Stress and anxiety levels in teenagers have drastically increased over the last few decades. As the responsibilities of the world around them lay on their shoulders heavier, more and more teens are facing health problems both on the physical and on the emotional sides. As a parent, it is hard to handle these conditions or often even know that your teens are facing them. Many times, it is easy to chalk up the teenage stress and anxiety a child is facing as just normal teen problems. Yet, serious conditions are often present and should be addressed as quickly as possible.
Why Teens Suffer From Anxiety
Teens, just like adults will suffer from anxiety as well as from stress from several reasons. First, these conditions can be hereditary, and they can have a much greater likelihood of this happening to them if their parents have had conditions such as anxiety.
For the most part, teens and children who suffer from anxiety and from stress have factors in their lives that push them in that direction. For example, they may be faced with things like divorce of their parents, stressors at school and even peer pressure. Although most parents do not realize it, teens are under a great deal of pressure in many areas of their lives. Sometimes, the body and the mind react to those conditions in the way of anxiety and/or stress.
Symptoms To Notice
Often, these conditions may be overlooked. This is common because the symptoms associated with stress and anxiety are those things that most of us would relate to just normal, teen behavior. Nevertheless, it is necessary to identify if there is a problem and treat it accordingly as it can be harmful to their health in the long run.
Symptoms of anxiety and high stress levels include:
ｷ Feelings of uneasiness. Something just does not seem right although there may be nothing wrong
ｷ Abdominal discomfort that does not seem to come from a physical condition
ｷ Dry mouth
ｷ Rapid heartbeat that is not due to physical exertion
ｷ Dizziness
ｷ Shortness of breath not associated with physical exertion
ｷ Frequent need to urinate
ｷ Tightness in the chest, sometimes escalating to true pain
ｷ Diarrhea
ｷ Problems with swallowing
ｷ Insomnia
ｷ Irritability or anger that seems unfounded
ｷ Fear
ｷ The feeling of just not being in control
ｷ Inability to concentrate on tasks
Option Treatments
The treatments for high stress and anxiety affecting teenagers may include several things. First, identifying and removing pressure is often necessary. Second, the doctor may recommend a balanced diet, physical activity and good relaxation techniques. Additionally, medications are available to treat anxiety problems, including benzodiazepine tablets. Yet, medications should be considered with caution and for the worse cases as they generally have side effects that are not pleasant or healthy either.
Alternative
For those that are looking for an alternative treatment to teenage stress and anxiety, there are many treatments available to choose from. These can include certain herbs that have been shown to treat anxiety effectively.
