelings persist for multiple weeks, however – with no sign of a decrease in intensity – then their sadness might just have been a trigger for a mental health problem. Seeking treatment with your teen can help them approach their screen time and social media use as one element in a larger treatment plan.  

Conclusion

Excessive social media use and screen time can negatively impact a teen’s self-esteem and contribute to their anxiety, their depression, and even their eating disorders. There are positive aspects to social media, and in general, it is impossible to keep teens away from what has effectively become a vital form of communication in the 21st century. 

However, it is important to consider that teens with certain mental health problems will be more likely to be affected by the adverse effects of excessive social media use, and that seeking treatment for their mental health – fostering a stronger self-image, building their mental resilience, and improving their coping skills – can help protect them from some of the negative aspects of social media. 

We at Visions focus on providing comprehensive mental health treatments to teens via our residential treatment programs. We utilize talk therapy, experiential therapy, and medication management to help teens build the toolkit they need to continue to address their mental well-being into adulthood. Get in touch with us today to learn more. 

Categories
Mental Health

Academic Pressure and Teen Mental Health

Academic pressure can significantly impact teens’ mental health, leading to stress, anxiety, and depression. The demand to excel academically can create overwhelming stress, reducing their ability to cope with other life challenges and potentially leading to burnout and mental health issues.

Educational attainment has been on a steady increase in industrialized countries around the world. Even with concerns about the quality of education abound, there are more new college graduates than new high school dropouts in the United States.

Yet with a stark increase in education levels comes a much more competitive job landscape, which, amid record levels of wealth inequality and a growing gap between worker productivity and wages, is increasingly putting the onus on students to work harder and harder at an early stage in their life to secure financial stability in the future. 

Parents aren’t blameless in this, either. Studies show that rising parental expectations are linked to a rise in perfectionism among college students, resulting in increases in levels of anxiety and depression. Furthermore, research also shows that young people today perceive their parents as more critical than about 30 years ago.  

Should we back off students a little bit? Let’s take a closer look at some of the data, and how academic pressure might be affecting teen mental well-being. 

How Academic Pressure Has Changed

Changes in education systems around the industrialized world show that teens are effectively being asked to do more than ever before, while resources regarding mental health or support for teens are lacking, if at all present. 

Systematic reviews of available data show that teens experience rates of depression and anxiety as a result of academic pressure in industrialized countries throughout the world, based on a review of studies conducted throughout Asia and Europe. 

These changes are relatively new. We’ve mentioned that teens today find that their parents have more expectations for them and are more critical when compared to what teens in the late 1980s thought, and more studies are finding that students today are struggling with higher rates of severe mental health problems than in years past. 

However, we don’t know why. Some potential reasons include: 

  • A global job market and higher levels of competition around the world. 
  • A greater emphasis on standardized testing and higher test scores. 
  • A more generally competitive campus environment and culture. 
  • The pressure within the school to keep up with more extracurricular activities. 
  • Today’s parents place a higher value on academic success. 
  • Parenting styles that emphasize individuality and encourage competition may have become more popular. 
  • Outside stressors may render today’s teens more susceptible to the stressors of a full-time academic experience. 

Coping Strategies for Ambitious Teens

Teens today are contending with greater academic pressure. While they might not be able to do much about the way schools test their aptitude or organize their curriculum, they may be able to exercise control over other aspects of their life – particularly elements that might help improve mental resilience and stress management, such as healthier coping techniques, open communication with peers, teachers, and parents, and greater access to professional help. 

Healthy coping strategies for stressed teens include reorganizing study periods to allow for longer periods of mental recovery and rejuvenation, improving cognitive functioning and memory, and avoiding loss of sleep. Restlessness is common among college students and may be a contributing factor to their stress, affecting memory and cognition as well as emotional resilience. 

Conclusion

Whether we like it or not, teens are more likely to strive for perfection and more likely to see their parents or educators as a source of criticism and their peers as potential competitors than before. This pressure contributes to rising rates of anxiety and depression among young adults. 

It can be seen as a double-edged sword. Teens today enjoy more opportunities to explore secondary education – on the other hand, they also cite academic rigor as one of the primary causes of their mental health problems. More specifically, teens cite the pressure to score well, achieve a better grade, and secure better opportunities for their future, or the difficulty of managing an overwhelming workload, often while trying to manage extracurricular activities or one or more side jobs. 

Are we expecting too much of our teens? The answer may be more complicated than that. Teens today strive to shoot for the stars because they’re told to and because they’re aware that they might have to. Young adults are in a stage of emotional maturity and are more aware than ever of the world around them – including the sacrifices their parents have made to afford them their opportunities for success. Meanwhile, they endure grueling academic programs and pressure themselves to strive for excellence, to the point that suicides and suicide attempts rise during term time. 

A positive first step would be to acknowledge the impact of academic pressure and emphasize programs both at home and at school to help young adults improve their mental well-being. At what point should schools intervene to address a student’s mental health? In what shape or form should schools invest in counseling or talk therapy programs for students with symptoms of anxiety or depression? 

As institutions continue to explore these questions, parents need to consider talking to their teens about their mental well-being and feelings towards academic pressure. 

Review how your teen’s demeanor and behavior have changed since school started. Are they managing well? Are they consistent in their grades while still making time for their friends and own interests? Have they been able to explore or develop positive coping habits to deal with academic stressors? Or have they been struggling often?

Professional mental health programs can help teens who struggle to balance their social lives and academic responsibilities. We at Visions work with teens to address severe mental health issues, as well as substance use problems and dual diagnoses. 

Categories
Depression

How Common is Depression in Teens?

Depression in teens is increasingly common, affecting about 1 in 6 adolescents. This mental health condition can manifest through various symptoms, including persistent sadness, loss of interest in activities, and changes in appetite or sleep patterns. Recognizing teen depression early and exploring teen depression treatment can have a profound impact on the overall well-being of a teen. 

It is no secret that depression among teens is common. In 2017, for example, more than one in every ten teenagers said they experienced at least one major depressive episode in the last year. Among teen girls alone, it was one in five. The recent COVID pandemic doubled those numbers. 

It’s not just a matter of becoming aware of an all-time trend – while awareness of mental health issues has grown over time, we are seeing more than just a growth in teen depression. Teens are also increasingly suicidal, anxious, and more likely to struggle with other mood disorders, personality disorders, and life-threatening eating disorders. We can’t blame it all on greater awareness – so why are more teens depressed than before? 

So, how common is teen depression? Keep reading to discover just how common depression is among teens, and how depression treatment can help support teens’ mental health.

How Common Is Teen Depression?

Roughly 16 percent of teens reported at least one depressive episode in 2023. More than two years removed from the start of the pandemic, over two-thirds of US high school students reported that schoolwork was more difficult, and over half reported emotional abuse at home. 

Things were already on the rise before COVID, however. Only about 8 percent of teens reported a depressive episode in 2005. 

In addition to an overall rise in rates, depression is affecting different teen demographics disproportionately. A short overview of the statistics shows that, while girls are more likely to experience depressive symptoms than boys, LGBTQ+ teens are more likely to struggle with depression than their heterosexual peers unless they receive parental support. 

Among racial and ethnic groups in the US, the groups most likely to experience a major depressive episode were biracial and American Indian/Alaskan Natives, as well as White adults. Further study shows that, while rates of single depressive episodes were lower among African Americans, they were far more likely to experience long-term depression (56 percent vs. 38 percent among White populations) and more likely to struggle with severe or debilitating depressive symptoms. 

Why Is Teen Depression Common?

Numerous different factors affect depression. These are risk factors – shared factors among teens with depressive episodes that may have contributed to the condition. Risk factors for depression include: 

  • Genetics
  • History of abuse/trauma (including war and natural disasters)
  • Socioeconomic problems
  • Parenting style
  • Lack of supportive environments
  • Media influence/gender norms
  • Victimization/bullying
  • Lack of access to support or mental health services

Furthermore, there are hypothetical reasons why depression rates have been on the rise in recent years. These include: 

  • Increased academic pressure
  • Social media and online peer pressure
  • A change in parenting styles (helicopter parenting)
  • Globalization (and its effects on the job market)
  • Changes in political climate (increased polarization)
  • Climate change
  • Increased wealth inequality (teens are disillusioned about the future)

Identifying Depression in Your Teens

Depression is a type of mood disorder characterized by a long-term, consistent feeling of low mood or sadness, regardless of a teen’s environment (i.e., they struggle with their mood at home as well as around friends or at school).

Teens often don’t know why they’re depressed or struggle to find a cause or reason. Depression often co-occurs with other mental health issues, particularly anxiety disorders, eating disorders, and substance use problems. Some signs of depression among teens include: 

  • Consistent lethargy
  • Frequent tearfulness or sadness
  • Persistent feelings of hopelessness
  • Feelings of isolation
  • Boredom with current hobbies
  • Loss of interest
  • Lack of motivation for anything
  • Loss of pleasure (anhedonia)
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Lowered self-esteem
  • Sensitivity to rejection and failure (including irritability)
  • Low communication/self-isolation
  • Thoughts of self-harm or suicide
  • Self-harming behavior or suicidal behavior
  • High-risk behavior (reckless driving, unprotected sex, etc.)

Treatment and Protective Factors

The first-line treatment for depression includes talk therapy and antidepressant medication, particularly SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors). 

SSRIs do not eliminate depressive symptoms but can sometimes help mitigate or manage these symptoms while in therapy. Long-term talk therapy and a better, more supportive environment are often the most relevant factors in the successful management of depressive symptoms. 

In cases of treatment-resistant depression, other treatment options become available.

Protective factors that can help mitigate the risk of depression can also be key in treatment. These include a positive parent-child relationship, better communication between parents and teens, an authoritative (not authoritarian) parenting style, better stress management options, a healthier social connection, and supportive environment (within the school and local community), and access to mental health resources (counseling and professional help). 

Conclusion

Teen depression has become increasingly common for several reasons. The factors behind the rise in teen depression range from the potential exacerbation of mental health issues by social media and online victimization, to an increase in feelings of personal isolation (and loss of community), as well as greater environmental and political stressors (social and financial inequality, climate change, an increasingly hostile and extremist political landscape, gun violence, anti-LGBT violence). 

Furthermore, despite an increase in understanding of what depression is, what it looks like, and how it might be treated, few teens get the help they need. Access to proper mental health resources is still limited, and teens are still pressured to find ways to deal with their mental health issues on their own before getting help. 

Parents, teachers, and peers alike can help support teens with depression by recognizing and acting on early signs of depression, championing access to mental health resources, and encouraging their loved ones to get professional help when it becomes available. At Visions Treatment Centers, we champion teen mental health treatments and provide access to residential treatment programs for teens with severe mental health conditions and substance use disorders. Visit our website to find out more. 

Categories
Mental Health

Social Media Effects on Teen Mental Health

This article explores the complex relationship between social media and teen mental health, shedding light on both the benefits and potential drawbacks of social media engagement. It emphasizes the importance of education, self-awareness, and open communication to help teens navigate the digital world safely and maintain their mental health.

The impact of social media on teen mental health is a growing concern. Today’s kids and adults alike are increasingly immersed in an online world, which has both benefits and drawbacks, and can positively and negatively affect their mental well-being. While social media can provide support, connection, and access to often lifesaving or life-changing resources, it’s also linked to issues like cyberbullying, social comparison, and reduced self-esteem.

Ever since the advent of the consumer internet, our lives have been inextricably linked to the digital world. Daily screentime has exploded among all age groups. Our reliance on smartphones continues to grow. Access to smartphones and social media is outpacing access to reliable power throughout the world. While some people wish to go back to a day and age when digital devices and screens played a smaller role in our lives, that time has long passed. 

Todays and tomorrow’s children will grow up around internet-connected devices, and within the internet itself. It’s up to us – and them – to learn how to handle that, prioritize privacy, and build up protective factors against some of the more nefarious side-effects of social media consumption and internet access, while making the most of the benefits of these developing technologies. 

The Positive Effects of Social Media for Teen Mental Health

It cannot be denied that there is something magical about having the ability to conveniently get in touch with people from across the globe, at a moment’s notice, and exchange ideas and information on every subject known to humanity. 

The Internet and social media platforms have allowed subcultures and niche groups to grow and flourish, giving new life to old and modern interests alike, and improving opportunities for teens and adults throughout the world. Social media platforms give users unparalleled opportunities to connect and support one another, share educational resources and working opportunities, and give resourceful teens access to a wealth of knowledge. 

These benefits apply the most to teens that feel marginalized or victimized within their local environment. Kids who might have grown up feeling alone with their disability or set of circumstances can reach out to and connect with countless other people who share similar experiences and might have completely different and far more positive outlooks on life. For many people, social media also serves as a source of light-hearted media, or even as an opportunity to connect with people that help them feel better and avoid or tackle personal feelings of anxiety or depression. 

The Negative Effects of Social Media for Teen Mental Health

There are numerous problems with social media, especially today’s social media. For one, all social media platforms are intentionally designed to maximize a user’s time on the platform. These are free platforms, meaning they finance themselves almost exclusively through advertising. All social media platforms are owned and managed by for-profit corporations that strive to provide advertisers with a consistent and growing stream of potential customers. 

This includes children, teens, and young adults, who are naturally most susceptible to modern advertising tactics, and less able to distinguish between promoted and organically generated content. This means that, by their very nature, social media platforms can be considered predatory to a degree, relying on intentionally harmful tactics such as FOMO (fear of missing out) and aggressive advertising to separate teens and parents from their time and money. 

Furthermore, social media platforms are aware of, and sometimes even promote the usage of algorithms that promote harmful content, including political misinformation, body shaming, and content that promotes or exacerbates eating disorders and other mental health problems. 

In lieu of connecting individuals, social media platforms have unfortunately also become an avenue for people to spread and share hate, and connect with one another on the basis of potentially harmful interests. 

Social media platforms also create an avenue for cyberbullying, which is often more emotionally scarring and severe in terms of language than face-to-face harassment due to the anonymity and distance afforded by the digital world. 

Tips for Responsible Social Media Use

Managing these drawbacks requires education and open communication. Parents cannot fearmonger teens into staying off the internet, nor can they keep their children away from social media platforms for long. Instead, parents must safeguard their kids by teaching them to watch out for signs of predatory behavior online and improve their political and media literacy skills at an early age. 

A healthy and positive parent-child relationship also helps keep children from turning to strangers online for intimate and personal advice. 

We cannot keep teens from engaging with their peers on the internet, at the cost of spending time on a predatory platform. But we can help them learn to become aware of different forms of online predation, by individuals and companies alike, and develop a healthy offline lifestyle to minimize the negative effects of an “always online” mentality. 

How Do Teens Feel About Social Media?

Research into the online habits of today’s social media-conscious teens shows that many of them are already well-aware of the drawbacks of social media usage, and some of them have developed their own ways of coping with the negative sides of being chronically online. For example, relatively few teens share things related to personal problems, political ideology, or religious beliefs on social media. 

Furthermore, younger teens are even less likely than their older counterparts to talk about romantic relationships or their dating life. Many teens use social media for the same reasons as many other adults: to share accomplishments and stay connected with family members. 

Social media has its upsides and downsides. It’s impossible to put the genie back in the bottle – but today’s teens and parents can very much learn to live with this technological development and help minimize its negative effects through communication and a trusting relationship. 

If you or your teen need help dealing with the mental fallout of long-term social media use, it’s always a good idea to seek professional help. Residential treatment programs, such as those offered by Visions, help teens better balance their online and offline lives, and manage mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. Call today to learn more. 

 

Categories
Treatment

How Long Does It Take to Detox from Drugs?

The detoxification process duration varies depending on the drug, genetic and environmental factors, and the severity of addiction. Generally, drug detoxification takes days – but withdrawal symptoms and behavioral issues can last much longer. In this article, we’re exploring one of the most common questions we hear from parents: how long does it take to detox from drugs? 

Your body is constantly in the process of breaking down and processing everything around it – from exhaust fumes to mineral water. The process of breaking down a poison or toxin in the body is called detoxification. 

Many drugs are, to a degree, harmful to the body. Alcohol, for example, can cause blackouts and even overdoses. The same goes for opioids like heroin or morphine, and stimulants like cocaine or amphetamine. At any given moment, your body works to metabolize and eliminate these substances from your bloodstream through the stomach, lungs, liver, kidneys, and skin, depending on how the drugs are taken. 

Every drug has an effective half-life, which is the average time it takes for the body to metabolize half of the dosage it was exposed to. This scales linearly, meaning if a drug has a half-life of an hour for 50mg, then there would be 25mg remaining in your body after an hour, 12.5mg after two hours, 6.75mg after three hours, and so on. Within a day or two, there would be an imperceptibly small amount of the drug left in your system – and trace amounts might still be found in your nails and hair for weeks afterwards – but it would no longer affect your brain. 

Different drugs have different half-lives, and most half-lives are defined by a range rather than a set number. The half-life of caffeine can range between 2 and 12 hours, for a dramatic example. This is why some people can have a cup of coffee in the evening and go to bed at a reasonable hour, while others might struggle to sleep if they’ve had an espresso earlier that morning. Similarly, some people sober up much faster than others. This is relevant for drug detoxification as well. 

Factors Influencing Detox Timelines

In addition to a drug’s estimated half-life range, there are other factors that influence how quickly the body can detoxify after taking a drug. These factors include: 

  • The frequency and severity of the drug use. Larger quantities of a drug take longer to process but may also affect the body’s ability to metabolize them. If a drug can negatively affect the liver and kidneys (many do), it can slow down the detoxification process. 
  • Health conditions. Liver cirrhosis, hepatitis, and other liver diseases impact the liver’s ability to filter and metabolize your blood. The same goes for the kidneys, lungs, and skin. 
  • Sex, weight, and age. Men metabolize some drugs faster than women. Body weight and size, as well as age and general health will also affect the rate at which you clear out any drug use. 
  • Genes. There are genes that aid or disrupt detoxification, as well as individual resistances to any given drug. Some people metabolize opioids incredibly quickly, to the point that they need much higher doses to avoid feeling pain, without building up any prior tolerance to painkillers. Other people can naturally metabolize alcohol much better, due to the abundance of an enzyme in the stomach that prevents alcohol from entering the bloodstream through the small intestine. These factors cannot be controlled but explain why some people have mild withdrawal symptoms and a faster detox period, while others go through a longer, tougher process. 
  • Water intake and exercise. Theoretically, getting your blood pressure up and increasing your fluid intake should speed up detoxification. But this stresses both the liver and the kidneys. If you’ve been taking drugs regularly, these organs are already stressed. Some drug detoxes are much tougher on the heart, liver, and kidneys than others. If you’re a severe alcoholic, for example, the last thing you want to do is give your heart a workout during withdrawal. Furthermore, chugging water and going for a run won’t do much to get a drug out of your system any faster than simply drinking a healthy amount of water, and trying to stay active as best you can. 

General Drug Detox and Withdrawal Timelines

Drug detoxes and withdrawal symptoms can vary in duration, so setting up a timeline for each drug or class of drug is usually pointless. It is important to remember that: 

  • The body generally metabolizes drugs in about 24-36 hours. Some people metabolize drugs faster, others take longer. The older you are, the weaker your liver and kidneys are, or the more drugs you’ve taken, the longer it takes. 
  • Acute physical withdrawal symptoms last anywhere from three days to over a week. These include the effects of the drug leaving the body, as well as the immediate neurological aftermath of a drug dependency. 
  • Post-acute withdrawal symptoms can last longer than a week, usually after the first week. These may include physical symptoms, such as headaches, nausea, and shivers. In other cases, the first week also denotes the period when cravings begin to grow in intensity. 
  • The first month is usually the point at which the body and mind begin to recover from intense drug use. This includes better concentration and general health improvements, from weight loss or weight gain to better skin, clear eyes, improved sleep hygiene, healthier hair, nails, and more. 

Do Drug Detox Kits Work?

There are many products that purport to speed up recovery with natural supplements or nutrients. In people with long-term health issues due to drug use, vitamin and mineral deficiencies can be a roadblock towards faster recovery. Some of these detox kits can help, but so does an improved diet, better sleep, more fluids, or a visit to the hospital for an IV drip or prescription of withdrawal medication. 

Some drug detox kits can be outright dangerous. These are unregulated products and may contain ingredients that affect liver function for the purposes of temporarily improving the results of a drug test, for example. This can lead to severe physical consequences, especially for heavy users. 

If you want to detoxify safely, your best bet is to call a drug addiction clinic or talk to a doctor about medically supervised detoxification. Remember – your body does all the work here. Keeping yourself healthy or improving your health through a medically-approved detoxification regimen can help your body clear out any remaining drugs. 

But detoxification is always just the first step. Long-term recovery is a step-by-step process that centers on tackling drug cravings, identifying and eliminating relapse triggers, and creating a healthy support system. 

Learn more about long-term addiction treatment and life after withdrawal through our residential and aftercare programs here at Visions. 

Categories
Substance Abuse

The Difference Between Substance Abuse and Substance Dependence

This article delves into the distinction between substance abuse and dependence. It dives into the varied criteria for each, emphasizing their differences. Additionally, it helps readers understand prevention strategies and treatment avenues for teens grappling with drug use. Learning more about these differences is crucial in addressing drug problems effectively.

There is a clear distinction between drug use and drug addiction. But the difference between addiction and dependence is often more muddied, and in some cases, these terms are used interchangeably. But what is substance abuse? What is substance dependence? What constitutes addiction? When do doctors pathologize drug use, and at what point is it considered a medical non-issue? 

Understanding the differences between drug use, drug dependence, and drug addiction can help teens and parents alike better understand the dangers and misconceptions around addictive substances, help destigmatize and better treat addiction, and highlight the importance of taking early action when dealing with teen drug use, in particular. 

Exploring Substance Abuse

Most of the time, when someone is talking about substance abuse, they’re talking about the continued and long-term use of drugs in a way that insinuates an addiction. 

Medically, substance abuse is not a used term. Instead, doctors talk about substance use disorders. A substance use disorder is defined as a neurological condition as well as a psychological one. The impact of long-term drug use can be observed in the brain, changing neural pathways and making it more difficult to stay away from a drug over time. There are physical and psychological factors that increase or decrease the risk of a substance use disorder. There are also physical and psychological consequences to substance use. 

In addition to physical and psychological factors, substance abuse is also characterized by its complicated social factors. 

For example, parental drug use and peer pressure help enable substance abuse. Furthermore, substance abuse is highly stigmatized and socially isolating. It is a criminal activity with hefty legal consequences, and a history of extreme persecution through law enforcement. It forces people to the fringes of society, and often goes hand-in-hand with victimization and exploitation. Substance abuse eliminates employment opportunities while gobbling up finances to pay for itself, making treatment difficult. 

Sometimes, substance abuse is used as a term to refer to any improper use of an addictive substance – for example, teenage drinking, as well as the use of someone else’s prescription medication, or the use of an illicit drug. 

However, it’s important to differentiate substance use (even illegal substance use) from substance abuse. 

Yes, any drug use represents a slippery slope. But drug use does not always lead to addiction. While about half of all teens have experienced drug use at some point in their early life, only 16.5 percent of all people aged 12 or older met the criteria for a substance use disorder, for example. Even with a significant margin of error, there is a large difference between trying a drug and being addicted to it. 

The difficulty lies in knowing where the line is drawn. At some point, drug use becomes drug addiction, defined by certain characteristic behavior such as an inability to stop using, multiple failed attempts at quitting, and serious behavioral changes that result in damaged relationships, lost opportunities, or even legal consequences. Only the diagnosis of a medical professional can identify a substance use disorder, such as alcoholism or cocaine addiction.

Understanding Substance Dependence

Substance dependence is a potential component of a drug addiction, but the two are not mutually inclusive. In other words, a person can experience a substance dependence without being addicted, and they can experience addiction before experiencing signs of physical dependence. 

Drug dependence occurs naturally through long-term use of any drug, including many medications. This is a neurological and biological phenomenon that, in the case of a potentially addictive substance, occurs when the brain and body work together to metabolize the drug more efficiently, diminishing its effects, and causing a side-effect wherein the body “requires” continued regular intake of the drug to stay “regular”. 

Outside of addictive substances like alcohol or pain medication, a good example for an innocuous substance dependence is caffeine. Caffeine is a psychoactive drug that acts as a mild stimulant. While caffeine addiction has been explored in scientific literature, there is no evidence of a caffeine use disorder existing. However, caffeine withdrawal is a very real thing. 

Some people become dependent on caffeine. Without caffeine, they experience headaches and a significant drop in cognitive performance. Once they start drinking their daily coffee or energy drink, however, the symptoms go away. This is an example of substance dependence, and substance withdrawal. 

Addictive drugs can result in a more extreme version of this same mechanism. Some substances can even cause fatal withdrawal symptoms – particularly alcohol and anti-anxiety medication, like Xanax. 

However, just like caffeine, individual sensibilities play a big role here. There are people who can’t stomach a cup of coffee without experiencing jitters for the rest of the day. There are others who can drink three to four cups a day without any adverse health effects. There are some people who experience extreme coffee withdrawal symptoms, and others who have been drinking coffee for years, but don’t experience any withdrawal if they stop. 

Key Differences Between Substance Abuse and Dependence

Substance abuse or addiction refers to a diagnosed health issue characterized by an inability to quit using an addictive drug. This inability to quit is caused by neurological, physical, mental, and social factors, which may include a substance dependence. 

Substance dependence, on the other hand, refers to the physiological effect of becoming dependent on a drug to function, usually in combination with substance withdrawal, which occurs when a person stops taking that drug. 

People can experience substance dependence and substance withdrawal without experiencing addiction. A good example of this is the smoker who is successful in quitting smoking on their first try. It might feel terrible, and they might experience cravings, irritability, and weight gain because of their nicotine withdrawal, but after a few months, they no longer want to smoke. Because they managed to stop smoking when they wanted to, they do not qualify for a nicotine addiction – one of the behavioral hallmarks of a substance use disorder is the inability to stop on your own. For context, the average smoker relapses 8 to 30 times before they stop smoking for good. 

Drug dependence and drug withdrawal also occur with entirely non-addictive drugs, such as certain medications. It’s critically important to taper off of anti-depressants before switching to another kind, for example, due to the negative effects of going cold turkey. 

Prevention and Treatment Options

Prevention for drug use depends largely on a person’s home environment and community or neighborhood. For teens, especially, parental influence and family history remain the most powerful indicators for drug use and drug addiction. 

Strict guidelines against drug use, consequences for drug use, a lack of drug use at home, and a positive parent-child relationship can serve as protective factors against teen drug use. Conversely, drug use at home and a family history of addiction are often predictors for drug use later in life. 

Neighborhood risk factors include drug availability, and access to mental health resources. Teens with a history of mental health issues, and/or victimization, are more likely to struggle with an addiction if they try drugs. Access to treatment resources and counseling can be a strong preventative measure for teen addiction. 

Treatment for a substance dependence, if needed, would be to taper from the substance instead of going cold turkey. By reducing intake day by day, or week by week, the effects of a potential withdrawal are eliminated. In people who experience drug dependence in addition to drug addiction, a taper is a crucial part of the detoxification process, often medially supervised. 

Treatment for a substance use addiction is largely psychotherapeutic. While there are novel medications that can help reduce cravings or even make certain drugs ineffective, meaning you can no longer get high while on your medication, the caveat of a condition with biopsychosocial factors is that it requires a holistic, multimodal approach that considers the physical effects of addiction, the mental effects of addiction, and the social effects of addiction.

Residential treatment programs, such as those offered by Visions, can help teens achieve long-term sobriety and learn to manage their addiction as they grow into adulthood. 

Categories
Substance Abuse

Symptoms of Drug Addiction Among Teens

Drug use in teens can affect their behavior, social abilities, cognitive skills, and in turn have long-term effects on their physical health, academic performance, and workspace opportunities. Recognizing and addressing potential teen drug use early on is important for securing a teen’s future and minimizing the risk of serious long-term consequences.

Teens are rebellious by nature, drawn to edge, and known for impulsivity and recklessness. It’s natural, then, that teens have a higher susceptibility to the dangers of addiction and addictive substances. This susceptibility is one of the reasons teens aren’t allowed to drink or smoke, and when they do, research tells us that they have a higher likelihood of struggling with substance use issues later in life. 

Yet forbidding teens from doing something and effectively stopping them from doing something are entirely different missions. We know from extensive research that anti-drug campaigns aimed towards teens usually fail – and some of them even backfire, seemingly advertising the punk nature of drug use among teens that are naturally drawn towards anti-authoritative action. 

We also know that educating teens instead, through no-nonsense facts on the debilitating long-term effects of drug use, can help them make an informed decision, should they decide to experiment with drugs anyway. To a degree, this approach even works best. 

But what do you do if your teen starts using drugs regularly? How could you tell early enough to make a meaningful difference, and keep them from becoming addicted for years to come? Let’s explore the warning signs. 

Physical Symptoms of Teen Drug Addiction

Drug use affects the body in different ways. Some drugs accelerate weight loss rapidly by cutting down on a growing teen’s appetite, resulting in an unhealthily low bodyweight, as well as other signs of low food intake, such as fainting or lack of menstruation. 

Other drugs attack the organs quickly, resulting in a compromised immune system, frequent infections, and signs of illness. Drugs taken intravenously may result in a higher risk of infected needle marks, or diseases associated with needle reuse, such as hepatitis. The behavioral effects of drug use also affect teens physically due to lack of sleep and poor hygiene. 

Behavioral Symptoms of Teen Addiction

The behavioral impact of frequent drug use is dependent on the type of drugs taken. The most commonly abused drugs among teenagers include alcohol and marijuana. Both drugs can have a depressant effect on teens, and temporarily affect a teen’s cognitive faculties, slow their reflexes, and reduce their coordination. 

Regular binge drinking can cause mood swings and increased anxiety in sober or hungover teens, as well as memory loss and forgetfulness. Excessive marijuana usage, on the other hand, can trigger psychotic episodes (hallucinations or dissociation), loss of motivation, and lowered reasoning skills/problem solving abilities. 

Stimulating drugs, such as methamphetamine, prescription stimulants, and cocaine may cause manic episodes instead. 

Aside from mood swings and changes in behavior based on drug use, addiction can cause teens to resort to desperate acts of lying to try and hide their drug use (often unsuccessfully, at a certain point of inebriation) or try and find ways to come up with money quickly, such as stealing from family funds. Continued drug use and addiction often results in social withdrawal and isolation among teens. 

Academic and Social Implications

The signs of teen drug use in school performance often mirror other mental health crises. Teens who struggle with drug use will have a hard time concentrating on school or prioritizing their studies. 

They may lose interest in trying to complete school, skip out on extracurricular activities, and become worse at hiding their drug use. In addition to a risk of expulsion or legal consequences, drug use also correlates with extreme personal risk-taking – including life-threatening activities such as drunk driving. 

Intervention and Treatment Options for Teenage Drug Use

If you suspect that your teen is hiding their drug use, or has been struggling with addiction for some time, it’s important to talk to them about exploring treatment options together. If that hasn’t worked, consider reaching out to a mental health professional for an individualized intervention. 

Treatment for addiction relies heavily on therapy and removing addictive elements from a teen’s environment. In the case of outpatient treatment, teens continue to stay at home and go to school while regularly going to therapy. 

Residential treatment allows teens to remove themselves from their current environment and focus solely on recovery in a specialized home environment alongside other teens in treatment. Both options also focus on building healthier habits and coping mechanisms into a teen’s daily life, improving a teen’s self-esteem and social skills through group activities and personal hobbies, and focusing on a daily schedule to keep teens focused on long-term recovery and their academic ambitions. 

Prevention Strategies for Teen Addiction

They say prevention is better than a cure. So why do teens do drugs? The factors that inform teen drug use are numerous, but the most significant ones include availability and parental influence/family history. 

  • Availability plays a large role – the easier it is to acquire drugs, and the more prominent drug use is in your teen’s neighborhood, the higher the likelihood that they will come in contact with them.   
  • Parental influence is just as important and represents a double-edged sword – parents who are strict about establishing rules and consequences surrounding drug use, do not do drugs themselves (including smoking or drinking), and have a strong, healthy bond with their children will likely keep their teens from doing drugs. That last part is important – a positive parent-child bond is a strong protective factor against drug use. 
  • Last but certainly not least, there are other associated risk factors, such as a teen’s role and place within the community, their access to activities outside of drug use (such as gaming or sports), factors surrounding victimization (such as racism or being part of the LGBTQIA+), and access to mental health resources. 

Anti-drug campaigns may mean well, but there is not much evidence to suggest that they work as well as they should. To have the most impact on your teen’s opinions on drugs, it’s important to focus on the quality of their family life, their integration into the community, positive social life outside of school, and access to counseling and other mental health resources to deal with bullying or feelings of depression and anxiety. 

We at Visions work hard to help teens deal with the mental and physical consequences of addiction, transition towards sobriety, and stay the course for long-term recovery. Our residential treatment programs offer individualized treatment modalities for teens with substance use disorders and co-occurring disorders. Give us a call to learn more about Visions and our team. 

Categories
Anxiety

Can You Grow Out of Anxiety?

Can you grow out of anxiety? This article explores the relationship between age and anxiety, shedding light on whether anxiety can naturally wane as individuals mature. Let’s dive into the different factors influencing anxiety disorders across a person’s life, and gain insights into managing anxiety symptoms at different stages of life.

Some kids are a little shy. Some kids are easily startled. Some kids worry more about things than others. Personality traits are sometimes learned, sometimes born, and sometimes both. But anxiety as a long-term state of mind is different. 

To be anxious is to be worried or nervous. It’s a normal response to certain circumstances. Some people are more likely to become nervous or react with worry to situations. But that state of anxiety passes. We become calmer when we realize that the danger is gone, or that there isn’t anything to worry about. Most people learning to drive for the first time are nervous behind the steering wheel – but by the thousandth mile, even a nervous learner becomes a much more confident driver. 

Anxiety that doesn’t pass – anxiety that persists or occurs out of nowhere – is not a normal reaction. It is often the sign of an anxiety disorder, a type of mental health issue with neurological, psychological, and social factors. People with anxiety disorders cannot shake the feeling that things will go wrong, even if they have no reason to. Their worries preoccupy and consume them and can be debilitating. Without treatment or a serious change of circumstance, anxiety disorders don’t go away – and they usually aren’t outgrown. 

Anxiety disorders can occur at any age. Even young children (aged 6 and under) can experience abnormal episodes of anxiety and suffer from panic attacks. Anxiety also affects the elderly and is becoming a growing issue among society’s oldest. While anxiety disorders have a typical age of onset in the late teens and early 20s, they can also be diagnosed much later in life, or earlier. Like many other mental health conditions, the signs and symptoms of an anxiety disorder can differ between age groups. 

Anxiety Disorders in Children

Some anxious feelings and patterns of worry are normal in children. Kids can be afraid of the dark, afraid of being alone, or afraid of going to school. Most of the time, they outgrow these worries – but when they persist, they can be an early sign of an anxiety disorder. Common symptoms of potential anxiety disorders among young children include: 

  • Extremely afraid of being away from their parents for any period of time, also known as separation anxiety. 
  • Being afraid of going to school, or being around strangers, as a form of social anxiety. 
  • Being worried about bad things happening all the time, also known as generalized anxiety.
  • Extreme fear of a specific thing, situation, or feeling, to the point that they bring it up or are worried about it randomly.  
  • Experiencing random episodes of sudden, intense fear, increased heart rate, and dizziness, also known as a panic attack. 
  • Physical symptoms, especially stomachaches and headaches because of stress and worry. Kids can also get stress-related ulcers and mouth sores. 

Risk factors for childhood anxiety include environmental ones, such as a stressful home environment, early history of abuse, or witnessing violence, but can also include internal factors such as genetics. A family history of anxiety disorders can increase the risk of developing an anxiety disorder, especially if it’s a close relation (older sibling or parent). 

Differentiating between normal childhood fears and anxiety can be difficult. It’s important not to pathologize a child’s personality, but if their worries are interfering with life and school to the point that they cannot connect with other kids or are struggling, then consider talking to a pediatrician about screening for anxiety or another health issue. 

Teenage Anxiety

The teen years are the most common for an onset of anxiety disorders, for biological, social, and psychological reasons. Teens are undergoing rapid hormonal changes, which can affect mood and mental wellbeing, as well as a growing awareness of social hierarchies and interpersonal relationships. 

Teens are grappling with the mounting responsibilities of oncoming adulthood, while slowly maturing out of their childhoods. The teen years are wrought with elements of sudden, unwanted, and even violent change. 

Whereas children are worried about being away from their parents or among strangers, teenagers become more worried about other people’s perception of them, their place in the world, as well as academic pressures or career anxiety. Signs of teen anxiety include: 

  • Lowered self-esteem
  • Self-inflicted isolation
  • Avoiding relationships with other people
  • Difficulty focusing or retaining information
  • Higher irritability than children or adults
  • Greater degree of perfectionism (and mounting frustration)
  • Frequent negative self-talk
  • Constant complaints of fatigue 
  • Unexplained nausea, stomach aches, or loss of appetite

Anxiety disorders are more common than any other type of mental health issue, including depression and substance use issues. However, anxiety disorders often co-occur with other conditions such as those. Teens with diagnosed anxiety disorders also have a higher likelihood of early high-risk sexual behavior, binge drinking, early drug use, and unsafe/drunk driving. 

Does Anxiety Go Away?

You can outgrow some fears, like the fear of the dark, or what’s underneath your bed. But mental health issues, when left unaddressed, don’t usually magically disappear. Most anxiety disorders tend to be chronic if not treated. 

Even ADHD, which is often considered a childhood condition, can still be diagnosed in adults, and is becoming more prevalent as people gain awareness of the signs. 

While growing older might not resolve your anxiety on its own, getting treatment can – the earlier, the better. Visions offers residential care programs for teens with mental health issues.

Our treatment modalities allow for a comprehensive holistic approach for conditions such as social anxiety, panic disorder, or substance use disorder. We leverage psychotherapy as well as experiential therapies. Learn more about our programs through our website, or give us a call. 

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