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See Dr Morton’s reduce anxiety or stress
We all know what it’s like to worry, it’s unpleasant, but it can have a useful purpose. It makes us prepare for ‘that interview’ or revise for exams and generally get on with important things. In threatening situations it prepares the body for action.
Coping with anxiety in teenagers is tough, but it is common and about one in every ten to fifteen children or teenagers will develop one at some stage. And for those who do, the problems will continue into adulthood for a significant minority. All good reasons for recognising and treating this condition early.
There are many different types of anxiety disorders and the most common are generalised anxiety disorder, separation anxiety disorder and specific phobias. In practice many symptoms overlap between disorders and some teenagers will fall into more than one category.
Genetic – If a parent has an anxiety disorder then a child may have inherited this tendency to worry. Additionally, if parents are anxious, then their children may have learned some of this behaviour.
Environmental – Stressful life events, for example death of a close relative, parental divorce, exams or problems with friendships can all precipitate an anxiety disorder.
Pre-existing conditions – Anxiety can co-exist with other problems such as depression and attention hyperactivity disorder.
Substance misuse – for example amphetamines, LSD, ecstasy and alcohol misuse can be associated with excessive anxiety.
Physically – what we feel in our bodies. This can include rapid heart rate, breathing faster or feeling short of breath, feeling sick or pain in the tummy, sweating, feeling very hot or cold, trembling or shaking, numbness or tingling, headaches, chest pain, dizziness, feeling of a lump in the throat or choking.
Mentally – in the form of excessive worrying and fearful thoughts.
Behaviourally – with changes in our behaviour, for example avoiding normal activities.
Coping with anxiety means a change in behaviour. One of the first things you may notice in your child can be gradual social withdrawal. Your teenager spends much more time at home, often alone in their room and avoids going out with friends and sometimes tries to avoid school too.
Excessive and pervasive worries and fears. These will be wide-ranging and not focused on any one thing; worries about the future (What if I fail my exams, can’t get a job etc); past behaviour; appearance (Do my clothes look OK, what if people think I’m stupid); worries about the world situation (global warming, increase in crime, wars) and so on.
Whilst many youngsters will worry about these things sometimes, an anxiety disorder is characterised by excessive and/or irrational fears present for much of the time that lasts for several weeks or months and is not relieved by reassurance and which causes distress and impairment in functioning.
Physical complaints such as headaches, tummy aches, tiredness with no physical reason.
Sleep problems which is usually characterised as difficulty getting off to sleep, frequent night waking or waking early. As a result they may feel tired and sleepy during the day.
Irritability and/or mood swings.
Experimenting with drugs or alcohol.
There are very effective treatments for anxiety.
The most useful treatment for anxiety in teenagers is a talking therapy called cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) and this is successful for 70-80% of young people. Usually this will include; educating the young person about anxiety, reassuring them that it’s a normal feeling for everyone at times, its not dangerous, it is temporary and will decrease and it is adaptive, preparing us for difficult times. The therapist will also try and encourage more positive thoughts and behaviour while challenging negative ones. Relaxation strategies are also shown to help. One of most rewarding aspects of this treatment is being able to show a young person a list of the physical symptoms of anxiety and seeing their relief as they understand they do not have a serious physical illness and they are not ‘going mad’ as they have been worrying they might be.
Medication is also available, usually as a short-term measure and when anxiety becomes so intense that accessing treatment via these ‘talking therapies’ is hard to do. Parents will often play an important part in helping a young person to manage and deal with their worries and encourage positive behaviours.
The good thing about these therapies is that they give a young person a framework that they can use themselves in future.
There are a couple of excellent films which are good illustrations of anxiety in teenagers and are fun to watch as a family.
‘Parenthood’ a comedy in which Steve Martin plays an anxiety-prone father with three children one of whom is highly anxious too (a couple of risqué moments – be warned).
‘What about Bob’ with Bill Murray as a multi-phobic highly anxious patient of a pompous psychiatrist (Richard Dreyfuss). This is a particular favourite of mine as the psychiatrist is made a bit of a laughing stock, albeit inadvertently by his patient, and yet he provides some useful anxiety-reducing strategies during the film including the concept of ‘baby steps’.
See Dr Morton’s anxiety and physical symptoms interpreted
Confidential online cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is available through our partnership with Thinkwell
Very interesting and informative