4 Troubled Teens Blog

Friday, October 22, 2010

Understanding Teen Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety disorders affect tens of millions of Americans, including many teenagers. Patrick McGrath, a Ph.D. and Director of Alexian Brothers Behavioral Health Hospital Center for Anxiety and OCD in Illinois says anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health disorders in the U.S.

“Anxiety disorders cause people to live in intense fear. They consequently withdraw from everyday activities, even activities they enjoy. Yet, according to the AADA, approximately two-thirds of those with an anxiety disorder don’t seek treatment, and as Dr. McGrath points out, those who do seek treatment may not go to the right specialist.” - Source: KTXL-TV (Sacramento, CA)

Dr. McGrath encourages people who seek treatment for anxiety disorders to find a therapist trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Exposure and Response Prevention, which have been proven most effective in treating anxiety disorders.


 

Labels: anxiety

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton

Comments:

chemita on 12/15/2010
Teens become anxious because they cannot fully grasp the transitions happening in their life. Imagine from being a child, they need to adapt the adult ways of dealing with things. From their very limited experience, they struggle to express themselves and make decisions. Traditional schools can only do so much. As such, parents can also consider boarding schools that offer alterate programs for teens with behavior disorders.
Chelsea on 11/11/2010
Panic attacks are so scary and awful. Every teenager who has anxiety needs and deserves to be evaluated and treated. There are a lot of great programs out there, as well as books, that can make a huge difference in giving a teenager her/his life back.