Anxiety (and Others) in Teenagers

Teenagers have a very high rate of anxiety. It’s as simple as that. When you look at the numbers, around 80% of kids have a diagnosable anxiety disorder of some kind. That’s honestly a big deal, and those numbers nowadays are growing due to everyday things like school, pressure to get a job, and even their families at home.

For instance, myself. I am a 16 year old boy from Texas, and I have severe clinical anxiety and depression. Because of the stresses of school that people were putting on me (as well as myself), my anxiety had gotten to the point where I was checked into a behavioral hospital for 3 days for suicidal thoughts. I hadn't hurt myself, luckily, but I did meet people that did. There were people with cuts along their arms and thighs, scratches and self-inflicted bruises, and eating disorders, almost all of them due to the feeling of anxiety and depression in their daily life. Many of them had parents that initially refused to even treat the disorders or downright didn't care, and that's something that should be addressed.

Treating these disorders costs money, it's obvious. But the more they aren't being treated, the higher the suicide rate in these innocent teens who didn't deserve to live a life being afraid of everything. If you're a parent and you see the symptoms of anxiety in your child, seek professional help. If your child has a disorder that causes suicidal thoughts and self-harm, it needs to be treated with counselling, therapy, and medicine. Yes, money may be an issue, but there are definitely counselors that offer money-friendly sessions for your child. Please look for them and treat your child.

If you're a teenager with anxiety, can't seek help, and reading this right now, here are a few tips and tricks to calm yourself.

1.) Meditation and Mantra

Meditating, aka finding a quiet place and clearing your mind, is a great way to calm a panic attack. If you're able to find a quiet place, or you are able to whisper without being the center of attention, relax yourself and repeat this over and over: "You're gonna be okay," or "Everything is fine." The mantra you repeat will be helpful in calming your rapid heartbeat and shakiness, as well as keeping bad thoughts out.

2.) Count to 10.

One of the things that I like to do whenever I have anxiety is count to ten in my head, from 1 to 10, then 10 to 1. I repeat it over and over again until I'm able to relax and think clearly so I don't start bursting into tears. This really helps and is one of the things that I recommend for you to do.

3.) Deep Breaths

I know you've constantly heard the saying "Take a deep breath and you'll be fine," or something similar to that, but honest to god, if you concentrate on your breathing, you'll be able to slow it down and keep yourself from hyperventilating. But remember, if you are hyperventilating, notify anybody IMMEDIATELY. This could lead to bad things if not treated.

4.) Focus on something else.

If you're at school or your job and you suddenly feel like the world is closing in on you, try to simply focus on the task at hand; maybe it's a math problem, or maybe you have to go take a customer's order. Whatever it is, make sure your focus is on that and that only. Focusing on one thing instead of trying to do a million things at the same time is better and keeps you from overwhelming yourself.

5.) Talk/rant your feelings out.

Keeping those feelings inside and not telling anybody about it is one of the worst things you can do to yourself. If you have a friend that is willing to help you, rant out all of your problems to them. If you have social media, create a private account where you can simply vent out your frustrations and anxieties. Letting these feelings out is so much better than simply hiding it away and building these anxieties up until they become uncontrollable.

There are so many more I could write about, but these are the ones that help me the most. Feel free to comment more and help others out. But please, if you or a loved one has a teenager with noticeable symptoms of anxiety, depression, or other disorders, show them this, or help them out. They need to know that they're not alone in this, and that there are people willing to help.

It's better to have someone who is alive than someone who is dead, figuratively and literally.