Ways Anxiety Shows Up In Teens - Balanceology by Janna Burnam

Is your teen exhibiting learning and attention issues? Has your teen become distant? Do you wonder what’s going on, but your communication just isn’t… there?

This may be a sign that your teen is experiencing anxiety that is interrupting their daily lives. Certainly, we can all relate, right? Who hasn’t gone through it, or goes

When it’s your teen, it can be difficult to witness. Teens don’t have much life experience and are often left feeling like they can’t cope with life. They need a space to process what is happening for them and tools for coping.

What can you do as a parent to a teen with anxiety?

Uncomfortableness and nervousness. Risk taking behavior. Social isolation. These can all appear for a number of reasons. More than anything, teens want a sense of belonging. They have reached a stage in development where they crave autonomy and are ready to create a life outside of their family unit – a time in life that is necessary and scary.

In creating that life maybe they are dealing with rejection from a friend they’ve known for a long time. Maybe their self talk keeps them from socializing. Perhaps entering a new high school has made them question their identity, or maybe they didn’t make varsity even though they’ve been playing a sport their whole life.

Translation: their first heavy disappointments in life.

Sometimes, it can be hard for teens to communicate with their parents because their parents have known them their whole life.

The parent and teen relationship hasn’t quite shifted to an egalitarian relationship that teens crave. This may cause your teen to become more distant because they don’t know how to express themselves.

There are different ways to understand anxiety, what it looks like, and what it feels like. Anxiety can show up in a number of different ways, and anxiety feels different for every person.

Here are some examples of what anxiety looks like for kids and teens and what can be understood from these situations:

Social Anxiety

For example, one situation may be where family and friends come over to have a small gathering. Your 14-year-old son stays in his room with the door closed. This may look like a rude, or unfriendly gesture, but certain actions, such as in this case, may be a sign of anxiety.

The paralyzing fear your teen may be feeling when they speak to other humans might also cause your son to be on high alert the whole time, totally draining his energy as well, leading to agitation later.

Body Image

Your daughter may be self-conscious about her body image and worried about what others may think about her.

Her anxiety may cause her to feel that she can’t breathe, is afraid to disappoint others, and needs to escape. She may lose her way because she doesn’t know how to express herself, and this may lead her to be distant from you.

If your teen is being distant, these may be some of the underlying causes to look out for. Teens may have constant worry and fear from what other teens think. They may feel like: the most-likely scenario is the worst case scenario, always worrying about the future, disappointment from others, not being good enough, always blaming yourself, and being powerless against their own minds.

Fear & Trauma

Your teen’s anxiety may cause them to feel that the worst-case scenario is the most-likely scenario that happened, and be anxious when they see that their parent has not appeared. A teen who has been through trauma may start to be anxious and nervous if a parent is late to pick them up due to worry that something may have happened to them.

Physical Expressions

Some physical signs of your teens’ antsy behavior may look like dry mouth, rapid breathing, and dizziness. This antsy behavior could mean that your son may be sitting next to their crush and not know what to say to them, or worried about an upcoming exam. Your son may worry about how his grades will impact his future.

Every teen has a different way in which they might express their anxiety, and there are distinct paths which can be catered to every teen through the research-based programs that I have created.

(Please join me on a complimentary consultation call.)

About Balanceology

As the founder of Balanceology, Janna Burnam helps teens identify how their body feels when anxiety rises. Teens learn how to connect with their thoughts and push through using various coping mechanisms. They also determine daily lifestyle practices that influence mood and stress. Janna created Balanceology to help teens with moderate to severe anxiety and their parents create a balanced life where they could thrive through research-based practices that help them stay calm and centered.