The problems teens face can be overwhelming, and anxiety is one of the most commonly diagnosed mental disorders in those under the age of 18. Striving to understand anxiety and find a treatment center for anxiety disorders can add even more pressure to the situation.
At Muir Wood, we’re here to demystify teen mental health and the treatment process. Our expert mental health professionals understand that anxiety symptoms in teens can manifest from many different root causes. Learn more about common anxiety diagnoses, causes for anxiety in teens, and treatment options.
Types of Anxiety Disorders & Symptoms of Anxiety in Teens
Stress and anxiety are normal occurrences in life. However, ongoing anxiety experienced at high levels can cause dysfunction, negatively influencing a teen’s general well-being, academic performance, and development of social skills. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America categorizes these anxiety disorders in the following ways.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is characterized by persistent and excessive worry. Teens with GAD tend to worry more than seems warranted or without apparent cause. This may manifest in worries about health, family, school, or other issues.
Social Anxiety Disorder
The defining feature of social anxiety disorder, also called social phobia, is intense anxiety or the fear of being judged, negatively evaluated, or rejected in a social or performance situation. This kind of anxiety is common in teens, who are still developing their understanding of social dynamics and relationships.
Teens with social anxiety disorder may worry about acting or appearing visibly anxious (things like blushing or stumbling over words) or being viewed as stupid, awkward, or boring. As a result, they often avoid social or performance situations; when a situation is unavoidable, they experience significant anxiety and distress.
Many teens with social anxiety disorder also experience intense physical symptoms, such as a rapid heart rate, nausea, and sweating. Although they may be able to recognize that their fear is excessive and unreasonable, people with social anxiety disorder often feel powerless against their anxiety.
Panic Disorder
Individuals with panic disorder experience frequent panic attacks that may come seemingly out of nowhere, leading to additional fear and worry of another attack. While panic disorders are more commonly diagnosed in adults, they can also develop in teens; many experience panic-like symptoms as part of other anxiety diagnoses.
Separation Anxiety Disorder
Separation anxiety disorder is a condition that causes teens extreme distress when they are separated from their parents or caregivers. It is normal for a child to feel apprehensive about separation from a parent in early childhood; however, it becomes a disorder if that fear and anxiety interfere with age-appropriate behavior.
Other Disorders
While not clinically categorized as anxiety disorders, other diagnoses are closely related or can mimic symptoms of anxiety. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) fall into this category—in fact, they were once considered types of anxiety disorders. Trauma, in particular, can inform anxiety manifestations, even if it is not the root cause of it.
Sources of Teen Anxiety
Understanding where your teenager’s anxieties originate can help you understand how to address them. A combination of analysis, testing, and honest conversations with mental health professionals can more accurately determine the source of a teen’s anxiety. The following are common contributing factors.
Existential Angst, School Violence, and Social Media
Reporting increasingly connects real and perceived threats to safety and well-being to adolescent anxiety. Teens in many areas of the country have been directly affected by ecological disasters such as wildfires, hurricanes, and the like. School safety drills that aim to teach children how to respond to school shootings may increase stress and anxiety for some students. Increased social media consumption may play a role in the development of anxiety disorders.
Hormonal Shifts and Mood Swings
Hormonal shifts are a primary factor in most causes of anxiety, resulting in heightened reactivity and emotional responses. When external stressors combine with a preexisting imbalance of hormones, the brain is likely to react by altering its physical structure, creating more receptors for stress hormones and decreasing the number of receptors for relaxation hormones, potentially causing long-term anxiety.
Brain Development and Judgment Problems
In teens, the part of the brain that oversees self-control, judgment, and thinking ahead begins refining itself. The strong emotions produced by hormonal shifts are, therefore, less tempered by reason than they are in adults. This can lead to lapses in judgment, risky behavior, or decreased self-control, which can be a source of stress.
Bodily Changes
Changes in bodily appearance and functionality can cause stress in many ways. No one wants blemishes; vocal shifts can be awkward; and excess body hair, shifts in height, and body odors can be uncomfortable. In addition, the development of the body’s sex organs can result in overwhelming sexual urges. Repressing these sexual urges is stressful, and the consequences sometimes associated with not suppressing these desires (e.g., STDs, pregnancy, etc.) are even more stressful, requiring capabilities the teenage mind and body are often ill-equipped to handle.
Distancing in Relationships
If a teenager has been close to their parents from a young age, it may be difficult for them to expand their social experiences and form connections with others. Being on their own for the first time and taking on new responsibilities can cause feelings of inadequacy and fear as they learn to adjust to having less protection and guidance than they are accustomed to. In other cases, teens may separate from previous friends as they develop new identities.
These experiences can lead to the classic declaration that “no one understands me,” a feeling of isolation from which depression and anxiety often stem.
Changing Values and Parental Disapproval
During adolescence, teens naturally begin to form their own identities and personal values, which may be from their parents. This shift can be challenging as parents may disapprove and teens may experience stress and anxiety.
Peer and Social Pressures
Peer and social pressures are major contributors to anxiety in adolescence. Teenagers can feel trapped by social expectations and the need to change who they are in order to be accepted. The demand to give in to peer pressure can be overwhelming. Often, peer pressure can deviate sharply from what parents recommend, which results in extra tension from the disconnect between parental rules and teenage social rules.
The Correlation Between Teen Anxiety and Substance Use Disorder
Substance use disorders (SUD) and anxiety disorders commonly co-occur. While those with anxiety disorders may perceive that alcohol and other substances help their anxiety, in reality, they exacerbate symptoms. This can create a feedback loop between anxiety and substance use, with each fueling the other.
Different types of anxiety disorders carry different likelihoods of a simultaneous condition. For example, the co-occurrence of substance use, particularly alcohol abuse, is common among teens with social anxiety disorder. When both substance use disorder and anxiety are present, teens benefit most from dual-diagnosis treatment that addresses both issues at the same time.
Anxiety Treatment for Teens
Anxiety in teens is difficult to handle alone. Professional treatment gives teens access to education, support, and coping skills. As you navigate treatment options with your teen, consider their unique stressors and environmental situation to find the right interventions. Anxiety treatment for teens may involve:
- Talk therapy; individual and group
- Behavioral therapy
- Psychiatric evaluation
- Medication therapy
One option is to seek help from treatment professionals at an accredited treatment center that addresses teen anxiety. A residential treatment center can provide evaluation, diagnosis, and medication management (if necessary) from qualified psychiatrists. As teens navigate that process, they are also offered therapy, skill-building, and community support in a safe environment.
Lifestyle changes can also aid teens as they navigate anxiety. Healthy coping mechanisms include:
- Self-care, including proper sleep and nutrition
- Social connections, with support from family and friends
- Nature and other regulating activities such as exercise, art, or music
These fundamental elements of well-being are also nurtured at a residential treatment center. Teens can focus on recovery without outside pressures and learn how to navigate stressors. Proven techniques and anxiety treatment services for teens will help those who experience an anxiety disorder heal. In treatment, your teenager can be taught essential tools to help them become self-reliant and build healthy habits and relationships.
Teen Anxiety Treatment with Muir Wood
As part of the intake process at Muir Wood, we provide comprehensive evaluations to help you and your teen understand their anxiety. Our treatment programs focus on holistic healing with individual, group, and family therapy, as well as experiences with adventure, nature, and creativity. Fill out an assessment or contact us today to get started.