Are You A Teen Suffering From Anxiety?

Do you consistently feel worried because of social and academic pressures?
Are you seeking treatment for panic attacks, which may involve hypervigilance, heart palpitations, and trouble breathing?
Do you wish that you could understand what causes your anxiety so that you could better manage your symptoms?

Anxiety is common, and everyone experiences it. However, when anxiety disrupts your normal day-to-day functioning and interferes with your social life and academics, you may need treatment. There are different types of Anxiety Disorders like Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Social Anxiety and Panic Disorder among others.

Being a teen can be difficult in recognizing the difference between normal teenage stress and clinical anxiety. How the adolescent brain’s unique development can make teens more susceptible to anxiety. Factors such as academic pressure, social media influence, and personal relationships can contribute to anxiety in teens.

You are living with uncertainty and learning to let go which can feel scary. You are anticipating moving into new territory and determining what your new identity will be.

This transition can be a very difficult time full of choices and high-anxiety situations. Our brains don’t like uncertainly so living in a grey zone can feel very challenging. You have had a lot of unstructured time and are responsible now for creating new habits and a new life.

Causes of Teen Anxiety

Hormonal Changes: During adolescence, hormonal fluctuations can impact mood and emotions, potentially increasing susceptibility to anxiety.
Academic Pressure: The demands of schoolwork, exams, and the push for good grades can be intense, causing significant stress.
Social Media Influence: Constant comparisons, fear of missing out, and cyberbullying on social platforms can be overwhelming and distressing.
Peer Pressure: The desire to fit in or be accepted can lead teens to adopt behaviors or attitudes that are incongruent with their true selves.
Bullying: Being a victim of or witnessing bullying, whether online or in person, can have lasting mental health effects.
Traumatic Events: Experiences such as accidents, abuse, or loss can trigger anxiety disorders.
Family Dynamics: Strained relationships, divorce, or overbearing expectations at home can foster anxiety.
Substance Use: Experimentation with drugs or alcohol can interfere with brain chemistry, exacerbating anxiety.
Body Image Concerns: Societal standards and peer comparisons can lead to body dissatisfaction, sparking anxieties.
Romantic Relationships & Breakups: Navigating the complexities of first romances, rejections, or heartbreaks can be emotionally taxing.
Fear of the Future: Uncertainties regarding college, careers, and adulthood can be overwhelming.
Physical Health Concerns: Chronic illnesses, puberty changes, or other health concerns can induce anxiety.
Lack of Sleep: Late nights studying, socializing, or screen time can lead to sleep deprivation, which exacerbates anxiety.
Identity and Self-Expression: Grappling with personal identity, be it sexual, gender, or cultural, can bring about anxieties, especially if there’s fear of judgment.
Financial Pressures: Concerns about family finances or personal financial responsibilities can be a source of stress.
High Achievement Expectations: Feeling the need to excel in every area (academics, sports, arts) can be a heavy burden.
Extracurricular Demands: Overcommitment to clubs, sports, or other activities can leave teens feeling stretched too thin.
World Events & News: Exposure to distressing news or global events can create feelings of fear or hopelessness.
Personal Safety Concerns: Worries about personal security, from school shootings to neighborhood violence, can heighten anxiety.
Changing Schools or Moving: Transitions, including moving homes or shifting to a new school, can be unsettling.
Isolation and Loneliness: Feeling disconnected from peers or lacking a close friend group can amplify feelings of anxiety.
Overexposure to Screen Time: Spending excessive time on screens can lead to social isolation and increased susceptibility to mood disorders.
Genetics and Family History: A family history of anxiety or other mental health disorders can raise a teen’s risk.
Perfectionism: An ingrained desire to be perfect in every endeavor can be a substantial source of stress and worry.
Lack of Coping Skills: Not having the tools or knowledge to manage stress or challenging emotions can make teens more prone to anxiety.

Treatment Options: From therapy to medication, potential ways for addressing anxiety

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): This form of therapy can help teens challenge and change negative thought patterns.

Relaxation Techniques: Methods such as deep breathing, meditation, and progressive muscle relaxation tailored for teens.
Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR): a modern and nontraditional form of therapy that helps people heal from disturbing life experiences and uncomfortable sensations.
Building Resilience: Encouraging teens to develop coping skills and resilience against life’s challenges.
Support Systems: The importance of having a trusted network of friends, family, or professionals to talk to.

Physical Health & Anxiety: The interconnectedness of physical activity, diet, sleep, and mental health in teens.

Mindfulness & Teens: Introducing mindfulness practices as a tool to ground and reduce anxiety symptoms.

Setting Boundaries: Helping teens learn to set healthy personal, digital, and social boundaries.

Seeking Professional Help: Recognizing when it’s time for a teen to see a therapist or counselor and how to approach it.

If you struggle with anxiety or panic attacks, it’s essential to rule out underlying medical issues before considering your symptoms as indicative of a psychological condition. However, it’s more likely that your anxiety is directly related to your mental health. And fortunately, therapeutic treatment at The Relationship Suite can help you manage anxiety.

Anxiety For Teens Can Help You Find Lasting Relief From Your Fears And Worries

When symptoms of anxiety interfere with your daily life, it’s difficult to calm yourself down. But a therapist can help you get perspective on your concerns and develop a healthy emotional response.

At The Relationship Suite in New York City, Long Island and New Jersey, we tailor anxiety treatment to meet the needs and experiences of our teens. Our goal is to help you identify triggers and examine the deeper emotions and reasons at the root of your anxiety. In a safe, supportive, and nonjudgmental environment, you can work through difficult emotions and learn to gain more control over your thoughts and your life in general.

Our Approach To Counseling For Anxiety

Using a combination of behavioral therapies and emotion-focused techniques, we will give you a chance to explore and address the thoughts, feelings, and situations that cause distress. Methods like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) are particularly useful for targeting anxiety before it contributes to counterproductive thoughts and behaviors. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and psychodynamic approaches can help you understand how past traumas and experiences have led to an anxiety disorder. In addition, meditation and mindfulness-based exercises can teach you how to be more present with your thoughts and feelings.

In our work together, you will develop more self-awareness and various coping strategies to learn how to manage your anxiety. By committing to treatment, you can feel empowered to work through deeper emotions as you identify the source of your anxiety and shift your perception of yourself and the world around you.

Teens Navigating Life Transitions

Teens are often unprepared for the overwhelming feelings of loss, especially the ones who are really excited about college. The feelings associated with their losses surprise them, and the feelings of anxiety can often catch teens off guard. It can feel very scary to separate from your traditional support system of family and friends.

It’s common for you to experience an increase in anxiety during the transition to college. The thought of saying goodbye to friends, pets, and family, realizing they’re not a part of their old team, and deciding what to pack and what to leave behind are all experiences of loss and grief.

Anxiety can be a great motivator. Pressure can help us study harder, practice more and prepare better. But when you have too much worry it can quickly spiral out of control especially because you haven’t yet learned the skills to cope.

It’s easy for others to attribute what’s happening in teens lives are related to hormonal issues or a developmental process. We don’t want to blow it off and think “it’s just a phase.” There are so many new challenges to face so it’s no surprise that anxiety often spikes during this stage in your life. So how can you cope if you’re feeling overwhelmed and stressed? What steps can you take to help you handle the anxiety related to the transition?

Tailoring to the Long Island Community

Long Island, with its unique blend of urban and suburban landscapes, offers a plethora of opportunities and challenges for its young residents. Understanding the local culture, pressures, and environment is crucial to providing effective therapy. At The Relationship Suite, we tailor our counseling services to resonate with the experiences and challenges specific to the Long Island community.

You Want to Treat Your Anxiety, But You’re Not Quite Sure How Therapy Can Help You…

How can counseling help me manage my anxiety?

We help to build self-esteem and sense of self and learn new ways of coping with the social and academic pressures. We can help you work through your anxiety, reassure you that you are not alone and give you healthy cognitive strategies. We teach you problem-solving skills and how to use tools to overcome anxiety.

How can counseling help me identify what is causing my anxiety?

Through direct questioning and exploration of issues, we will help you identify the underlying causes of your worries and fears. We help you looks at situations in new, and less frightening ways.

How can counseling support me in developing a positive and balanced life?

In combination with psychotherapy, we offer guidance on how to implement self-care routines and stress management techniques so you can achieve success both academically and personally.

You Can Regain Control Over Your Thoughts And Fears At The Relationship Suite

No matter how you approach this transition, it’s important to know you are not alone. We help guide you to making healthy decisions and expressing yourself. In our therapy with teens, we are deeply invested to build relationships with you and help guide you through your struggles.

The Relationship Suite can support you, help manage your anxiety and make you feel the transition to the next stage is a successful one.
If you are a teen and your anxiety has impacted your daily life and relationships, therapeutic treatment at The Relationship Suite in New York City, Long Island and New Jersey can help you heal from the deeper feelings and issues causing your stress.

To schedule a free, 20-minute consultation with a therapist or to find out more about our anxiety disorder specialists, please call (917) 273 – 8836 or contact us via our site.