Anxiety Research Papers

The Killer in Your Kid’s Mind

In 2001, the mother of a girl, known as MissT. a fifteen-year-old high schooler, found her daughter almost dead, surrounded by her own vomit in her room. MissT.’s suicide note was found on her bedside table where explained that she had taken more than 200 over the counter and prescription medication pills in an attempt of suicide. As she received treatment at a psychiatric unit, MissT. explained how she had been struggling with depression for about a year. Her mother had no idea (Lukonis 302). Annually, over five thousand teens commit suicide in the United States (Anderson 3). The lives of teenagers are hard enough as it is, with their bodies and minds growing, the pressure from social media to be perfect, and

the push to get good grades; Therefore, it is normal for a teen to have emotional highs and lows. Most adults look at this as normal adolescence, and while this is normal for teens not to have a full grasp on their emotions, that does not mean there could not be something else going on in their mind. Mental illness is something that can be easily overlooked in teens due to the stigma of teens being over dramatic or not understanding real problems. Brushing this off as nothing can cause even more potential for a teen to commit suicide, believing that they are unheard or alone. Many avoid the talk of teen suicide and mental illness, never expecting to see it affect someone in their own life. However, this can be something a person that you know and love could be dealing with without your knowledge.
Most hope never to see a teen in their life deal with any mental illness, but because of this many will ignore the signs of mental illness. The two most common types of mental illnesses diagnosed in teens are depression and anxiety. With anxiety and depression numbers rising in teens the talk about can not be overlooked anymore. Most only have a surface level of understanding of depression, believing that it is only someone who can not help but feel sad. While sadness is a side effect of depression there is much more to it than meets the eye. The same goes for anxiety, most view it as just lots of stress and a few physical symptoms that make up anxiety. Anxiety is so much more than simple worry. It can be a scary thought that these two mental illnesses can be knocking at a young teens door.
Anxiety is a very common disorder, not just in teens but also in adults.

The most common form being general anxiety. Other forms of anxiety are obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, specific phobias, social anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder (Jacqueline 60). As the pressure of school, social life, and other factors has intensified, the number of teenagers diagnosed with anxiety has risen. Anxiety can be defined as an overwhelming feeling of stress. Side effects anxiety can bring are shaky hands, constantly feeling on edge, muscle tension, and many others. Due to anxiety for some, a panic attack may occur (Jacqueline 60). With the number of sixteen to twenty-four year olds with anxiety rising it is hard for parents to keep up with what their children may be going

through.
Jane Couto was a fifteen-year-old high school sophomore who lived like any other teen except that she struggled with panic attacks. In Teen Magazine Jane tells of the first time she had a panic attack “I felt like I couldn't breathe. Everything seemed so unreal. I looked around to see if anyone else was feeling this way - or if anyone noticed that I was acting weird.”(72). She hated living this way. You can see it even started affecting her social life when she says, “One by one, my friends stopped calling and inviting me places because of my panic attacks. They got sick of my leaving in the middle of a party or a movie.” (72) How could anyone live this way? Live a life not knowing when her next panic attack was going to happen. She was put on medication which only helps parts of the time, and she went to therapy to help cope as well. While these two resources helped Jane was not fully okay.
Although anxiety can seem like a beast that cannot be tamed, especially for a person who does not fully understand or relate to it, there is always a chance to help.

A big way to help the progression of helping those with anxiety is to have conversations about anxiety. Today, the talk of anxiety and other mental illness is considered taboo, specifically with parents. Just by letting anxiety have the ability to be brought out into the light may just affect a person enough to finally feel comfortable and talk about their struggles. Other ways to help are by supporting organizations that research anxiety disorders to further grow treatment. The mind may never be fully understood but by helping the encourage the research of anxiety and how to treat

it.
Jane Couto did not only struggle with anxiety and panic attacks. After she and her mother reached out for help and treatment she was diagnosed with depression. Jane remarks, “I tried hard to pretend that everything was normal, but when I was alone I'd cry for hours.”(72) She began seeing a new doctor who prescribed a new medication that would help with the depression as well. As Jane brought the monster of anxiety and depression out into the light she feels better. She has started enjoying life again “What's also helpful is talking about my feelings instead of pretending I have no problems. I now see the world as positive, and while I still have bouts of anxiety, I know that I can have a normal life.” (Jane 72)
In a word, understanding teenager emotions and mental health is difficult. With all of the signs and symptoms one may see in a teen, there is never hope lost. At the end of the day, only the teen themselves can change their mindset on life, but we all have the chance to help. Suicide is something no one ever wants to deal with however that does not mean it should be ignored. Death should never be an option to a problem in someone's life. We may never fully understand a teen's mind, and neither will the teen. With the number of teen suicide descending every year, hope is not lost.