Being a youngster is stressful. The teenage years are a rush of change and recent experiences, and anxiety can be a superbly normal response to all of this. Also, within the age of social media, this teenage anxiety can be heightened.
As clinical therapist Heather Erickson says, “They do not just exist [teens] they’ve faced many changes physically, emotionally, in friendships and relationships, and at school, but with the ubiquity of media and mobile phones in our lives, lots of these changes are actually being documented and shared. So you are not only frightened about “How do I do that?” but additionally “What do I seem like after I do that?”
It’s more vital than ever for parents to acknowledge anxiety symptoms of their teens and help them deal with them. Our conversation with Heather on the For Health’s Sake podcast covers:
- Physical and behavioral symptoms of anxiety in adolescents
- How to check with your teen about anxiety
- Apps, coping skills and other strategies to scale back anxiety
- When to check with a therapist, teacher, or other skilled
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Heather points out that getting help with anxiety does not imply one specific thing. “It relies on your situation, what you are comfortable with, what you can make your teen feel comfortable with,” she says. “You can at all times start by working with a primary care provider. Going to the doctor is admittedly normal.”
Your teen’s primary care physician can answer any questions you’ve, recommend management strategies, and refer you to a specialist if vital.