In last week’s post, I discussed common sources of stress in teens. As noted there, teens have their own unique sets of issues such as academic pressures, bullying, peer pressure, family problems, among others. As I always say, there are many challenges in life and some anxiety occurs for most of us at times. This is true also for teens. In this week’s post I discuss signs of stress in teens. So how do you know if your teen may be showing signs and symptoms of stress which rise to a level of more concern? I will mention six:
Physical symptoms/illness. For both adults and teens, stress often shows its effects in the physical domain in terms of symptoms, complaints, and illnesses. Teens are more likely to get colds and other illnesses. They may complain of headaches, stomach pain, and other physical concerns. They may have disturbances in sleep, leading to fatigue and greater risk to handle stress poorly. Teens experiencing higher levels of stress often sleep too much. Consider whether your teen goes back to bed after school and/or sleeps much of the weekend. As a result of these problems, they may miss more school and social activities.
Academic/educational issues. The basis of your teen’s stress might relate to problems in school. They feel pressure to achieve and keep up with others. If your teen’s grades have declined and/or they are missing school more often, check out whether school issues might be a source.
Changes in social interaction. Social activities frequently are affected negatively by higher levels of stress. Evaluate whether your teen is isolating and thus struggling. Are they spending more time in their room or avoiding talking to friends and family? These could be signs of stress.
Concentrational problems. When teens or adults are preoccupied with problems worrying them, they often lose focus and can’t concentrate on their work. For teens, that may be school work where they become distracted in class, and have trouble staying on task and completing academic assignments. Is that happening for your teen?
Irritability and Worry. Teens can be moody. Anyone who spends time with teens knows that. However, a teen feeling highly stressed may become more irritable over smaller issues and feel overwhelmned. Stressed teens worry about a wider range of issues than those less stressed. They may express concerns about all the bad things they think might happen or how others will see them. If these symptoms are occurring for your teen, this may be a sign that they are experiencing problematic levels of stress.
Negative talk and behavior. Teens experiencing problematic levels of stress often engage in negative talk. They may talk about concerns that no one likes them or things just don’t go right. Such talk occurs for most teens at some time and that is not unusual. However, if it is a regular part of your teen’s conversation, then it is concerning. At the same time, teens under higher levels of stress often engage in problem behaviors. This might include skipping school, talking back to parents, or getting into altercations with friends or others. While parents need to set limits on negative behavior, it’s still worth considering whether the behavior is stress related.
Most teens occasionally experience some of the issues described above. The concerns are the number of problem areas, the frequency/severity, and the impact of the behaviors on family/social/academic functioning for the teen. For your teen, the more problems areas in which they have difficulties, the more frequent and severe are the signs/symptoms, and the more disabling the outcomes on their lives, the more likely they need some assistance. That can be from you but sometimes from professional personnel. For now stay aware of the issues. There is help available. In next week’s post I will discuss some intervention strategies.
For greater information on stress as a phenomenon, please see our book (I Can’t Take It Anymore: How to Manage Stress So It Doesn’t Manage You; Paul G. Longobardi, Ph.D., and Janice B. Longobardi, R.N., B.S.N., P.H.N.), available on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/1542458056. For additional information about the authors, book, and other information related to stress, please visit our website at www.manageyourhealthandstress.com.
As always, the feeling of stress is in part a choice made in response to life’s challenges. Don’t make it yours. Good luck on your journey.
Dr. Paul Longobardi
For information on these and other topics, please visit my website at www.successandmindset.com