By Dr. David Feldman
This is the age of tremendous competition. As a teenager in school, there is competition to excel in studies. Parental pressure accompanied by peer pressure can cause even the perfectly healthy teenager to break down completely. This pressure can create a feeling of anxiety in a teenager. In the normal course of things, a certain level of anxiety is always welcome. This could bring out the best in your performance, as you prepare yourself for the eventuality.
However, there may arise an occasion when you may not achieve the desired results. This could lead to further anxiety prompting your behavior to cross the line and become a disorder. People in psychological circles call this General Anxiety Disorder (GAD).
People at risk:
Statistically speaking, about 9% of the world is at risk of developing GAD. It usually does not affect children. Generally, GAD starts to develop just as you cross the adolescence period.
How does it happen?
Normally, the brain can sense a feeling of danger and prepares for the same by initiating a corrective course of action to avoid the danger. However, in persons with GAD, this mechanism does not work forcing you to assume that there is a danger even when there is not any. Thus, you start worrying about events that may never occur causing you a great amount of emotional distress.
In addition to the emotional distress, you experience physical feelings such as headaches, nausea, and sweating.
The person with GAD is usually a restless person having great difficulty in concentrating on simple tasks. He or she would find relaxing a difficult task as they expect the worst possible outcome in any situation.
This can cause the teenager to miss school as well as avoid socializing with friends.
Things to do if your loved one experiences GAD:
The best thing you can do is not to aggravate the problem by putting more pressure on the patient. You should exercise patience and listen to the apprehensions of the patient. You may feel like interrupting the patient. Never do this. Instead, you should listen to the worries and then reassure him that you are there for him or her, no matter what. This reassurance can play on his or her mind calming the patient largely.
You should understand that this is a psychological problem. The best method of treatment is Cognitive Behavior Therapy. This would mean helping such people to overcome their fears over a non-existent situation. Once they understand that the feared outcome did not materialize, it adds to their confidence. This is the first step towards a complete cure.
If a teenager in your life is struggling with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, reach out to Beachside Teen Treatment Center to find out how our facility can help your family.