It's hard enough being a teenager without having to deal with an anxiety condition. When adolescent anxiety becomes a problem your teen's life can become a living nightmare. It physically hurts. And It hurts you and your spouse, and the children in your family.
You see, anxiety problems affect the entire family, it's not just your teenager's problem, it's a family problem. Teenagers that have anxiety problems tend to have depression, they are more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol, and they tend to have low self-esteem.
As an aside, it's important to consider that anxiety and depression have genetic components so it's entirely possible that one of your other family member's is also at a very high risk of having anxiety attacks or developing them later in life.
Knowing that, don't you think it's time to educate yourself and learn all you can about the condition and how to treat it?
Yes, medications can work, for some people. But, the simple truth is that medications do have fairly serious side effects and they do not treat the underlying cause of the disorder. The underlying cause of adolescent anxiety is a nervous system and brain which are not balanced and functioning properly. What needs to happen is that your teenager needs to find that balance again, and actually being to heal their nerves and brain.
There are a lot of ways to combat anxiety problems that are completely natural. Sure, they take a little work sometimes, but it's more than worth the effort. Having anxiety often causes severe slips in academic grades, withdrawal, loss of friendships, and even suicide. It's very important that you sit down with your teen and explain that treating their panic and anxiety is a priority and that the entire family is going to get involved. They may pretend that they disapprove, but deep down inside they couldn't be happier that they have parents and siblings that care about them.
Here's an overview of an adolescent anxiety treatment program that is sure to help your teen control their anxiety and being to get real relief, both in the short term and for the rest of their lives. First of all, changing their diet and engaging in a regular exercise program is critical to healing the brain and the nerves.
Regular cardiovascular exercise actually changes the way the brain functions, builds nerve strength, and decreases anxiety immensely. Seriously consider beginning a family cardiovascular exercise program to do together.
As far as diet is concerned, focus on whole foods, lots of healthy protein foods (to build stabilizing neurotransmitters), and lots of pure water. Go organic if you can. And most importantly get your teen tested for food allergies. Milk and wheat are two likely suspects and have been implemented in cases of anxiety and depression over and over again.
Learning cognitive brain training methods in order to teach the brain how to deal with an anxiety attack as it surfaces is another very important component of your adolescent anxiety treatment program. These methods work. Lastly, getting enough deep sleep and learning relaxation techniques are invaluable. Don't skip any of these steps.
