Anxiety. It is a normal emotion that everyone will experience once in their lives. Although anxiety can be very minor for most, for others it becomes very serious and it affects their day to day lives. For many teens anxiety can be caused by public speaking, final exams, sports games or even going on a date. These events can cause uneasiness, an increase in heartbeat as well as excessive sweating. However for some teens these symptoms go a lot further than what is considered typical symptoms for anxiety. It affects them in such ways that it can negatively affect friendships and family relationships, participation in extracurricular activities and it can also affect their schoolwork. Although some level of anxiety is good, once it interferes with your day to day life, the presence of an anxiety disorder should be considered. According to the National Institutes of Health nearly 1 in 3 of all adolescents ages 13-18 will experience an anxiety disorder. Between 2007-2012 anxiety disorders in teens and children have gone up 20%. The reason anxiety disorders in teens and children are on the rise is because of high expectations and pressure to succeed. There is a survey that was done every year by Higher Education Research which asked college freshmen if they were feeling overwhelmed with everything they had to do. In 2016, 41% of them said yes, which is pretty high considering that is almost half. In the year 2000 it was only 28% and in 1985 it was 18%. Another reason it is on the rise is because we live in a world that feels scary and threatening, this is a much bigger issue in the US rather than in Canada. There has been an increase in school shootings, which results in more lockdowns and drills in school. Here are some different tips that I use to deal with anxiety:
Anxiety has always been a problem in my life and I have found meditation as well as spending some time unplugged really helps calm me down and feel relaxed. Maya A Further reading: https://foundrybc.ca/resource/anxiety/ https://www.psycom.net/hidden-signs-teen-anxiety/
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The whole anxiety thing is something i have struggled with for a while now. I didn't even ever know what somatization was till i experienced it for myself head on. About a year and a half ago i first experienced somatization for the first time waking up feeling paralyzed from the waist down was something that was quite alarming for me and my parents. Who would have thought that not talking about what was going on in my life and struggling to find balance could have resulted in this. Somatization is when the production of recurrent and multiple medical symptoms with no describable organic cause. Somatization basic symptoms are: -nausea -abdominal pain -fatigue -headaches Conversion disorder ( more severe and sudden onset of debilitating symptoms) -paralysis -blindness -numbness -loss of speech -deafness Children's hospital was nothing new to me unfortunately for most of my grade 10 and 11 year i was in and out that counts for a lot of hospital apple juice and the best ice chips down the hall from my room. The thing is what can you do this was the hardest part physiotherapy and cognitive behavior therapy could only do so much. While my stay i learned about a program called music heals every day i would just wait till it hit four o'clock so i could go hang out with the music therapist that helped me overcome my problems through the love of music. This is also the charity emily and i are doing are service project on because i believe kids with somatization and any type of sickness should experience this for many reasons. The I of the Storm The difference between me and you is in my mind an artist is painting a picture So crazy and abstract that my arms, legs, feet and toes are beginning to convey the concept in the wrong way as if two artists are in a grand battle, fiending to paint the next Mona Lisa Since other people can not see or touch anxiety They believe it to be unrealistic You battle your fears, hopes and dreams in a constant 24/7 cycle and mix that with everyday life it is like a town Getting hit by the raging wave of a tsunami and expecting it to leave it dry And sometimes you get stuck in the impact zone and it tosses and turns you until you can’t breathe, gasping for air but eventually you will have to ride the wave again until you learn how to cope with your own personal storm And I finally come up for air The waters are clear and still I have learned to duck under the impact zone Although the waves may still come I now know, not to surf in a tsunami The poem above may not look like much but this was definitely a huge step in the right direction for me. I was never really able to explain how i felt until this grade eleven English project when i could express myself through poetry. Anxiety has definitely helped shaped my life for the good and bad , but i am a strong believer in things happening for a reason and it has definitely made me see life in a different way.
Marika Lyszczyk Everyone experiences anxiety one way or another in their lifetime. Not everyone can tell when they are having an anxiety attack. People have different experiences with anxiety, and have different symptoms. Common Anxiety symptoms:
What is anxiety? Anxiety is your body’s go-to response when you are put in a stressful situation. It could be a test that you have, a class presentation, etc... Anxiety can seem to be taking hold of your body but it doesn’t control you. You are always in control of your body and you can prevent anxiety from being overwhelming. Ways to reduce anxiety:
Some inspirational anxiety quotes: "Fear is inevitable, I have to accept that, but I cannot allow it to paralyze me." -Isabel Allende “You need to let go of your fear and anxiety of being judged by others.” - Gavin Newsom “There are two wolves and they are always fighting, one is darkness and despair, the other light and i hope. Which one wins? The one you feed” - Cherokee Legend “Just when the caterpillar thought the world was ending he turned into a butterfly”-Proverb “Smile, breathe, and go slowly”- Thich Nhat Hanh “All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them”- Walt Disney Anxiety is a constant factor in my day to day life. When I get anxious I get really fidgety, my legs get restless, tired, and I would lose my appetite. I get really anxious when thinking about what I want to pursue next year after high school, because I have no idea what I will do. Class presentations also give me lots of anxiety since I am typically a shy person and do not like public speaking. I also have major test anxiety, when it comes to actually writing the test I freak out and forget everything. And of course menial tasks like answering questions outloud for fear that I am wrong and/or asking for help because others might think its a stupid question. Statistics and most asked questions about anxiety and my answers 2015 studies show that women are more stressed and anxious than men are. Women were at a 37% level of stress, and men were at a 31% level of stress. 2014 studies show that women are more stressed and anxious than men. Women were at a 32% stress level, and men were at a 25% stress level. FAQ’S:
2. What does anxiety feel like? Anxiety is when you get all shaky and nervous and your body can’t function properly. But it can be different depending on the person. Kassidy P |
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