This article talks about anxiety as a problem of teenagers, its causes and cure.

Anxiety in Teenagers: A General Perspective

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Yes, anxiety is extremely common; it is estimated that about 13% of the United States population has anxiety, affecting all ages, including teens and children. Many teens have anxiety disorders and feelings of intense stress, worry, fear, and panic.

Anxiety tends to run in families, so if a persons mom, dad, or other close relative has anxiety; they have a higher chance of developing anxiety themselves. Growing up in a family where fear, anxiety and hopelessness are constantly shown to children they can learn to be anxious as well. In addition, if a child grows up in an abusive home, he or she may learn to always expect the worst, of course, there are several programs like Sunset Bay Academy that offer support to the parent teen relationship through behavioral modification. Most parents are aware of the information given in articles and books, they are aware of the symptoms and details, but they can t fully recognize when the teenager at home starts manifesting any of them, their own anxiety being the reason for this.

Patterns learned generation through generation, lead us to a comfortable acceptance of our own anxieties, living with the symptoms day by day, tension and stress manifesting through our body in every psychosomatic way (headaches, back problems, stomach aches, etc). The most important when trying to recognize if our teenage son or daughter has anxiety problems, is to start looking at ourselves; analyzing our own behavior is the best way to understand reactions in the surrounding environment we call home.

Sometimes teens who suffer from anxiety attempt to make themselves feel better by abusing drugs or alcohol. Using drugs or alcohol to treat anxiety is extremely dangerous and could make anxiety worse and cause other serious problems like drug addiction; experimenting with cigarettes, drinking, even marijuana is not uncommon during adolescence, but lets not forget that the leading cause of death for teens and young adults is car accidents related to alcohol, or drug abuse, not to mention that drug abuse can hinder memory, problem solving, and learning, it can cause mood swings, even more anxiety and depression. Drinking also lowers inhibitions, which can lead teens to have unprotected sex, increasing the chance of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

Physically, prolonged anxiety may lead to serious problems that are not usually acknowledged, like obesity and severe sleeping disorders. Most parents, usually relate a teens obsession with acceptance and image to the phase they are going through; never the less, we have to add the examples received in their childhood, role models are not always aware of their importance during those early years, is easier to think eating or image disorders, are caused by low self esteem; and never consider anxiety as an answer.

How is anxiety treated?
Anxiety disorders are treated in two ways with medication and with certain types of psychotherapy. Treatment with psychotherapy includes cognitive behavioral therapy, behavioral therapy or behavioral modification programs like Sunset Bay Academy that give the teen a new and more positive perspective in life, with all the tools for healthy living.

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