Signs of Anxiety Disorders in Teens

As the founder of the West Virginia-based Greenbrier Academy for Girls, L. Jay Mitchell brings decades of experience developing teen-focused mental-health programs to the therapeutic boarding school. L. Jay Mitchell is also the codeveloper of strong relationality, a theory that focuses on self-discovery through building strong interpersonal relationships. It informs Greenbrier’s work with its clients, helping them overcome negative and destructive behaviors and cope with non-acute mental-health conditions such as depression and anxiety.

Many parents wonder how they can differentiate their teen’s mood swings from what might be a serious anxiety disorder. Most teens experience some degree of anxiety, a normal response to stress that can sometimes serve as a coping mechanism. Although “normal” differs for each individual, mental-health clinicians note a number of key indicators that could be signs a family should seek a professional opinion. These include emotions and situations that adversely affects their participation in everyday life at home and at school, as well as their ability to engage with others.

Social withdrawal, hypervigilance, continual nervousness, and other extremes associated with fear and worry can indicate an anxiety disorder, especially they occur without an actual threat present. A teen might seem consistently irritable or restless or even display outbursts of emotion with no discernible cause. Their behavior in social settings can range from appearing dependent or overly emotional to uneasy or restrained.

Anxiety disorders can also involve physiological issues like unusual or intense episodes of fatigue, listlessness, headaches, or unexplainable physical pain. Problems with falling or staying asleep and frequent uncontrollable nightmares can also be signs.

The intensity of symptoms can vary, as do their triggers. Anxiety can manifest as a free-floating general unease or morph into phobias or panic attacks, which can signify a specific type of anxiety disorder. Moreover, their wide-reaching effects can lead to school problems, worsened by an inability to concentrate or complete tasks.