The Adolescent Anxiety Crisis of the 21st Century

Short breaths, a speeding heart rate, and sweaty hands. When the brain senses danger, it induces symptoms of anxiety and stress. This activates the fight-or-flight response in an individual. Teenagers in recent times have been diagnosed with anxiety disorders more and more.

Anxiety is a very broad term that can mean both the common feelings of tension and fear, and a mental illness that a person can be diagnosed with like General Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder OCD), and social anxiety. It has a significant impact on adolescents as they navigate their lives, especially in today’s times.

With expectations to have one’s life planned out at a young age, many people compare themselves to others on social media, which is only one of the reasons why it is becoming more common for teens to suffer with anxiety disorders. According to the National Institutes of Health, “nearly 1 in 3 of all adolescents ages 13 to 18 will experience an anxiety disorder.” (McCarthy) Teens suffer from anxiety at a high rate for reasons often based around high school, their ever-changing surroundings, undeveloped frontal lobes, and genetic predispositions. High school significantly contributes to feelings of panic due to the pressures of balancing workload with various relationships. Additionally, the constant weight of expectations may cause dread and fear that can be amplified by hereditary anxiety, leading to panic attacks and irrational behaviour. There is also the frontal lobe which is not fully developed at adolescence, so one’s understanding of risks and their emotions is not completely thorough. Teenagers are often misunderstood and illogical as a result of anxiety, which paired with their undeveloped minds, leads to mental health issues that can carry on throughout their life if not addressed.

Fortunately, anxiety is becoming a normalized issue in today’s society. In schools, children learn about mental health issues and have access to helpful resources. Since young minds are also taught signs of anxiety and panic, they are exposed to many helpful practices that can calm them, such as breathing exercises, creative outlets, and routine activities. In the future, when these individuals find themselves feeling overwhelmed, they can make use of these practices. When anxiety is induced, it is important to have support systems. There are many ways to reach out, like talking to a friend, speaking with parents, reaching out to a help line, telling a guidance counsellor, or letting a family doctor know. There is no best way to manage stress, since coping mechanisms vary from person to person depending on the severity of one’s symptoms.

Although the impact of anxiety on high school students is now more apparent than ever, there are many coping mechanisms, support staff, and helpful resources available to help one overcome what they are experiencing. Consider reaching out to your guidance counselor for assistance and/or accessing one of the available resources listed on our school’s website linked here: http://www.yrdsb.ca/schools/emilycarr.ss/guidance/Pages/Community-Resources.aspx