We all know that it’s tough being a teenager. You’re faced with many life transitions, feelings, and emotions. On top of these overwhelming feelings, young adults usually begin struggling with mental health around this same time-frame, too. Research shows that 50% of all mental illnesses occur by the age of fourteen. With this revealing statistic in mind, it’s worthwhile to consider that your teen is experiencing symptoms like withdrawal, frequent mood changes, sleep changes, and excessive nervousness. This way, you can get the correct treatment options for them, to help alleviate some of those overwhelming feelings and enhance their quality of life. Here are a few of those effective options to consider to relieve teen anxiety.
Change of Scenery
One thing to remember is that your teen is experiencing the same emotions that you feel if you have anxiety. One incredible tool to utilize for handling anxiety for teens is to simply get a change of scenery. Though this won’t help as a recurring treatment plan, a mini-trip can do wonders for relaxation. With the current pandemic, it’s never felt more overwhelming to be at home for long periods of time. Teens, in particular, are forced into online schooling that leaves them staring at a screen for hours. That’s why a drive to the forest preserve for a walk, heading to a lake or beach, or a bike ride can be incorporated into their lives to promote healthy coping and relaxation. Overall, seeing new places is a great way to broaden your perception of how much beauty is out there in the world, and you can be sure your teen will see that too.
Newfound Spirituality
Another way to manage anxiety is to rely on a higher power. Obviously, you want to show compassion and practice empathy as if you were your teen. If your family is spiritual or religious, it’s worth having a conversation with them about heading to vacation bible school, or VBS. These vacation bible school programs are interactive ways to explore God’s word and the Bible story. Relying on spirituality and leaning on God’s word to help a teen manage worries and anxieties is a powerful tool to have.
If you’ve ever searched for vacation bible school before, there are many options. To find the best VBS for your teen, look online to view different options that will work best for you. It’s a great idea to let your teen choose which VBS program they’re interested in so that they’re an integral part of the decision making process.
Talk Therapy
Arguably, one of the best ways to relieve anxiety is to reach out to mental health professionals. There’s a reason why there are professionals like therapists, counselors, and psychologists out there. They’re there to help you and your teen handle all that life throws at them. If you’re looking for therapists in Northern Virginia, The Ross Center is an incredible resource for your struggling teen. With help from their qualified staff, your teen can receive cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT. This is a form of talk therapy that will assist your teen in recognizing their patterns that may lead to further feelings of anxiety, poor self-esteem, or other unwanted feelings.
If your family has a medical history of anxiety disorders, it’s important that you get your teen help from mental health professionals who can accurately assess your family member and perform the necessary psychological evaluations. This way, your teen can experience a better quality of life, get the medication they may need, and understand that talking about their anxiety is nothing to be ashamed of. This is especially the case when studies report that nearly 40 million people in the U.S. have an anxiety disorder. So when your teen feels like they’re alone in this struggle, remind them that they’re one of many. They aren’t different for feeling this way. Always remain empathetic towards them and make sure that they have the coping tools they need so that they can talk about their anxiety disorder. This is an important part of overcoming it.