Youngsters going through their teen years can be a little temperamental with all the changes that they experience during this phase. The pubertal changes can be a challenging time for a teenager as the transition from childhood to adulthood is often fraught with identity crisis and rebelliousness.
The observation of behavior patterns in teenagers can clearly signal if they are experiencing anxiety issues in their lives. There may be issues that are troubling a teenager which need to be addressed seriously by the parents or guardians. A withdrawal from the peers, excessive stressing on school projects or goals like University admissions at hand are indicative of the anxiety issues that have crept into the child’s system.
Depression during the teenage years if not diagnosed properly can be mistaken for usual teenage moodiness and a deeper problem left untreated may extend beyond the teenage years to create a chronically depressed persona. The symptoms of teenage depression include hopelessness, irritability, frequent bouts of crying, lack of enthusiasm, fatigue, restlessness, poor concentration, bad eating habits and a suicidal tendency. The duration of the persistence of these symptoms in an adolescent is indicative of the depth of the problem.
The effects of teenage depression can be observed in a poor performance at school where the child finds it hard to cope with the pressure of schoolwork and getting good grades. Social anxiety disorder is a common mental health disorder that is characterized by intense fear of social and performance situations. It can be a major impediment that affects the academic performance and the ability to bond with the peers at school.
How to Treat Teenage Anxiety
Teenage anxiety issues can be trying for both the child and the parents as they try to figure out ways on how to deal with them. The most crucial thing that you can do for a teenaged child under depression is assuring your presence and support and making them feel valued by accepting and caring for them. Even though it may become despairing and emotionally draining to live with a depressed child, it is important to be patient and understand that the teenager is going through a tough time themselves.
Parents should find ways of incorporating physical activity and exercise into the daily or weekly schedule of a depressed child. A stroll in the park or a weekend cycling trip may help the parents spend time with the child to understand the underlying issues. Socializing and healthy after school activities should be encouraged so that teenager stays busy as isolation tends to worsen the depressive condition.
Drug and alcohol abuse form a vicious cycle around depression as the teenagers resort to substance abuse to escape from depression only to find themselves trapped in the side effects of self-medication cycle. Violence and homicidal rage is on the rise with frustrated teenage boys as they try to vent out their anger and self-hatred. If left untreated teenage depression and social anxiety disorders will have further mental health complications that may eventually resurface later on in life.