Of Why Are More American Teenagers Than Ever Suffering From Severe Anxiety

Have you ever felt like the world is crumbling right in front of you, and you can't do anything but watch from afar? And you keep obsessing over it and thinking and thinking and thinking, and when you attempt to do something or reach out for help, it is pretty much useless because you can't seem to put into words what is wrong and why you can't seem to function properly. No. Is it a sham? Just me. Ummm, that is a lot of fun! Anxiety has overtaken depression as the most common reason students seek counseling services. About one-third of the population is affected by it and it is most commonly seen in women, its symptoms often surface during childhood or adolescence. Anxiety has always been around, but the challenges of this modern world have

Lewis explores how factors such as academic pressure, social media usage, family expectations, and economic uncertainty contribute to the high levels of anxiety experienced by teenagers. In the article, it is mentioned that the universal influence of social media can create feelings of FOMO, body issues, jealousy, and more. Additionally, the intense focus on achievement and success in academics and extracurriculars can create a high-stress environment for teenagers by creating feelings of competition, overwhelm, the weight to be superior and to perform better than your peers, etc. In 1985, the Research Institute at UCLA began asking new students if they felt "overwhelmed by everything they had to do." And in 1985, 18% said they did so. By 2010, that number had increased to

Jake had already spent three months at one and in an attempt to help his peers he offered to “play the part of terrible, evil thoughts for anyone who needs them” (Lewis) in an activity made by his teacher where they would share their negative beliefs and rebuttals with the group so that others could act those out in a public setting. In the ward, Jake learned mindfulness techniques, took part in art therapy and equine therapy, and, most importantly, engaged in exposure therapy, a treatment that incrementally exposes people to what they fear. Jake spent two months in the ward and even though he didn't cure his anxiety because it is an incurable disease, he was able to learn coping mechanisms so that it was more bearable. Teenagers raised in more affluent communities might seemingly have less to worry about. But Suniya Luthar, a professor of psychology at Arizona State University who has studied distress and resilience in both well-off and disadvantaged teenagers, has found that privileged youths are among the most emotionally distressed young people in