"5 Things You Shouldn't Say to a Teen With Anxiety,"
By Noah Smith, Guest Writer
There’s no cure for anxiety, but with treatment, many teens can effectively manage their symptoms. Unfortunately, 8 out of 10 kids with an anxiety disorder do not receive treatment for their condition. Reasons for lack of treatment vary from teens who conceal their symptoms to parents who are embarrassed or unwilling to seek help for their children. If you’re reading this now, you probably realize how important it is to help your teen cope with this condition. Here are 5 phrases you should never utter around an anxious teen, whether your child has been clinically diagnosed with the condition, recently experienced a traumatic event like moving cross-country, or simply told you they’ve been experiencing regular episodes of anxiety.
“You’re overreacting.”
Never accuse your teen of overreacting, even if you secretly feel they’re being dramatic or exaggerating about a situation. You do not understand the feelings they have, so it’s not fair to make assumptions about how they’re handling things. Help protect your child’s self-esteem by validating rather than dismissing their emotions.
If you find it hard to empathize with your teen, thing about recent times when you’ve gotten upset over something seemingly minor. Have you ever snapped at a drive-thru cashier because you received the wrong meal? Do you sometimes let a condescending boss or obnoxious coworkers ruin your day? These are arguably not life-or-death situations, but they still had a major impact on your mood. Your teen also experiences stress throughout the day, so please do not dismiss admissions of anxiety.
“You don’t realize how lucky you are.”
There are several reasons why this is a bad statement. For starters, you make assumptions about your teen’s thought process by stating “you don’t realize.” If your teen has a good life, they probably do realize it. Mental illness is not a synonym for “ungrateful” or “oblivious,” but making statements like the one above can make a teen feel as if they possess these traits.
“You’re being a drama queen.”
This statement is similar to “You’re overreacting,” because it implies that your teen is not capable of adequately assessing a situation. Remember, your teen’s brain is still developing, so you can’t expect the same responses to an event or issue that an adult might have. It’s not your place to decide whether your teen’s reaction is valid because you are not personally experiencing the same emotions.
If you genuinely feel your teen consistently overreacts to situations, even after you attempt to understand the situation, schedule an appointment with a mental health professional. A counselor, primary care physician, or psychiatrist can evaluate your teen to make sure your teen doesn’t have a second mental health condition, such as bipolar disorder or histrionic personality disorder.
“Just tell me what’s wrong.”
You may think you’re being helpful when you ask your teen to tell you what’s wrong, but unfortunately, you may not be. Teens with anxiety are often unable to pinpoint a specific cause, and attempting to figure out what’s wrong can make them feel worse. If your teen says “I don’t know” when you ask what’s wrong, don’t press them for an answer. They probably aren’t trying to lie or hide things from you; they generally don’t understand the cause of their anxiety.
“Stop acting like this.”
It’s difficult to cope with the symptoms of mental illness - even when you don’t personally experience them. If you love a teen with anxiety, you may feel annoyed or stressed at times because you just want to make their symptoms disappear. You may mistakenly think your teen can control their symptoms, but they may not be able to unless you have established a treatment plan that works. Even then, symptoms may still flare up unexpectedly.
Raising a teen can be difficult no matter how physically or emotionally healthy they are, but you may face additional challenges if your teen has anxiety. Choose your words carefully, and help your teen establish coping techniques to treat the symptoms of this common condition.
(Image via Pixabay)
Siblings with a Mission is an international organization established to serve and support siblings of individuals with special needs. All images are found on Google images and are solely used for education purposes. The stories and advice provided by Siblings with a Mission are not to be replaced by professional advice and counseling but to be considered as an additional source of support.
By Noah Smith, Guest Writer
There’s no cure for anxiety, but with treatment, many teens can effectively manage their symptoms. Unfortunately, 8 out of 10 kids with an anxiety disorder do not receive treatment for their condition. Reasons for lack of treatment vary from teens who conceal their symptoms to parents who are embarrassed or unwilling to seek help for their children. If you’re reading this now, you probably realize how important it is to help your teen cope with this condition. Here are 5 phrases you should never utter around an anxious teen, whether your child has been clinically diagnosed with the condition, recently experienced a traumatic event like moving cross-country, or simply told you they’ve been experiencing regular episodes of anxiety.
“You’re overreacting.”
Never accuse your teen of overreacting, even if you secretly feel they’re being dramatic or exaggerating about a situation. You do not understand the feelings they have, so it’s not fair to make assumptions about how they’re handling things. Help protect your child’s self-esteem by validating rather than dismissing their emotions.
If you find it hard to empathize with your teen, thing about recent times when you’ve gotten upset over something seemingly minor. Have you ever snapped at a drive-thru cashier because you received the wrong meal? Do you sometimes let a condescending boss or obnoxious coworkers ruin your day? These are arguably not life-or-death situations, but they still had a major impact on your mood. Your teen also experiences stress throughout the day, so please do not dismiss admissions of anxiety.
“You don’t realize how lucky you are.”
There are several reasons why this is a bad statement. For starters, you make assumptions about your teen’s thought process by stating “you don’t realize.” If your teen has a good life, they probably do realize it. Mental illness is not a synonym for “ungrateful” or “oblivious,” but making statements like the one above can make a teen feel as if they possess these traits.
“You’re being a drama queen.”
This statement is similar to “You’re overreacting,” because it implies that your teen is not capable of adequately assessing a situation. Remember, your teen’s brain is still developing, so you can’t expect the same responses to an event or issue that an adult might have. It’s not your place to decide whether your teen’s reaction is valid because you are not personally experiencing the same emotions.
If you genuinely feel your teen consistently overreacts to situations, even after you attempt to understand the situation, schedule an appointment with a mental health professional. A counselor, primary care physician, or psychiatrist can evaluate your teen to make sure your teen doesn’t have a second mental health condition, such as bipolar disorder or histrionic personality disorder.
“Just tell me what’s wrong.”
You may think you’re being helpful when you ask your teen to tell you what’s wrong, but unfortunately, you may not be. Teens with anxiety are often unable to pinpoint a specific cause, and attempting to figure out what’s wrong can make them feel worse. If your teen says “I don’t know” when you ask what’s wrong, don’t press them for an answer. They probably aren’t trying to lie or hide things from you; they generally don’t understand the cause of their anxiety.
“Stop acting like this.”
It’s difficult to cope with the symptoms of mental illness - even when you don’t personally experience them. If you love a teen with anxiety, you may feel annoyed or stressed at times because you just want to make their symptoms disappear. You may mistakenly think your teen can control their symptoms, but they may not be able to unless you have established a treatment plan that works. Even then, symptoms may still flare up unexpectedly.
Raising a teen can be difficult no matter how physically or emotionally healthy they are, but you may face additional challenges if your teen has anxiety. Choose your words carefully, and help your teen establish coping techniques to treat the symptoms of this common condition.
(Image via Pixabay)
Siblings with a Mission is an international organization established to serve and support siblings of individuals with special needs. All images are found on Google images and are solely used for education purposes. The stories and advice provided by Siblings with a Mission are not to be replaced by professional advice and counseling but to be considered as an additional source of support.
