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Is your Anxiety Severe? Recognize your Symptoms and Discover Treatments

Author: Cris Ciani

Did you know that approximately 1 in 3 teens has an anxiety disorder? If
anxiety interferes with your daily life, you’re not alone. Anxiety disorders
can cause disruptions in various aspects of your life, including school,
work, and relationships. In this article, we’ll describe the symptoms of
anxiety disorders, briefly explain common anxiety disorders, explore
treatment options and anxiety management techniques, and direct you to other resources where you can learn more about anxiety disorders and
other mental health conditions.

As a teen, you deal with multiple situations that cause you stress. You’re
juggling school, extra-curricular activities like sports and clubs,
relationships, and maybe your first paid job. Social media is a constant
presence in your life. It’s normal to experience temporary anxiety,
especially in certain situations. For example, it’s OK to be anxious about
an important upcoming test at school. Normal anxiety eventually goes away. If you have persistent, chronic, and/or excessive anxiety, this is one
sign that you may have an anxiety disorder.

Symptoms of Anxiety Disorders

There are various symptoms associated with anxiety disorders. Symptoms
include:

If you’re dealing with these symptoms, you should get evaluated for an
anxiety disorder. Any of the following professionals can do a mental health
evaluation:

It doesn’t matter which one of them you choose to see. Getting an
evaluation is what matters.

Common Anxiety Disorders
Common anxiety disorders include:

People with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) feel like they’re in a
constant state of worry about various things. According to the Jed
Foundation, “People with GAD often experience “free-floating anxiety,”
which means they feel a general sense of dread that things will go wrong
rather than worrying about one specific thing” (Rodgers). People who have had multiple panic attacks might develop panic disorder. Those people are extremely afraid of losing control or experiencing another panic attack.

Some people that survive traumatic events develop post-traumatic stress
disorder (PTSD). Those events include physical or sexual assault, terrorist
attacks, natural disasters, and war. People with PTSD re-experience such
events in the form of intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, and/or nightmares.
They avoid people, places, and situations that remind them of the trauma
they experienced. They may experience symptoms for several months or
years.

People with social anxiety disorder experience a sense of dread in social interactions, including talking to people and meeting new people. They may avoid face-to-face interactions whenever possible and/or avoid eating in public. The Anxiety & Depression Association of America states, “People with a specific phobia have an excessive and unreasonable fear in the presence of or in anticipation of a specific object, place, or situation”
(2015). When people with phobias think about what they’re afraid of, it can cause them intense anxiety. They often go out of their way to avoid what they’re afraid of. For example, someone with a fear of heights will probably avoid riding rollercoasters, and he/she definitely won’t go skydiving.

Treatment Options and Anxiety Management Techniques

If your anxiety is interfering with your day-to-day life, you should get
treatment. Getting treatment is important, so you can start feeling better
and focus on living your best life! Therapy is the standard treatment for
anxiety disorders. There are different types of therapy for managing anxiety. According to The Jed Foundation, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most effective therapy for teens with anxiety (Rodgers). Anti-
depressants and anti-anxiety medications are also used to treat anxiety disorders. You can see a therapist or psychologist for therapy, and your
primary care physician (PCP) or a psychiatrist can prescribe medication for anxiety.

If you need help finding a mental health professional, you can ask your
PCP, school counselor, or a social worker. Once you are in therapy, you
can also ask your therapist or psychologist for a referral to a psychiatrist.
While community mental health centers provide comprehensive mental
health services, services available at private mental health clinics vary.
Some offer both therapy and medication management, while others focus solely on either therapy or medication. If you find somewhere you’d like to go for treatment and it’s not clear what services are offered, just ask.

You can combine therapy and/or medication with other anxiety
management techniques, including:

Additional Resources

Doctors, mental health professionals, and social workers are excellent
resources for help with anxiety disorders or any other mental health
concerns you may have. You can also talk to your school guidance
counselor or join a support group.
There are dedicated mental health organizations with resources you can
use to learn more about anxiety disorders and other mental health
conditions, including:

Self-help books are also great resources to learn more about anxiety and
other mental health concerns. The Anxiety & Depression Association of
America (ADAA) has a comprehensive list of books about anxiety, which
includes the following books:

You can find the entire reading list here: ADAA Reading List. The ADAA
also has various brochures about anxiety available for download on their
website. You can find the brochure list here: ADAA Brochures.


The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has a HelpLine you
can use to find support resources. You can reach the NAMI HelpLine by calling 800-950-6264 or texting
“helpline” to 62640. The NAMI HelpLine is open Monday through
Friday from 10am to 10pm Eastern.

If you need help immediately, you can call or text 988 to reach the
nationwide Crisis Lifeline. The Crisis Lifeline offers free support to people
in the United States, and it’s available 24/7.


In conclusion, there are many stressful situations you deal with as a teen.
If you have symptoms of an anxiety disorder, you should get a mental
health evaluation. If your anxiety is causing disruptions in your life, you
should get treatment. Therapy and medication are standard treatment
options for anxiety disorders, and there are other anxiety management
techniques you can use along with standard treatment. Various additional resources are also available if you want to learn more about anxiety. It’s
important to get treatment, so you can start feeling better and get back to enjoying your life!

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