Children's mental health blog, New Directions Counselling

Symptoms of anxiety in teens

9/20/2022

Teens have different worries than children; they become more concerned about their performance in school/sports/the arts, how they are perceived by others, changes in their bodies/health and about the future. Adolescence is a time when individuals are moving towards independence which means that they might be working hard to deal with the anxiety on their own or with the help of their friends. This might mean that a parent misses the signs that the anxiety is a problem or mistakes the symptoms as 'typical teenage behaviour.'
The following is a list of some of the symptoms that you might see in your anxious teen:

irritability
restlessness
difficulty concentrating
gets startled/scared easily
outbursts
anger
self-consciousness
sensitivity to feedback or criticism
avoiding difficult or new situations
no longer doing the things they enjoy
avoiding friends or social outings
isolation
frequent complaints of headaches, aches, gastrointestinal complaints, or generally not feeling well with no medical cause
changes in eating habits
changes in sleep habits or always tired
substance use (vaping, smoking, drinking alcohol, marijuana etc)
skipping school
changes in their grades
overwhelmed by school
procrastinates
preoccupied with grades
spending too much time on schoolwork

It can be hard to determine whether your teen is dealing with anxiety or if they are navigating through adolescence because some of the behaviours look the similar. Regardless of what it is, if you're concerned about your teen keep the lines of communication open, remember that it's a difficult time for them and let them know you are there to support.
Some anxiety is normal, but when it disrupts one's life (school, work, family, socializing, activities, or health -sleeping, eating, pain, illness) a mental health professional can help. Please look into local mental health professionals in your community, or if you'd like to consult with me, please use the contact form below, or call me at (905)-464-1029.

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Symptoms of anxiety in children

9/12/2022

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Sometimes children exhibit anxiety symptoms in a different way than adults do and it may not even look like anxiety. Parents work so hard to help their children in every area of their lives so it's beneficial to know what you're dealing with.
First of all, some typical symptoms of anxiety that you might see are:

seeking a lot of reassurance
difficulty sleeping (resisting bedtime, nightmares, waking up in the night)
school avoidance
avoiding social interactions, sports, clubs etc.
fidgeting, restless, tense
changes in eating (i.e. not eating lunch at school, loss of appetite)
trouble separating from parent or caregiver/clinging to parent
excessive worry about the safety of parents or family or themselves
nervous habits like nail biting, picking skin, twirling hair
difficulty concentrating
negative comments
feeling as though they can't breath, tightness in their chest, panicky feeling

However, anxiety can also look different. Some children can be quiet, well-behaved and academically successful. In these cases the anxiety often goes unnoticed by parents, teachers and coaches. Things you might notice in this type of anxious child:

distressed about making mistakes
afraid of 'getting in trouble,' extreme rule follower
people pleaser (wants everyone to like them)
quiet
shy
trouble sleeping
complains about headaches, stomach aches or generally feeling unwell
avoids certain situations

In other cases children can be disruptive, defiant and seem angry. The anxiety also gets unnoticed in these cases as people misread these signals as strictly behavioural. Things you might notice in this anxious child:

refusing to follow direction especially at bedtime, or during transitions
argumentative or defiant - you might notice this most during transition times
crying
physically acting out (i.e. throwing things, hitting, tearing up homework)
verbal acting out (i.e. yelling, insults, big negative statements about themselves or others)
difficult behaviour during homework time (refusing to do the homework, overreaction to parent feedback, destroying the homework or assignment)
fighting with siblings
easily frustrated or irritated

Everyone experiences the above symptoms at times; however if you are reading this and you're concerned about your child's symptoms please reach out to a local mental health professional for support.
If you are looking for mental health support feel free to contact me at ljuba@newdirectionscounselling.ca, (905) 464-1029 or use the contact form below.

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Symptoms of anxiety in teens

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Symptoms of anxiety in children

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