The Battle with Teen Anxiety

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• Occasional anxiety is perfectly normal for most
  teens. During adolescence, students face a bevy
  of new experiences that can cause stress, such as
  public speaking and standardized testing.
  However, some teens have a harder time coping
  with anxiety than others. If your child is often
  overwhelmed by stress, withdrawn from classmates,
  or struggling academically, he or she may suffer
  from an anxiety disorder. If left untreated,
  strong feelings of uncertainty and apprehension
  can grow over time and become a crippling
  distraction to daily life.

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• Anxiety disorders are often diagnosed when a
  patient experiences severe reactions to everyday
  situations, exhibiting symptoms such as
• Excessive worrying This occurs when your child
  seems preoccupied with insignificant situations,
  or events they cannot control.
• Trouble functioning socially Many teenagers
  experience occasional social anxiety, but
  consider it a warning sign if your child suddenly
  withdraws from longtime friends or avoids peer
  functions.
• Ever-present anxiety Its normal for teens to
  feel worried about important presentations or
  final exams. However, if feelings of dread
  continue for extended periods of time, there may
  be cause for concern.

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• Anxiety disorders can create a chain reaction
  between the brain and body, resulting in physical
  disturbances like elevated heart rate or nausea.
  If your child suffers from any of the ailments
  below, it could be due to stress
• Sleep problems
• Chronic indigestion
• Panic attacks
• Compulsive behaviors or rituals

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• Students who suffer from anxiety often struggle
  academically. Emotional disturbances may result
  in
• Lack of motivation to do well on tests and exams
• Skipping classes
• Loss of interest in extracurricular or peer
  activities

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• If your child is struggling academically,
  enrollment at a therapeutic school can give him
  or her the confidence they need to succeed.
  Accredited therapeutic schools are usually
  private and small in size, to encourage students
  to learn at their own pace. Though these
  institutions provide traditional academics, there
  is a heightened focus on emotional growth as
  well.
• Rather than send their teens to clinical
  facilities that lack regimented coursework and
  basic extracurricular activities, many parents
  are now embracing therapeutic schools to help
  their children succeed both academically and
  socially.

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• A reputable therapeutic school should offer
• Coursework structured by a team of psychologists
  or mental health professionals
• Individual or group counseling, designed to meet
  a variety of needs
• College and career assistance
• A variety of extracurricular activities
• Family counseling to foster positive changes at
  home

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• Therapeutic schools work with physicians to offer
  a combination of treatment methods for teens with
  anxiety disorders. One popular approach is
  Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, a form of mental
  health counseling. While undergoing this
  treatment, students talk with a therapist to
  locate negative reactions or thoughts. This
  process is designed to help teens respond to new
  challenges in a positive way, in order to manage
  stress effectively.

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• Exposure Therapy is another common technique for
  treating anxiety disorders. This system
  identifies situations that cause anxiety, then
  tasks the patient with facing those fears
  head-on. The process starts slowly, with exposure
  increasing over time.

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• When treating anxiety, therapy is often used in
  conjunction with prescription medications. Your
  family doctor may prescribe one or more of the
  compounds below
• Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
• Tricyclic antidepressants
• Benzodiazepines

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• Sage Day is a network of therapeutic institutions
  located in northern New Jersey. We provide an
  alternative learning environment for students in
  grades 4 through 12 who struggle with low
  academic performance due to anxiety or
  depression. Sage Day uses a gentle approach to
  academics, while meeting the rigorous
  accreditation standards of the Middle States
  Association of Colleges and Schools Commissions
  on Elementary and Secondary Schools.
• For more information, visit www.sageday.com or
  call 877-887-8817.