Anxiety usually revolves around fears and uncertainty about things that might happen. Teens who have an anxiety disorder may worry that they won’t know what to do in certain social situations, or they may feel stressed about things they’ve never done before. For instance, performing at a school assembly, going on a date or driving for the first time can be anxiety provoking. Many teen anxieties are related to high expectations, social situations, and changes in their developing brain and body. News, current events and social media are also full of anxiety triggers for many teens.

Anxiety is a main factor contributing to the ongoing teen mental health crisis. Receiving treatment at this early age can help teens manage their anxiety conditions more successfully throughout their lives. In addition to helping your teen seek treatment for anxiety, you can also help them understand and navigate their triggers. 

Managing triggers isn’t necessarily about avoiding them. Understanding them and talking about them can make certain triggers less scary — there may be helpful ways to reframe fears that are out of proportion. Teens should also learn some healthy coping skills and prepare to use them when they face their triggers. Working on self-worth and building secure relationships can help with some anxiety triggers as well.

The following are some potential triggers that may bring out anxiety in teens:

• Academic performance and test anxiety — The pressure to succeed in schoolwork can cause anxiety. Sometimes parents and teachers set high expectations that teens may feel they need to live up to. They may also compare themselves to other students or rely on good grades for a sense of achievement or self-esteem.
• Current events — Politics, current events, and problems on a national or global scale can trigger anxiety in teens. Many young people are worried about the climate crisis, systemic racism and attacks on certain marginalized groups.
• Social pressure and social media — A teen’s social life and their presence on social media may seem synonymous. Both can create a lot of pressure to fit in, look a certain way or be popular. Teens are exposed to a lot of discouraging messages, and they’re aware of cultural ideals that aren’t realistically attainable for everyone.
• Romantic relationships — When teens start dating, romantic relationships can be a huge source of anxiety. They may get nervous around their crushes or feel like their relationships need to look a certain way.
• Family conflict — Conflict within a teen’s family can contribute to their anxiety. It could be fighting at home, political disagreements, or a separation or divorce. 
• Parental disapproval — While it may seem like teens are at the peak of their rebellious phase, parental approval is very important to most of them. Feeling like they’re not accepted at home or facing disapproval can cause a lot of stress and anxiety.
• Bullying — After being bullied, teens may start to have more social anxiety. They may worry about being embarrassed, humiliated or otherwise hurt, especially if they don’t think they’ll be able to defend themselves. 
• Childhood trauma — Everyday situations may be anxiety triggers for teens because of traumatic memories from childhood experiences. Teens may develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or dissociative disorders after surviving abuse, neglect, accidents or disasters.
• Sexual abuse — Children and teens who are sexually abused or assaulted may have anxiety triggers related to these experiences. They may avoid certain places or situations because of the feelings and memories associated with them. 
• Unsafe environment — Living in a home or neighborhood with gun violence, crime and other dangers can create anxiety triggers for teens. A lack of emotional safety can also create anxiety, as teens need to feel accepted and supported.
• Substance use — Teens may develop anxiety if they’re experimenting with alcohol or drugs. They may be using substances to cope with other sources of anxiety, or they may develop new anxieties because of this activity.
• Separation anxiety — Separation anxiety is more common among young children, but teens can experience it, too. If a teen hasn’t spent much time away from their family, they may get anxious about going on trips or staying away from home for longer periods of time.
• Transitions and life changes — Unexpected life changes like losing a loved one can trigger anxiety in teens. Even when they have time to prepare for things like graduating from high school and going to college, the unknown can cause them stress.

Help your teen seek treatment for their anxiety at Lightfully

Having a lot of anxiety triggers can get in the way of a teen’s social life and their overall well-being. As a parent, there are a few things you can do to support your teen in managing their triggers rather than avoiding them. Taking care of your own mental health and being open about mental health topics will go a long way to help them care for themselves. You may need to help your teen seek mental health treatment, and the work they do with their care team can inform how you support them at home.

Mental health treatment can reduce the overall effects of anxiety on your teen’s life now and in adulthood. It can help them learn how to effectively manage their triggers and cultivate qualities like resilience and self-compassion. For many, a combination of psychotherapy and medication is necessary. Some teens may be worried about the stigma of having a mental health condition and seeking treatment. Caregivers play an important role in helping teens understand that their condition doesn’t change who they are, and that seeking treatment is a responsible and brave thing to do.

At Lightfully, our licensed clinicians create personalized treatment plans for each teen we work with. We help teens build up core life processes in four areas: their thoughts, emotions, behaviors and relationships. We help them learn how anxiety affects their brain and body, and we help them find healthy ways to cope with it.

Is there a teen in your life who’s dealing with a lot of anxiety triggers? We can help. Contact us to discuss treatment options or reach out to our Admissions Concierge Team to set up an assessment. Let’s work together to help your teen manage their anxiety.