What is anxiety?
Anxiety is the collective term for a group of mental health conditions that cause intrusive negative thoughts and disproportionate fears.
While anxiety is a normal and healthy human emotion that helps you avoid danger, an anxiety disorder causes persistent, intrusive negative thoughts and worries that can disrupt your everyday life.
There are several types of anxiety disorder, including:
- Generalized anxiety disorder
- Separation anxiety
- Social anxiety
- Panic disorder
- Specific phobias
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health issue in the United States. They can interfere with your child’s ability to succeed at school, make friends and develop social skills, and their ability to achieve their full potential.
What causes anxiety in adolescents?
Anxiety is due to chemical abnormalities in the brain, but external factors contribute to the emergence of anxiety disorders. Modern teenagers deal with pressure and stress from a wide variety of issues, including:
- Learning to live in a world that feels threatening
- Pressure to succeed
- Social media
- Bullying
- Problems at home
Your teenager is more likely to develop an anxiety disorder if either parent or other close family member also has anxiety or another mental health disorder.
What are the warning signs of anxiety in teenagers?
Your teenager may express their fears, but you should also be aware of other signs of anxiety. For example, your teenager might:
- Become more moody or irritable
- Lose interest in hobbies, sports, or other activities
- Avoid school and other social activities
- Have trouble sleeping
- Eat more or less than usual
- Start to abuse drugs and alcohol
- Have chronic headaches or stomaches
- Show signs of fatigue
- Complain of muscle tension
If you notice any of these symptoms in your child and are concerned about their mental health, the team of expert mental health providers at EXIS Youth can help.
How is anxiety treated?
The providers at EXIS Youth begin with a comprehensive evaluation of your child’s mental health to confirm that their symptoms are due to anxiety.
Then, they create a customized treatment plan combining evidence-based therapies with mindfulness and lifestyle modifications to deliver a multi-faceted approach to improving your child’s mental health.
During therapy, your teenager can explore their fears in a safe environment and learn strategies to cope with negative thoughts and feelings.
Call EXIS Youth to make an appointment today for customized treatment for adolescent anxiety.
