Shedding insight on teenage anxiety and learning when to address it as a problem

There is a feeling of being crushed internally that never seems to go away. No matter how hard you try, the unhinged sensation of stress or worry is inescapable. Anxiety is attributed to that. Teenagers are very often subject to it, without even knowing they have symptoms of a serious mental disorder. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), “Anxiety disorders are the most common and pervasive mental disorders in the United States.” In fact, the ADAA has determined that 25.1 percent of children from the ages 13 to 18 are affected by anxiety disorders.

An array of possible origins can be the cause of anxiety in teens. Mayo Clinic, a nonprofit organization committed to clinical research suggests the factors that influence the development of this problem are trauma, stress buildup, personality type, other mental health disorders, genetics, and even substance abuse.

Adolescent anxiety is defined by its symptoms. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) describes its symptoms as anything from restlessness, frequent fatigue, difficulty concentrating, being easily irritable, and strong feelings of worry.

These feelings take over your body. It makes it extremely hard to do anything else but try and escape from its intensity, creating an inability to function at times.

One Paso High student describes their anxiety as “Every single emotion just falling on you, then [feeling a] sudden immense of pain come from nowhere.”

Experiencing certain feelings of anxiety is completely natural, however. Guidance Counselor Specialist Jennifer Clayton notes,

“We should feel anxiety when were in a stressful situation, it’s how we manage it and when it becomes out of control or [when] we’re not able to control it, that it becomes a concern.”

The monster that is mental illness can be devastating, but it can be treated. Being able to recognize when your anxiety is too much for you to handle and seeking the right help when it is necessary is not only beneficial, it can also save your life.