Category: Stress

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Stress

5 Stress and Coping Skills for Teens

Teens can manage stress by practicing mindfulness exercises, like meditation or yoga, engaging in physical activities, maintaining a balanced diet, and ensuring adequate sleep. They should also develop a strong support network of friends and family, and consider seeking help from counselors or therapists. Journaling, hobbies, and time management techniques can also enhance coping skills.

Growing up isn’t easy, and in today’s hyper-connected world, teenagers are confronted with unique stressors that previous generations didn’t face. From academic pressure and social media-induced anxiety to the challenge of navigating personal identity, stress has become an uninvited guest in many teenagers’ lives. The impact of this relentless stress can be significant, affecting mental health, physical well-being, academic performance, and interpersonal relationships.

Left unchecked, this stress can build up, leading to feelings of being overwhelmed, anxious, or depressed. It can result in poor decision-making, such as resorting to unhealthy coping mechanisms like substance abuse. However, simply wishing stress away isn’t a viable solution. Teenagers need to be armed with effective strategies to manage this inevitable part of life.

In this article, you will discover five stress and coping skills for teens. By mastering these skills, teenagers can not only survive but thrive in the face of stress, turning these challenging years into a foundation for a resilient future.

Essential Coping Skills for Teens

In this section, we’ll introduce 5 practical coping skills for teens that can help you better manage stress and maintain a healthy mental state. These essential coping skills provide valuable tools for teenagers to navigate the challenges they face and promote their overall well-being. Here are the five coping skills we will explore:

1. Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness becomes an invaluable tool for navigating the challenging waves of emotions. It offers a compassionate and supportive approach to understanding your thoughts, feelings, and the world around you, all without passing judgment. By cultivating mindfulness, you can embark on a profound journey of self-discovery, empowering yourself with a deeper comprehension of your emotions and enhancing your ability to effectively cope with stress.

Incorporating mindfulness into your daily routine can be accomplished through various activities that promote a sense of tranquility and self-awareness. Engaging in meditation, yoga, or deep breathing exercises can be particularly beneficial. For instance, you can set aside just 10 minutes each day to fully immerse yourself in the present moment, allowing your breath to be your anchor. As you breathe in and out, consciously release any distracting thoughts that may arise, granting yourself the freedom to embrace the stillness within.

Remember, the path of mindfulness is a personal journey, and there is no right or wrong way to practice it. Each experience is unique, and by exploring different techniques, you can discover what resonates best with you. With time and patience, mindfulness will become a compassionate companion, providing solace and equipping you with invaluable coping skills as you navigate the complexities of stress.

2. Engage in Physical Activity

Engaging in physical activity is an essential part of developing effective stress-coping skills, especially for teens. It’s crucial to recognize that regular exercise has been scientifically proven to be a powerful stress reliever and can significantly enhance mental well-being. By participating in physical activities that you genuinely enjoy, such as swimming, dancing, or playing sports with friends, you not only incorporate exercise into your daily routine but also create a space for rejuvenation and self-care.

When you engage in physical activity, your body releases endorphins, known as “feel-good” chemicals, which naturally elevate your mood and contribute to reducing stress levels. These endorphins act as your companions in your journey to better mental health, helping you combat stress and find a sense of inner balance.

Remember, finding an activity that resonates with you personally is key. Explore different options and experiment with various forms of exercise until you discover what brings you the most joy and fulfillment. Whether it’s through team sports that foster camaraderie or individual pursuits that provide solace, each step you take towards incorporating physical activity into your routine is a significant stride toward overall well-being.

Embracing physical activity as a part of your stress management toolkit is an act of self-compassion and empowerment. By prioritizing your physical well-being, you are actively equipping yourself with the tools necessary to navigate the challenges and pressures that come your way. So, be kind to yourself and make time for the activities that bring you happiness and respite. Your mind and body will thank you for it, and you’ll discover the transformative power of physical activity in managing stress and nurturing your mental health.

3. Manage Your Time Effectively

Managing your time effectively is crucial, particularly when it comes to navigating stress and coping skills for teens. During hectic periods, poor time management can intensify the overwhelming feeling. To ensure a smoother journey, it’s essential to establish a daily schedule that incorporates regular breaks and enjoyable activities. Breaking down tasks into smaller, more manageable steps and setting realistic goals can help alleviate the sense of being overwhelmed. Remember, prioritizing self-care and nurturing a healthy work-life balance is paramount. By implementing these strategies, you’ll empower yourself to better handle stress and embrace a more balanced and fulfilling lifestyle.

4. Communicate with Others

When it comes to stress and coping skills for teens, effective communication plays a vital role in finding support and understanding. Engaging in heartfelt conversations with friends, family, or a trusted adult not only offers emotional solace but also grants valuable insights into your challenges. To foster open and honest communication, express your genuine feelings and needs without reservation. Remember, reaching out for assistance or seeking advice is a sign of strength, not weakness. By embracing this understanding and helpful approach, you empower yourself to navigate through stressful situations, paving the way for personal growth and resilience.

5. Seek Professional Help

Sometimes, the weight of stress can be overwhelming, and coping alone may feel like an impossible task. During these moments, it’s crucial to remember that seeking professional help from a compassionate mental health specialist can provide the support you need. Whether it’s a skilled therapist or an empathetic counselor, they have the expertise to guide you through the challenges you face. With their understanding and helpful approach, they can offer valuable insights, practical strategies, and a safe space for you to express your emotions. Remember, reaching out for professional assistance is a sign of strength and self-care, enabling you to develop effective coping skills and regain a sense of balance and well-being in your life.

FAQs

We often receive questions from teens about managing stress and coping skills. Here are some common queries we encounter:

  • How can I identify when my stress levels are too high?

There are several signs that can indicate high-stress levels. Look out for symptoms like frequent headaches, difficulty sleeping, changes in appetite, irritability, loss of interest, and feeling overwhelmed. Physical cues like increased heart rate, tense muscles, and shallow breathing can also suggest heightened stress. Recognizing these signs can help you take proactive steps to manage and reduce stress.

  • What are some additional coping skills I can try to manage stress?

Additional coping skills to manage stress include self-care activities, journaling, seeking social support, practicing deep breathing exercises, and exploring relaxation techniques. Find what works best for you and prioritize self-care while being open to seeking help when needed.

  • How can I encourage my friends to adopt healthy coping skills?

To encourage your friends to adopt healthy coping skills, lead by example and engage in activities that promote mental and emotional well-being. Share your own positive experiences and benefits of healthy coping strategies, such as exercise, mindfulness, or seeking professional help. Offer support and understanding, and be a good listener when they express their challenges, gently suggesting healthier alternatives to cope.

Taking proactive steps to manage stress is essential in preserving and promoting optimal mental well-being. Amidst the challenges and demands of everyday life, it is crucial to recognize when professional assistance becomes necessary. Collaborating with a mental health professional can yield a multitude of advantages, ensuring that the guidance and support received are specifically tailored to individual needs.

When seeking help from a mental health professional, such as Visions Adolescent Treatment, individuals gain access to a wealth of expertise and specialized knowledge. These professionals possess a deep understanding of various mental health conditions and the most effective treatment approaches. By tapping into their extensive experience, individuals can receive personalized care that addresses their unique concerns and challenges.

Moreover, mental health professionals provide a safe and non-judgmental space for individuals to explore their emotions, thoughts, and experiences. Through therapeutic interventions and evidence-based practices, they empower individuals to develop coping strategies and build resilience in the face of stressors. Additionally, the support and validation received from mental health professionals can foster a sense of empowerment and self-compassion.

By reaching out to Visions Adolescent Treatment, individuals can embark on a journey toward improved mental well-being. With their tailored mental health treatment options, they aim to support individuals in navigating and overcoming the obstacles that contribute to stress and mental health issues. Remember, seeking professional help is a sign of strength and a proactive step towards a healthier and more fulfilling life.

Conclusion

Teen years can be stressful, but with the right coping skills, you can navigate this challenging time more effectively. Incorporate mindfulness, exercise, time management, healthy communication, and professional help when needed. Remember, if you’re struggling with stress, Visions Adolescent Treatment is here to offer support and guidance.

Categories
Mental Health Self-Care Stress

Stress Relief for Teens During the Holidays

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Did you know that stress relief for teens during the holidays is important for maintaining mental health and/or mental health conditions?

The holiday season is not particularly well-known for being a source of grief and hardship – yet for a surprising number of Americans, teens included, the holidays are often more synonymous with unwanted or excessive stress than just the feelings of cheer and joy.

Whether it’s the deep winter blues, the costs of heating and rising gas prices, general inflation, the pressure to prepare and host a large feast, the logistics of meeting with family, the financial realities of gift-giving, or the fear of loneliness and isolation in a season punctuated by gathering with family and friends, there are countless reasons why adults and teens alike struggle with stress during the holidays and need healthy (and effective!) outlets for their emotions.

Why Do Teens Need Stress Relief?

Teens aren’t children anymore. They’re quickly entering some of the most stressful years of their lives so far, and for many teens this year, the coming winter season is punctuated by the fears of an ongoing global war, non-stop supply chain issues, another historic inflation and financial crisis, and the deaths and grief of a prolonged pandemic. Let’s dive deeper into some of the reasons today’s teens might feel stressed out.

1. Financial Problems

COVID hit Americans hard, but it’s far from the only reason millions of Americans find themselves closer to poverty than in previous years and more likely to struggle with the coming winter as heating costs soar and the cost of living remains catastrophically high.

Most teens are not in a good position to help their families with these costs and can do little but stand by as the holiday season arrives. For many families, there’s doubt about the bounty on the table, let alone the bounty under the tree.

These stressors and financial anxieties are felt by teens every year throughout the country, but they’re at a historic high right now.

2. Changes In Sleep and Diet

It’s universally known that the holiday season usually means plenty of food and plenty of festivities. And while these are usually good things, they can make life harder for some people – especially teens who thrive on consistency and struggle when their schedule starts to fall apart. This means restless nights, oversleeping, an unbalanced sleep schedule, and copious amounts of overeating.

The holidays maximize these issues, leading to many teens struggling to return to a healthy rhythm in the coming weeks and finding themselves “recovering” from the holidays throughout the first portion of the next year.

It’s important to indulge yourself every now and again. But throwing the baby out with the bathwater every time all the end-of-the-year celebrations turn the corner is often a bad idea.

3. Longer Nights

The holiday season means longer nights for the northern half of the world, which can have a marked impact on a person’s mental state. Some people respond more heavily to a lack of sunlight than others, and loss of daylight can be a major contributing factor in the onset and development of seasonal affective disorder or winter depression. More than just a regular bout of sadness, winter depression is a real mental health issue that is often exacerbated by other holiday woes, including financial trouble and isolation.

But even in people who aren’t diagnosed with seasonal affective disorder, the longer nights and shorter days can lead to an increase in doom and gloom.

Some teens find themselves headed to school early in the morning and headed back home later in the afternoon, with a net zero amount of sunlight for the day. This can be detrimental both to a teen’s mental health and physical health – we need at least some sunlight to restore our vitamin D supplies for healthy bones and skin, as well as certain brain functions.

4. Reminders of Loss

The holiday season is a time for family – and while that’s often a good thing, it can also be a painful reminder of what we’ve lost, especially recently.

The pandemic took many people’s lives, and their loss can be a very difficult thing for teens to process – if it’s the first holidays without a loved relative, for example, your teens might have a hard time focusing on the holiday cheer.

Feeling down after the loss of a loved one is normal, but a loss in combination with other stressors can lead to so-called complicated grief or unresolved loss. This can become a complicated and traumatic issue for many teens, and professional counseling may be recommended to help your teen find healthier and better ways to cope.

Looking for Holiday Fixes

Stress relief for teens can be hard to come by during the holiday season. Consider implementing the following to help your teen (and your family) combat the winter blues and have a more pleasant holiday.

1. Keep a Consistent Schedule

While the winter break means more time for family and for fun, consider encouraging your teen to stick to certain elements in their schedule, especially if a consistent schedule is important for their overall mental well-being.

This includes continuing to go visit the gym or practice an instrument, for example, or swapping studying for a new skill or hobby over the winter break. While it might be tempting to spend the whole holiday season in front of the PlayStation, an unstructured winter break can make it much, much harder to get out of the holiday blues when January rolls around.

2. Consider Volunteer Work

In the spirit of the holidays, consider taking some time with the rest of your family to volunteer for a local cause, whether it’s caring for shelter animals or delivering warming blankets and food to the homeless.

Volunteer work can be a positive way to highlight the spirit of generosity and giving, and research shows that going out of your way to do something for someone else has an immediate positive impact on your mental health. In other words, giving is a gift in itself!

3. Keep Gifts Simple

Another way to help take some of the pressure off the holiday season is by keeping the gifts simple this time around. If your teens feel inclined to take part in the gift-giving ceremony, then they won’t feel as pressured to spend the remainder of their allowance trying to find the right gift for everyone.

Take a “break” from gift-giving this year, especially if you’re a little more hard-pressed at home due to current circumstances, and instead pool your money together for a “family gift” that everyone can enjoy, like replacing an old and broken appliance, or putting a little fund together for a short family trip.

Take Care This Holiday Season

While the holiday season can be stressful one way or another, there’s a lot you can do to alleviate that stress and try to make this holiday season one to remember fondly.

For more information on teen mental health and treatment, visit Visions Treatment Centers.

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Anxiety Mental Health Stress

What are the Causes of Anxiety in Teens?

Anxiety disorders remain the most diagnosed mental health condition in the world, among adults and adolescents alike. While being anxious in certain moments is a healthy response to stress and uncertainty, an anxiety disorder is characterized by overwhelming feelings of fear and worry, even under non-threatening circumstances. And when it comes to teenagers, many things can contribute to anxiety. So, what are the causes of anxiety in teens?

Teens are arguably more anxious than they’ve ever been, with a number of confluent factors to blame, from the rise in information technology to the growing pressures and responsibilities teens are subjected to, such as hefty student loans, early career paths, inordinate expenses, mass inequality, and a constant social media news cycle dominated by tragedy and panic.

Yet environmental factors, such as stress, aren’t always to blame for teen anxiety. Most teens aren’t just experiencing anxiety symptoms as a result of societal ennui or climate change. They worry about the same things teens have generally worried about for generations: school, relationships, social status, driver’s licenses, parents’ approval, competitions, and more. But why do some teens worry about these things a lot more than others? And as asked earlier, what are the causes of anxiety in teens? Let’s take a closer look at teen anxiety and figure it out together.

Defining Teen Anxiety

As mentioned previously, the defining characteristic of an anxiety disorder over a healthier, more measured anxious response are the factors of frequency, relevance, and intensity. While stress is ultimately subjective, there is a difference between feeling nervous about a test and feeling some form of heavy dread in nearly every waking moment.

In general, most teens with an anxiety disorder are diagnosed with one of the following:

  • Generalized anxiety disorder is characterized by feelings of overwhelming dread or worries, even in the absence of any reason to worry. Teens with GAD may feel like a weight is pushing down on them all the time and may feel fatigued for no reason.
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by unwanted and uncomfortable intrusive thoughts and ritualistic compulsions that temporarily soothe them. This cycle can often be self-destructive and difficult to break.
  • Panic disorders are diagnosed in teens who experience multiple recurring panic attacks, often in short succession.
  • Phobias are extreme fears, even in response to non-threatening stimuli, such as pictures or stories.
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by a number of symptoms surrounding a traumatic event, such as avoidance, dissociation, or hypervigilance. Also known as a stress disorder, PTSD can affect and change the way the brain responds to stimuli.

Among teens, social phobia (social anxiety disorder) and generalized anxiety disorder are the most common types.

What are the Causes of Anxiety in Teens?

The causes for each of these anxiety disorders differ. Some conditions are inherently more genetically determined than others, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder. Some are almost necessarily triggered by an environmental experience, such as post-traumatic stress. In general, however, all diagnoses of anxiety ultimately require a combination of both internal factors (family history) and external factors (stress, bullying, trauma).

Protective Factors

Protective factors, and the lack thereof, can also modify the severity and kind of anxiety a person experiences. Teens growing up in fractured households with loveless parents or in abusive situations are much more likely to develop symptoms of anxiety later in life, whether in adolescence or adulthood.

Meanwhile, a healthy parent-child relationship, a stronger community bond, and greater access to mental health resources within the community can each act to minimize and reduce the likelihood of a developing anxiety disorder.

The Specific Cause Can be Complex

The difficult thing about anxiety disorders is that they are complex both in their treatment and in their causes. It’s hard, if not impossible, to narrow down a specific cause for any given anxiety or stress disorder, even in cases of trauma.

A person’s traumatic experience may be a powerful contributing factor to their panic attacks or PTSD, but it isn’t a simple one-to-one – if a bus crash leaves half of its survivors with PTSD and the other half without, the traumatic event itself isn’t the only relevant factor.

Genetics, Biology, and Anxiety

Our genetic understanding of anxiety and stress disorders as a whole has improved over time, but we haven’t isolated what specific genes make the onset of anxiety symptoms more likely. Even in this regard, it’s impossible to find the anxiety gene – there are a number of biological markers that affect a person’s likelihood of responding to stress in a way that triggers a long-term disorder.  

Ultimately, we have more control over individual risk factors than genetic markers. Minimizing these risk factors in your teen’s life can not only help them avoid anxiety disorders but can also help them cope with them in a better way.

Treating Teen Anxiety

Treatments for teen anxiety differ from condition to condition. In most cases, talk therapy is paramount, although therapists will adapt their approach to match a patient’s condition. For example, there are unique talk therapy options for post-traumatic stress disorder versus obsessive-compulsive disorder or generalized anxiety.

Medication is sometimes helpful, but not always. Anti-anxiety medication is prescribed sparingly and may not always be needed. It can help reduce the severity of certain episodes and help therapy become more effective. The goal, in the long term, is to cope without medication.

Because anxiety disorders are often co-occurring with other mental health problems, including depression or substance use, treatments must be individualized. A patient with an anxiety disorder may need concurrent treatment for their addiction or their depressive symptoms, as well. If you want to learn more about treatment plans for your anxiety disorder, contact a medical professional today.

What You Should Do

If you or your teen is struggling with anxiety issues, consider seeking professional help. You might not need therapy, but you might also feel better if you did decide to visit a therapist a few times a month.

While medication is also proven effective in the treatment of anxiety, it usually takes a backseat in the proper long-term treatment of most anxiety disorders, with a few acute exceptions. Learning to confront the sources and causes of your anxiety, develop healthier coping mechanisms, and adopt lifestyle changes that help affect your anxious thoughts in a positive way are often much more constructive than simply relying on medication.

Teen Anxiety Disorder Treatment at Visions

All it takes is one step forward. You don’t need to schedule a physical interview with a therapist – consider looking for online resources to get started, book a video call, or try out an online test verified by a mental health professional for anxiety. These tests don’t replace an official diagnosis but may help point you in the right direction.

No matter what, you’re never alone. There are effective treatments for every form of anxiety, and help is around the corner. If your loved one is struggling with anxiety, support them in their quest to find a better way to deal with their negative thoughts and emotions.

To get started with treatment, get in contact with us at Visions Treatment Centers.

Categories
Mental Health PTSD Stress Trauma

Can Teens Have PTSD?

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is often associated with combat veterans and victims of sexual assault. It is a widespread condition with a spectrum of symptoms brought on by any form of trauma at any age. So, what about teens? Can teens have PTSD too?

Nearly 7 percent of adults experience PTSD at some point in their lives, and women experience PTSD more regularly each year (5.2 percent) than men (1.8 percent). However, among teens alone, about 5 percent experience PTSD any given year (8 percent among girls, 2.3 percent among boys). Children can experience PTSD as well, usually in response to abuse or the loss of a parent. PTSD symptoms appear a little different in children and teens than they do in adults.

Recognizing the signs of PTSD can help parents and friends get their loved ones the care they need and minimize the chances of long-term recurring mental health problems, such as high levels of stress and anxiety, recurring depressive thoughts, and even suicidal ideation.

What is PTSD?

Post-traumatic stress disorder is a type of stress disorder or anxiety disorder caused by trauma. Whereas other anxiety disorders may also figure in a traumatic or harrowing experience as part of its causes, PTSD can usually be directly attributed to a single event or series of events, such as a natural disaster, death of a loved one, or habitual family abuse. PTSD is triggered by a traumatic event but does have genetic causes. Some people are more likely to develop PTSD symptoms in response to trauma than others.

PTSD Symptoms in Teens and Children

In addition to being a mental health issue, PTSD has physical symptoms. The brain changes in response to trauma, sometimes being “locked” into a state of hypervigilance or awareness. Children, teens, and adults with PTSD have marked differences in the way their brain processes startling stimuli. As a result, people with PTSD are more prone to entering fight-or-flight, are more easily startled, and may be much more irritable and on-edge than others.

PTSD has several characteristic symptoms that can be categorized as either remembering/re-experiencing, avoidance, unwanted thoughts, or physical and emotional changes, such as heightened anxiety, difficulty controlling emotions, recurring depressive episodes, insomnia, jitters, nervousness, restlessness, and an uncontrollable startle reflex.

Can Teens Have PTSD? How Does it Differ from Adults?

Post-traumatic stress disorder is not a simple condition, and symptoms can vary depending on the nature of the trauma, the severity of the condition itself, and the age of the person. Children and teens will usually experience PTSD differently than adults.

In general, teens are more prone to anger and irritability after a traumatic experience. Teens with PTSD have a harder time with emotional regulation and will be more emotionally unstable as a result of their condition. They are more likely to turn towards violent actions against themselves or others following a traumatic experience and more likely to experience outbursts of anger, either against themselves or others. Teens are also likely to “retaliate” to abuse by engaging in self-harm, high-risk behavior, sexual behavior, or substance use.

Children and PTSD

Aside from greater emotionality and irritability, symptoms between teens and adults are mostly the same. Children, on the other hand, are more likely to incorporate elements of their trauma into play as part of their “flashbacks” or re-experiencing symptoms. A child under the age of six may re-experience their trauma through roleplaying or reenactments with toys. They are also more prone to nightmares and other frightening dreams that incorporate elements of their traumatic experience.

Time-Skewing and Omen Formation

Two other unique elements in pre-adolescent PTSD are time-skewing and omen formation. In other words, children are more likely to mess up the sequence of events in which their trauma took place, among other memory problems. They will have a harder time remembering exactly in what order things happened to them, perhaps due to the way their brain prioritizes the severity of the event over its chronological order.

Omen formation refers to the way children will attempt to understand what happened to them through pattern recognition. They may pick random signs that occurred prior to the trauma as predictive factors for a repeated event. In this way, they will try to stay alert for anything that might signal another traumatic experience, even if it had nothing to do with their abuse or trauma.

As with older teens and adults, children experience cognitive trouble and memory problems because of untreated trauma. They may do worse in school, and symptoms can continue for years after the event.

PTSD vs. Other Anxiety Disorders

PTSD can be classified as an anxiety disorder because its characteristic symptoms center around a nervous response to a traumatic event, and this can reinforce existing feelings of insecurity and anxiousness or create new ones.

Teens and adults with PTSD are also more prone to social and generalized anxiety (growing feelings of worry, despite no direct cause), panic attacks, and depressive symptoms, including overwhelming feelings of guilt and self-blame, and resulting episodes of self-harm or suicidal ideation.

However, most other anxiety disorders are not directly linked to a single event or traumatic cause. Anxiety disorders like social anxiety disorder or generalized anxiety usually develop independently of any event, with the most common age of onset being adolescence.

How is PTSD in Teens Treated?

Some medications can help teens with PTSD manage stress symptoms and depressive symptoms, such as antidepressants and anti-anxiety medication, but the bulk of a teen’s treatment relies on therapeutic methods, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR).

These therapies approach PTSD in different ways but ultimately circle back to helping teens work through their trauma, overcome, and deconstruct misattributed feelings of guilt or shame, and develop healthy coping skills to manage future stressors and lead a symptom-free life.

Specialized treatment may be needed in cases where PTSD is coupled with another diagnosis, such as substance use disorder or major depressive disorder. Co-occurring mental health conditions can complicate treatment and require an approach that addresses multiple issues concurrently through a lens of holistic mental care.

Finding Treatment for PTSD in Teens

It’s important to treat and address PTSD in teens to prevent other long-term mental health issues. If you suspect your teen of experiencing PTSD, contact us today.

Visions Treatment Centers is focused on treating teen mental health needs using specialty clinic modalities by licensed clinical psychologists. We also offer teen residential treatment programs and much more.

Categories
Stress

4 Causes of Teenage Stress

Teenagers can and will stress over anything. Assigning an order to the causes of teenage stress is futile. Each of our lives plays out very differently, and there are experiences we will not be able to share with other people around us – nor would we want to, in some cases.

But being able to identify common sources of teenage stress is valuable, both to parents and other teens, as a means of demonstrating how and why stress affects us in our day-to-day lives and finding healthier ways to cope with it. Stress management, which includes preventing and modulating stress through specific coping skills, preventative measures, and appropriate changes to your routine, is crucial.

How stressed are kids, really? The answer might surprise you. While we do live in an age of convenience, this has drawbacks for growing teens. Statistics for teen anxiety are higher than ever, partly owing to a greater understanding of anxiety and its frequency in modern society, as well as a decreased stigma regarding mental health.

One in three teens is estimated to have a teenage anxiety disorder, and over 8 percent of that third struggles with severe impairment because of their anxiety. Girls are particularly prone, at 38 percent versus 26 percent of boys.

Yet even if we account for these changes, teens still seem to have more reasons to be anxious than in the recent past.

What are the Causes of Teenage Stress?

Teens are subjected to more media and information than ever before. And little of it is inspiring these days. World and political events have taken their toll on the last two generations, whether it’s a financial crisis, gun violence, a pandemic, race relations, or climate change.

Closer to home, teens are actively affected by self-image problems propagated online, especially on platforms like Instagram. These self-image problems are almost endemic, creating a wave of physical and social anxieties, complexes, and insecurities.

Nothing new, older generations might argue – magazines and TV ads have been around for a long time, and teens have always been insecure about their bodies. But the predatory systems surrounding the beauty, fitness, and wellness industries have never been quite this powerful, pervasive, widespread, or accessible on a minute-to-minute level, 24/7.

And finally, teens feel more stressed about school than before. COVID aside, statistics indicate that over 40 percent of teens feel overwhelmed by what they have to get done in their first year of college, versus 28 percent in 2000 and only 18 in 1985. World events, school, self-esteem.

Ignoring stress can lead to mental health issues, including anxiety and depression disorders. If these issues aren’t addressed through teen anxiety treatment or teen depression treatment, teens may turn to substance abuse as a form of self-medicating uncomfortable feelings.

What are a few other common things that teens stress about? Let’s take a look.

1. Physical Changes

A tale as old as time is the tale of coming to age. And a common trope in this tale is that the body is ever-changing for a young teen – and these changes can range from awe-inspiring to awfully awkward. It’s a trope for a reason – teenagers are going through the strange phase between childhood and adulthood where their bodies develop at an irregular rate, in irregular intervals, and with irregular focus.

Some teens develop faster than others, develop early, then stop early, or late but develop longer. And just like children, teens can be terribly cruel to each other. Physical changes are a common source of stress and anxiety, contributing to self-esteem issues already propagated by their media consumption.

There is no easy way around these issues. You can’t tell a teen that they’ll feel more comfortable in their body when it’s finished growing. Many adults never become comfortable in their own skin. Instead, you need to focus on helping your teen get comfortable with who they are in the moment.

2. Social Anxieties

Social anxiety is one of the most common types of anxiety disorders. We’ve mentioned that teen rates of anxiety have skyrocketed over the years to one-third of our youth, and many of these cases involve social anxiety issues.

More than introversion, or the preference for a small company of people (or solitude), a social anxiety disorder revolves around fear and worry of embarrassment, perceived self-image, and gossip.

Teens with social anxiety disorders will go out of their way to avoid situations where they might have to meet new people without thorough preparation and thought and will constantly worry about how they are perceived. These feelings can be debilitating in the way they affect a teen’s school life, personal life, and future. Social anxiety disorders must be addressed professionally through therapy and, in some cases, an anti-anxiety medication.

3. Home Environment

Another common source of teenage stress is the home. Whether it’s a noisy family, younger siblings, cramped living spaces, lack of privacy, or greater problems at home – from abuse to substance use – our home environment can have both a tremendously positive and terribly negative influence on us.

Either way, addressing problems at home is easier said than done. There’s little a teen can do to help their family out of poverty without defeating the purpose of better managing their own stress levels, for example.

Under certain circumstances, family matters can be addressed in treatment via family therapy. This is an example of group therapy where a therapist works with their patient and multiple members of their family to foster reconciliation, better help them understand each other, or explain how to offer better support.

4. Poor Sleep

How you treat your body has a massive impact on your mental health, including anxiety. A difference of even half an hour a day can have a marked effect on a teen’s memory and cognitive skills, as well as their mood management and anxious thinking.

Chronically under-rested teens are much more likely to develop different mental health issues. Improved sleep hygiene – such as preparing a cold, dark room before bed, avoiding screens an hour before sleeping, and more physical activity throughout the day – can do wonders for your mental wellbeing.

Stress management techniques come in many shapes and forms. “Just” addressing the problem is not always an option, and even if it is, it can take a great deal of time and effort to address certain things such as problems at home or vicious bullying.

Stress management techniques or coping skills aim to help teens develop ways through which to empower themselves, improve their self-esteem, and detach themselves from sources of toxicity in their lives.

Sometimes, your best bet as a teen is to talk to someone. A counselor or therapist can help you learn more about how to cope with your stress and find ways to combat it healthily. 

Categories
Anxiety Stress

The Impact of Anxiety and Stress in Teens

Teens are worried. They’re worried about themselves, they’re worried about their chances in the world, they’re worried about the state of things. And between a pandemic, lockdowns, the news, and social media, teens have been getting more steadily worried in the past two years than perhaps ever before.

It’s normal to worry. There are many things in life that can be described as uncertain at best, and teens are caught in the middle of many awkward moments.

They’re not quite children, but they aren’t adults either, meaning they’re struggling to juggle newfound responsibilities while still facing an inevitable lack of agency. Becoming a teen also means accepting change on a near-daily basis.

Physical changes, social changes, societal changes. In addition to growing responsibilities, teens are subjected to new hierarchies and environments, a switch from middle to high school and college, thoughts about careers, and “adult” problems, from safe sex to avoiding drugs.

But anxiety is more than worry. There’s a difference between having a hard time and being paralyzed by fear. There’s a difference between moments of anxious thought and uncertainty, and a constant feeling that things aren’t right. There’s a difference between worrying about exams, or catching up to others in height and growth, and experiencing panic attacks, frequent self-deprecation, and difficult, intrusive thoughts.

It’s also very difficult for most parents to differentiate between anxious thoughts and normal teen behavior. Teens aren’t little kids anymore, and many of them are quite good at hiding their emotions. But there are still telltale signs that parents need to beware of and symptoms that require attention.

How Anxiety Can Affect Teens

Beyond the usual worries, an anxiety disorder can be a debilitating issue for a teen. Anxiety disorders are the most common kind of mental health disorder, affecting roughly 30 percent of adolescents.

Anxiety disorders are known for their characteristic symptoms of paralyzing fear or worry, but it’s worse than that. Many anxiety disorders are coupled with physical symptoms, as well, from hyperventilation to full-blown panic attacks.

Teens can learn to mask these feelings, hiding the fact that they’re struggling to breathe or feeling their heart racing in what would otherwise be considered completely normal circumstances. To a teen with anxiety, certain situations that are otherwise non-confrontational or dangerous can become an insurmountable source of stress.

Some teens deal with these overwhelming emotions by finding ways to avoid the things that cause them to panic, even indirectly, such as by complaining about headaches or stomachaches. In many cases, these somatic pain symptoms are real, caused by the stress associated with the anxiety.

These anxious thoughts can slow personal growth, as well. Kids diagnosed with anxiety disorders have a harder time concentrating and retaining information. They will have a harder time learning and understanding what they’ve learned. They may still be more than capable enough of passing classes and delivering good grades, but at a great cost to their mental wellbeing.

In fact, while anxiety can make it harder to learn, many anxious kids become overachievers to the detriment of their health. Caught in a cycle, they’re fueled by a fear of underperforming, which further feeds the anxieties that make it harder for them to perform.  

What Are Teenagers Anxious About?

There are many reasons to be anxious as an adult. Prices are skyrocketing, we’re in the aftermath of multiple successive recessions, world markets are still reeling from a historic pandemic, wages remain stagnant, and more. Yet teens can feel these anxieties as well, and many understand them the same way adults do.

Anxious teens are worried about the world they’re growing into, on top of their own pressures to perform well, get into a good college, find a great paying job early on, pursue their dreams, find their dream, be in a relationship, and juggle a million other perceived responsibilities and expectations – many of which they are placing upon themselves.

Expectations serve as a massive underlying foundation for teen worries and anxieties, especially unrealistic ones. Even supportive parents who work hard not to define their wishes for their teens may find an anxious teen grappling with massive expectations for themselves.

The body is another common source of anxiety for teens. Teens are worried about being too short. Too tall. Too fat. Too skinny. Not muscular enough. Not strong enough. Not fast enough. They want a smaller nose, or a bigger nose, or different hair, or better skin, or a different jawline, or a different voice.

Couple these anxieties with the fact that teens experience growth spurts at different points in their adolescent lives, and they become massively magnified. Some kids in school look like they’re 19 at age 15 and are naturally gifted athletes. Others might look like they’re 12 despite approaching senior year.

What Parents Can Do

It can be challenging to parent a teen with anxiety issues. They’re often much harder on themselves than you could be on them, and they might not be very receptive to praise or affirmation.

Offering your support is an important first step. Give your teen a safe space at home to talk about their feelings and their worries, to rant and discuss how they really feel. Talk to them about getting help together to seek effective ways to reduce the pressure they feel and help them thrive.

Group therapy and family therapy are good alternatives to one-on-one therapy if a teen feels uncomfortable going into therapy alone for the first few times. In addition to therapy, doctors can help your teen by prescribing medication that might reduce the severity of their symptoms, enough to help therapy achieve a greater impact in the long term.

The catalyst for change in many cases of anxiety is a teen’s own capacity to identify and correct their self-destructive or irrational thoughts. But it takes time, patience, and a lot of support to overcome the impulse to be self-critical or self-loathing and focus on the positives for a change.

Getting Help for Teen Anxiety

Teen anxiety issues can be co-dependent on other mental health problems, including depressive thoughts or teen drug use. A proper treatment plan encompasses a teen’s issues in their entirety, treating the person, not just the diagnosis. Be sure to find someone your teen likes working with, someone they trust and can confide in. Comfort is important.

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Stress

Stress Management for Teens: An Overview

Stress management for teens is a component of their daily life. A response to challenge and adversity, and an all-encompassing word for that feeling we get when we’re pressed for time and have things to do. But stress, like anything else, can devolve into poison. Given a high enough dosage, it feeds anxiety and negative thinking. It affects you physically. It makes you achy, tired, and sad. Learning to manage your stress levels is one of the most important things for long and healthy life, not to mention a happy one.

It’s important to understand where your limits lie when they’re being stretched, and what you could or should do to reign your stress levels back in. This is especially important for teens. Teens are faced with the challenges of growing into adulthood while taking on ever-growing tasks and responsibilities. High stress can lead to poor academic performance, lack of sleep, poor diet, unhealthy weight loss or weight gain, physical fatigue, and loss of motivation. Let’s look at a few key lessons in addressing stress management for teens.

Preventing Preventable Stressors

An important part of stress management for teens is understanding that stress can cascade. That means preventing the little stressors can help reduce the pile-on effect of long-term stress. Take joy where you can find it. Seek out the little pleasures. Adopt a routine that helps you start each day off on a good note. Find whatever makes you happy for just a moment, and make sure to incorporate it into your mornings, your breaks, your evening comedown.

Relaxing and Stabilizing

This is extraordinarily difficult for a lot of teens. A lot of teens will avoid relaxing or seeking out short-term stress relief because they’ve got deadlines, due dates, overdue projects, and a million other things bothering them. They might be going through family trouble, relationship issues, broken friendships, or grief over a personal loss.

A lot of stress is unavoidable. But the stress you place on yourself can be avoided. Give yourself a break. Recognize when your body is giving you the telltale signs that enough is enough – and do what you must to take a step back and prevent a breakdown. Here are a few signs that you are approaching your limit:

  • You’re constantly sore in the neck and back.
  • Can feel your heart race at random moments.
  • Have a hard time concentrating on anything anymore.
  • Feel absolutely overwhelmed, and sometimes, on the verge of tears.
  • You don’t seem to wake up energized no matter how much you rest or sleep.
  • Your jaw is painful and tight all of a sudden, despite it never being a problem before.

Addressing Time and Stress Management for Teens

A lot of stress for teens is time-related. Will I have enough time to cram for the exam and hang out with my friends? Do I have enough time to make it to the bus and not be late for school? Could I have enough time to finish up and pass this project? These time management issues continue to haunt us in adulthood. They result in missed deadlines, lost job opportunities, fumbled raises, and family resentment.

A poor work-life balance and terrible time management skills can fuel anxieties about yourself and your future, and feed depressive thoughts. Learning to manage your time leads to managing stress. If you feel yourself spiraling out of control, set strict schedules, and leave room for relaxation. That means being realistic about when you wake up and go to bed, setting daily goals, creating incentives for those goals, and ending every night with something that helps calm you and take your mind off your studies or work.

Bottling and Internalizing

It’s something you might have heard before, but it bears repeating – there’s no use in bottling your stress up inside. Ignoring stress and its psychological impact is not enough to compensate for your perceived lack of productivity. In fact, it will generally make you perform worse, whether at school, at work, or even at home. Even if you treat your body like a tool rather than, well, your body, you have to recognize that tools break down without regular maintenance and upkeep. We all need breaks and opportunities to take a breath.

Learning Healthy Coping Mechanisms

There are a few concrete ways to reduce your stress levels besides doing something you already love doing. Managing your stress levels successfully usually means incorporating at least one of the following into your schedule:

Exploring and Recharging

Nature is an amazing physical and mental recharger. A stroll through the park or a walk in the woods has definite health benefits and can drastically lower your overall stress levels. If you live near some nature and just can’t get anything done for the day, take an hour or two to drive to the park or to the woods and soak it in for a while.

Moving and Breathing

We know exercise is good for us, but it’s often underestimated just how good it can be for the mind, too. Teens should regularly get moving to try and build healthier habits for the future. That doesn’t necessarily mean sports or the gym. You can benefit from the positive effects of movement through dancing, swimming, skipping rope, short hikes, and much more.

Understanding the Difference Between Good and Bad Stress

Stress itself is not a bad thing. But we want to steer clear from romanticizing extreme stress levels. Workaholics are not role models, and you shouldn’t want to be the kind of student who studies deep into the night every night. Unsustainable practices are unsustainable for a reason, and they will wear your body and mind down to the point where you come to a grinding halt and can’t do anything anymore. But stress is still important adversity and one we need.

Stress is a sign that we are getting motivated. When you have stress it can be a positive force to fuel self-improvement. Some stress can help us do better. Stress is also normal. When you take a test, It’s normal to be stressed. It can be normal to be stressed about landing that job interview. There are times when it can be normal to be stressed about your first time driving. It’s when stress seeps into mundane and everyday moments that it’s all becoming too much.

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Mental Health Stress

6 Tips for Teens with Stress and Mental Health Issues

If you experience long-lasting periods of stress, you may be interested in learning more about the connection between stress and mental health issues.

Teens today are more stressed and struggle more with their mental health than in years prior. This steady climb can be attributed to a number of things: the information age and data flood, social media and its effects on self-esteem, the 24-hour news cycle, economic downturn, climate change, a historic pandemic, worsened access to treatment, and much more. 

Finding things to blame doesn’t help affect a teen’s anxieties and unwanted thoughts, but it can help friends and family learn how to help promote a teen’s wellbeing. 

Positive psychology, engaging negative thoughts constructively, developing individualized coping mechanisms, and promoting physical health are some of the ways we can help teens with their stress and mental health issues. Below are a few more useful tips. 

End Screen Use Early

Limiting screen time is not the end all be all of the mental health tips. In fact, it might do more harm than good in terms of affecting your relationship with your child, and their relationship with friends. But an important habit that you should focus on implementing throughout the household – and across generations – is eliminating screens an hour or so before bed. 

It isn’t so much about defeating electronic dependence (which is not feasible in an age where computer literacy and interconnectivity are social requirements) as it is about helping teens develop healthier habits for winding down mentally and physically at night. There’s a lot of mental stimulation on the smartphone and computer, and that can heavily disturb natural sleep hygiene. This brings us to the next tip: 

Get More Quality Sleep

Sleep is critically underrated for both physical and mental health. Missing an hour can be massively detrimental to both mood and cognition, and even just a few minutes lost or gained per day can make a difference in the long term. 

But getting good sleep can be notoriously difficult. It doesn’t help that the natural circadian rhythm is altered during adolescence so that the brain releases sleep-inducing chemicals later at night than both children and even adults. Yes, teens normally stay up a little later, without the help of a screen. 

Helping your teen develop better sleep hygiene by creating a consistent sleep ritual with them can ensure that they’re still managing to take care of their daily obligations while getting enough sleep – at least eight hours. Elements of good sleep rituals include: 

  • Calming ambient noise. 
  • A relaxing night-time tea (herbal infusions, no green tea content). 
  • Keeping the room dim or completely dark. 
  • Keeping the room cool for sleep. 

Remind Yourself of Positive Personal Qualities

Positive reinforcement, affirmations, or self-care – whatever you’d like to call it, it’s important to take the time to remind yourself of what you’re good at, or what you’re proud of. The same goes for your teen. 

Negative thoughts are self-fulfilling and cyclical, feeding into each other to create a spiral that feels impossible to escape. Positive thinking can help a teen get out of that spiral, but sometimes, they need help. 

Giving your teen important affirmations can help remind them that they’re not all bad, even on days when it feels that way. 

It can also help encourage them to focus and strengthen those positive qualities, especially if they’re self-conscious or anxious. Build your teen’s self-esteem by helping them hone their skills, develop new ones, and explore their potential in a number of different activities and fields of interest. 

Do What Makes You Happy

It doesn’t necessarily come as much of a surprise but doing something you enjoy doing can help with stress and low mood, to the point that therapists may recommend picking up hobbies that used to be enjoyable to patients with depression, because sometimes that can help trigger fond memories and release dopamine. 

We all need something that makes us happy, whether it’s exercise, cross-stitching, drawing, or a number of different activities. Just help your teen balance the pros and cons of their hobbies by ensuring they get enough sleep, movement, and time to fulfill their obligations. 

Get Moving

Exercise has a positive impact on mental health and it’s a habit teens should develop early. 

That doesn’t necessarily mean convincing teens to jog, get into the track, hit the gym, or take up another sport. Lead by example and take your teen on more physical activities whenever you can – such as hiking, climbing, swimming, or just a few afternoon walks. 

Encourage your teen to try out for things they haven’t tried before, from dancing to badminton. While plenty of people dislike exercising, there’s usually at least one thing people like doing that involves movement. Help your teen find it. 

Talk to an Adult

Being a teenager is always difficult. Being a teenager and struggling with your mental health is something else entirely. It’s important to take some time to give yourself credit and remember the things you get right – especially on the days when it feels like you’re doing everything wrong. 

And when that fails, it’s especially important to seek the ear of someone willing to listen. Talk to a parent, a teacher, a counselor, or a therapist. You may be surprised how much they can relate to how you feel, or the advice they might be able to offer. 

Taking the time to learn more about local resources is important, too. Find groups with a mutual interest in mental health and wellness and find others in your age group who talk about their experiences with anxiety, depression, and other disorders. 

When the time is right, call a professional. Not only can therapy help you learn ways to cope with how you feel right now, but it can prove invaluable as a way to seek help when nothing else works. Mental health treatment isn’t always about pills and schedules – it’s a long-term process, filled with learning, asking questions, practicing things, and reaching out to others, both to help and be helped.

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Mental Health Stress

How to Survive Teen Stress, Depression and Social Isolation

Teenagers are among the highest demographic group to experience mental health disorders. Surveys have shown that at least one in five – or 20% – of all teens suffer from a diagnosable mental health condition.

During this current time of COVID-19, teen mental health stability may be even more hard to come by. The best defenses against teen stress and mental illness are arming yourself with information, making adjustments where you can, and seeking help when you don’t know what to do.
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Social Isolation Triggers of Teen Stress During COVID-19

While mental health concerns are always looming, the current pandemic has supplied some extra fuel for that potential fire. Personality factors, home life, disruptions to routine, and personal losses as a result of COVID-19 influence can all play a role in triggering unhealthy psychological responses to teen stress.

    • Personality and behavior: The effects that social distancing orders have on an individual are likely to vary with the person’s personality bend. Teens who are more introverted tend to have an easier time with a lack of socialization opportunities, while extroverted teens may feel trapped, depressed, and anxious without their typical outlets being available. If you are curious about whether you are an introvert or extrovert, you can get an idea by taking a free personality test.
    • Social isolation and connection: Human beings are creatures of habit. We find comfort in knowing what we are going to be doing from day to day. With all of the daily changes surrounding COVID-19, our routines have been disrupted multiple times, and the end of these changes is nowhere in sight. There is constant talk of more restrictions, less restrictions, getting back to work and school, and staying in place.
    • Life events and milestones: There are certain events that many teenagers anticipate as hallmarks of their high school years. There are proms and formals, shows to perform, and the capstone event of walking across the stage at graduation. This pandemic has disrupted all of those plans. In addition to having to establish new routines, teens may also be having to cope with disappointment surrounding the loss of important milestones.
    • Family functioning and resilience: The shelter-in-place orders have many of us spending more time with our immediate family. If the family is already on friendly terms, this can be a great opportunity to reconnect and spend some quality time together. If the family is not so prone to get along, being cooped up with each other for this amount of time can feel like a prison sentence. Patience for each other can grow short, and arguments can become more frequent.
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Warning Signs and Risk Factors for Adolescent Emotional Distress

A sudden change in routines and habits can be stressful on everyone. We can expect to feel even more stress as everything slowly shifts into the “new normal” that we will eventually be living in. The following are some common signs that all of these changes are taking a toll on your mental health.

Teen Anxiety

Anxiety involves worry and fear about the future. Teens already have a lot on their plate when it comes to dealing with future unknowns, and the pandemic isn’t helping. Plans for the next school year are still up in the air, families are worried about finances, and career options after graduation may have been altered. While feeling some measure of anxiety over all of this can be considered normal, levels of anxiety which keep you from completing basic tasks or enjoying simple pleasures are cause for concern.

Teen Depression

Some feelings of sadness and loss are normal during this time of adjustment. Clinical depression occurs when those feelings don’t go away, and when they begin to rob you of the ability to find pleasure in anything. People who are depressed may not want to think about the future, and will lose interest in activities that were once enjoyed. In extreme cases, a depressed person may even think about ending it all through suicide.

Teen Substance Use and Abuse

There are a few factors which tend to contribute to the development of a substance abuse disorder. Existing mental health issues is one. Boredom is another. The conditions created by the social distancing orders can include an increase in both of these areas. If you throw in a chaotic home life, the temptation to escape through drugs or alcohol can be even more intense. As most former addicts can tell you, giving in to this temptation is never worth it.
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Preventing and Preparing for a Teen Mental Health Crisis

While teen stress responses to our current circumstances can be extreme, there are healthy ways that we can take that edge off. Being proactive about your mental health can put you back in control of where your life is heading. The following are a few ways to take charge of the situation.

    • Create healthy and productive routines: During a time when the world has lost its daily routine, it is very important that you take charge in creating your own. In addition to setting up some daily rituals toward completing your school  or chore tasks, make sure to include some habits which bring you a sense of peace or comfort. Popular self-care routines include spending a few minutes a day in meditation, treating yourself to a long bath or shower, or setting a daily time to connect with friends.
    • Embrace technology: Young people are often chastised for how much they rely on the internet and social media. For once, they are being encouraged to use more of it. Use your technological expertise to create unique ways to connect with friends over virtual platforms, and share your knowledge with family members who may not have wanted to dive into the tech world before the pandemic. This might even be a great time to finally start up your own blog or channel.
    • Ask for help when/if/as needed: One of the most important skills in navigating life is knowing when we need to ask for help. In addition to an increase in services for many local agencies, there is also increased promotion of national mental health support services. Methods of receiving this type of support include phone calls, video chats, and texting. These types of services can be used while in crisis, and beforehand.
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Adolescence Anxiety Mental Health Stress

Living With Anxiety

Life can be challenging enough without being affected by something that throws off your emotions, disrupts time with friends and everything about your internal universe. Living with anxiety is one of those conditions that affects nearly 18% of the population; that’s a large percentage that deals with acute stress from anxiety on a daily basis. It may not seem that serious to people who never experienced it before, but for those of us that have it, anxiety can change everything.

Understanding Anxiety

Think about that 18%, and think about who is a part of that number—your friends, daughters, sons, mothers, brothers, wives, boyfriends, sisters, etc. To understand what people living with this disorder go through it’s a good idea to know what anxiety is, so that when they experience an event you can be there for support. Anxiety is a stress-related disorder that is considered a mental health condition caused by intense feelings of worry and fear about a variety of things like health related concerns, social situations and more.

One small thing like a pain in your left arm, to someone with acute anxiety, can feel like a heart attack when it’s just a nerve. These little things escalate quickly because our minds, and in that moment, it’s all real. Can you imagine feeling like that all of the time? People that live with anxiety, often don’t have any idea when an event will happen or what the intensity of the event will be. So you can imagine how difficult it is to prepare for, constantly in a state of worry about a future anxiety or panic attack.

We say the event because they are considered disrupting to our daily activities and can make it difficult to engage in anything else other than what’s happening in our heads. Some people will experience similar symptoms that tell them an episode is coming that allows them to be prepared for the experience; others have no idea or are not entirely sure what they’re experiencing until it’s happened enough times to see a physician and be correctly diagnosed.

Common symptoms of an anxiety attack:

  • Shortness of breath
  • Increased heart rate
  • Sweating
  • Numbness
  • Tingling in the hands and feet
  • Clammy palms and sweating
  • Irritation
  • Restlessness
  • Racing thoughts
  • Nausea

Anxiety is Managed, Not Cured

The problem with anxiety is that the feeling of nervousness and paranoia cannot be avoided, you just learn to work through them or manage them differently. Unfortunately, those with anxiety have to experience an attack multiple times before they understand something is wrong. Medications have been used to tone down symptoms or calm the mind, but counseling is the best method and to figure out what works best for you when you experience an attack. There is no cure, but it’s manageable.

Famous People Suffering from Anxiety

Whether you realize it or not, many famous people suffer from anxiety every day. These celebrities deal with bouts of nervous feelings and fear as they’re performing, presenting or walking around the city. Some of the names you may be familiar with are Emma Stone, Kristen Stewart, Adele, John Mayer, Johnny Depp and Charlize Theron! These people are A-lister’s and are in the public eye every day, no matter what they’re doing. It is possible to live with anxiety and do amazing things, but it takes strength and mindfulness to know yourself and how you react. Be inspired to share your story!

At Visions Adolescent Treatment Centers, our clients come to us with a variety of preexisting conditions in addition to their addiction, and we’re here for them every step of the way. Call Visions today to learn more about our addiction recovery and dual diagnosis programs at (866)889-3665.

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