Teens and Anxiety- Part 1

I frequently see teens who are experiencing what they call “stress” or “anxiety” or “worries.” These worries come in all shapes and sizes and affect everyone differently. Some have more physical symptoms, such as frequent headaches, stomachaches, “butterflies” in their stomach or heart palpitations, to name a few. Others have difficulty sleeping (either falling asleep, staying asleep or both) as well as a decreased or increased appetite. It is difficult, as a parent, to sit by and know your child is stressed, anxious or worried and not quite know what to do or say to help them. It is not our job, as parents, to solve every problem for our child, however, we can and should help them to learn healthy ways to handle them when they come their way. 

Some teens tend to shut down when stressed, others freely speak about everything that bothers them. Yet most are somewhere in between...will talk but not necessarily be aware of what the specific things are that are bothering them or talk, but not to their parents and instead will reach out to friends. While peers can be helpful, there are some stressors and levels of anxiety that require more intervention than a friend can give.  

I frequently tell the teens I see that there will always be things, people, events, situations that bother them or cause them stress. Those are things with which they have no control over. However, they do have control over their reactions to these people, situations and/or events. They are choosing to allow these things to get to them and therefore, as I point out to them, also have control over choosing to not allow this to happen. 

Important Notice: The information presented above is provided for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for consulting a psychologist or other mental health professional to discuss your unique situation.  If you would like to talk with me about it, you may call my office at 914-329-5355.