It’s normal to sometimes feel anxious, stressed or worried, especially during adolescence, when life is filled with changes and challenges. Adolescence is one of the most formative periods that humans go through in their lifetime. Starting from the onset of puberty to mid-twenties, individuals experience profound biological, cognitive, psychosocial, and emotional changes. Today’s adolescents are faced with the added challenge of navigating a rapidly changing world. From technology usage, social media influence, academic and societal pressure, it is important to consider how teenagers interact with their environment while these internal changes occur. We often see increased risk-taking behaviors and emotional reactivity. Being that the average person has more than 400 emotional experiences every day, it is not surprising that certain situations during such a heightened period of development might trigger anxious responses. However, when those anxious feelings last for a long time, occur frequently, or feel unmanageable, then that’s cause for concern.

The data surrounding the onset of anxiety disorders among adolescents is profound.  According to the National Institute of Health, nearly one in three adolescents aged 13 to 18 will experience an anxiety disorder, and in recent years, anxiety disorder in teenagers have risen as much as 20 percent. Anxiety disorders that are left untreated  can lead to serious mental health problems, including depression, substance use, and even suicide, but can also impact a teen’s ability to focus and learn causing school problems that can have lifelong impact. It can also lead to physical problems, such as headaches, chronic pain, digestive problems, and later heart disease.

Whether your teen is dealing with chronic anxiety, or managing the day to day of these formative years, NYC Counseling believes that early intervention can equip adolescents with the coping skills that they need as they navigate these changes and associated feelings. With change, teens will experiment, explore and learn, so building a coping toolbox will not only allow them to manage their current situations effectively, but will prepare them to deal with life challenges as they enter adulthood. There is ample research in support of group therapy to promote coping skills as a first line of defense, allowing students to build skills that lead to protective factors. 

Benefits include:

  • Promotion of healthy relationships with peers and families
  • Managing high expectations and pressure to succeed in today’s culture of achievement. 
  • Develop a sense of identity and positive view of self
  • Opportunity to view adolescence as a period filled with growth
  • Gain insight to their own challenges by connecting with teenagers who are going through similar experiences
  • Build meaningful connections, express themselves more openly, improve their communication skills, and develop a better understanding of their peers’ perspectives. 
  • Foster a sense of belonging and peer support, leading to acceptance and increased self-esteem
  • Learning that anxiety isn’t always “bad” and knowing when to ask for help. Helping teenagers understand that feeling anxious can be seen as their body’s way to keep them safe by signaling potential danger, while being able to distinguish this from anxiety that doesn’t go away or is so intense that it stops them from doing everyday things.
  • Understanding the impact of social media on our self esteem and relationships
  • Surviving in a world that can feel scary, especially with the increase in school shootings and overall decrease in sense of safety

We’d be honored to help you and your teen build resilience during these formative years, as NYC Counseling will be launching a new group: Stress and Anxiety Among Adolescents: Building that Coping Toolbox