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Teen Anxiety – A Rising Problem
David Richards
Anxiety is a part of life that most everyone feels sometimes. It can be good or bad, depending on the situation and how the feelings are dealt with, yet more and more teens today are finding that anxiety becomes overwhelming for them.
What is anxiety? General anxiety means to worry, feel stress, concern or nervousness; sometimes even panic might beset a person. For many of teens, the anxiety is only felt during situations that involve stress such as before taking an important exam or while waiting for a date. It is when the level of anxiety interferes with the ability to function normally in daily life that problems arise.
Today, teens are facing more challenges in life than ever before. Teens have always faced challenges and worries such as whether they will do well on a test or whether the right person will be willing to date them. But today, there are so many unique, new challenges that teens can fall into an anxiety pattern. Will I get into a college? Will I be safe from crime? Will someone shoot me while attending school? These challenges were not faced on the same level by generations of teens in the past.
A teen that is experiencing anxiety is not crazy! If the anxiety has developed to the point that the teen is unable to function normally, they may have developed an anxiety disorder which can be treated successfully by trained medical professionals such as psychiatrists and therapists.
There are several different types of anxiety disorders, all of which can affect teens. All of these disorders respond to therapy once diagnosed by a qualified professional. Sometimes these disorders also require prescription medication. These treatments can allow a teen with an anxiety disorder to be productive and live a happy, normal life.
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