The teen years are tough for everyone. During this period of adolescence, kids start to develop into adults both physically and mentally. As you can imagine and remember, some growing pains coincide with these changes. During high school, kids start to navigate social cliques and teen crushes. They make friends, lose friends, fall in and out of love, and begin to branch out on their own.
All of the ups and downs of teenage life will lead to some anxiety. When the anxiety is minimal, it’s completely fine and can even be beneficial. For example, being nervous about an upcoming exam might lead a kid to study more.
A little anxiety about upcoming events can spur us to action. Too much anxiety can be damaging, though.
Teens today have a lot going on, and they don’t always know how to handle it. When they don’t have the skillset to manage everything that life throws at them, teens can experience overwhelming anxiety that can be detrimental to their growth and wellbeing. Teens with crippling anxiety levels can benefit from attending a residential treatment center for troubled teens.
Teenage anxiety
Teens with mild anxiety levels can typically get help and work on anxiety management at home. Teen boys with moderate to severe anxiety levels often need more consistent intervention and therapy than they can receive at home.
If you are worried that your teen son’s anxiety levels are having a negative impact on his life, you might want to consider sending him to an anxiety treatment center for teens.
Some signs of anxiety problems in teen boys include:
Difficult sleeping – having trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or having nightmares
Withdrawing from people or activities that they used to enjoy
Avoiding events where social interaction will be required
Vomiting or feeling nauseous when they have to engage with others
Compulsively worrying about upcoming events
Imagining or focusing on possible situations that would produce anxiety for them
Skipping school on days with big exams or presentations
Becoming easily upset about minor things
Having panic attacks
When teens experience high levels of anxiety, they miss out on so many opportunities in life. By avoiding the anxiety-producing activity, they skip activities and events that would otherwise be formative for their growth. When they force themselves to go to the activities and events anyway, it’s tainted by the internal fear they experience. Teenagers with anxiety problems need to learn to overcome their fear and experience life freely.
Anxiety treatment centers for teens
Anxiety treatment centers like Sundance Canyon Academy provide academic activities and therapeutic interventions. Students still attend classes and receive high school credits for their schoolwork, so they won’t fall behind while they are away.
An anxiety treatment center is much more than just a boarding school. Students work with their counselors to create personalized treatment plans to help them overcome their anxiety. Students learn how to calm themselves down when they get too anxious and cope with new stressors before leading to anxiety.
Students participate in various activities to find anxiety-management techniques that work for them. Some techniques include:
Mindfulness exercises. Anxiety stems from a fear of what could happen in the future. When students get overwhelmed, they learn to stop and focus on the present. By focusing on the present, they release the fear of the future and reduce their anxiety.
Spending time outside. Nature can have a calming effect when we get upset. Rather than being cooped up in a classroom all day, students spend some time outdoors each day. Students also had the opportunity to participate in various outdoor activities to see what suits them the most.
Physical exercise. Physical health has a direct effect on mental health. Getting physical exercise can help the mind calm down and refocus. We’re more likely to feel better, sleep better, and eat better when we exercise. When we feel better physically, we feel better mentally as well.
Therapy sessions. Students attend individual and group therapy sessions to work on becoming less anxious. They learn about the root of anxiety and how to stop it before it gets too bad. There’s no simple solution to overcoming anxiety, so students learn a lot of management methods and get to practice what works for them.
To learn more about our anxiety treatment center for teen boys, call us at 866-224-2733. We are happy to discuss our treatment options to determine if our school is a good fit for your son.