There are many young children who have been affected by anxiety disorders and teen anxiety. For example, teens may become nervous and anxious if they are asked to deliver a public lecture or when they are expected to initiate a discussion with strangers.
New Approaches For Treating Anxiety Disorders
Psychologists have come out with new approaches for dealing with these children who have been affected by teen anxiety and anxiety disorders. The aim is to help them overcome their social anxiety. The main approach is to gradually expose these young people to things or activities they are afraid of. Psychologists train the parents of the teens also so that they can become “exposure coaches” for helping their children to get rid of their fear instead of helping them avoid things, activities or situations they dread.
But, if parents continue to help children in avoiding the feared situations, symptoms of anxiety disorders may become worse. So, children will never be able to manage or overcome their fears.
Factors That May Cause Anxiety Disorders
The common anxiety disorders that may result in teen anxiety are phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, etc. If these disorders are not diagnosed and treated on time, these teens may not be able to develop their skills and succeed in their lives.
Some of the external causes that may have been responsible for these disorders and teen anxiety may be bullying by other students at school or some domestic problems. So,psychologists focus on finding if factors like these are responsible for the anxiety disorders or if there are any specific problems with personal coping in the children.
But, in general, anxiety disorders are quite serious unlike the usual fears, shyness and the insecure feelings of teens. So, they may not diminish or vanish easily. These disorders may hamper the growth and the ability of the teens to function. They may ultimately cause depression in these young people also.
Various Treatment Processes And Therapies
Firstly, teens must be able to recognize that their fears, their excessive worries about their schooling, social interactions, etc. and their illusory aches are unreasonable. Parents and psychologists should help them in this process. Once teens are able to recognize this unreasonableness, psychologists should prescribe suitable drugs to cure these disorders.
Cognitive-Behavioral-Therapy is another way mental-health professionals rely upon for treating teens with anxiety disorders and teen anxiety. This therapy focuses on imparting in these young people relaxation as well as anxiety-management skills so that they can respond suitably when anxiety strikes. There are other treatments like “cognitive restructuring,” that consists of positive thinking, developing the ability to assess all the aspects and angles of fears and creating an effective plan for coping when feared situations occur. Exposure therapy comes last in the treatment process.
But, there are some researchers and experts who advise that slow exposure to the feared situations even in the early stages of treatment may be effective. According to them, this strategy may reduce the length of the therapy also.
Psychologists should also study the avoidance behaviors not only in the teens but in their parents as well. Even when they use the “Exposure Therapy” for treating these young people with anxiety disorders and teen anxiety, psychologists adopt only the strategy of gradual exposure.