What is anxiety?

Anxiety is your body's natural response to stress or feelings of fear or dread; this is a normal feeling to have whether you're anxious before an exam or job interview.

So, if anxiety is normal, then what are anxiety disorders?

Anxiety disorders occur when a person feels excessive, extreme, on uncontrollable fear or dread. These feelings can last for months or years.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is the first illness that people think of when discussing these disorders, but there a wide range of illnesses and the degree of harm varies from person to person. Some illnesses would include:

  • Panic attacks/panic disorder

  • Social anxiety disorder

  • Separation anxiety

  • Several phobias

Symptoms of Anxiety

  • stress or worry

  • Constant feeling of fear or dread

  • Difficulty sleeping

  • Hyper-vigilance or heightened sensory activity

  • Fatigue and lack of concentration

  • Irritability or restlessness

IMPORTANT

Symptoms vary from person to person, so it is important to be aware of how you feel and behave. Please contact a trusted adult or health professional such as your family doctor if you suspect that you are suffering from an anxiety disorder!

Positive Coping Strategies

  • Listen to calming music (yoga and meditation music is great)

  • Yoga and/or meditation

  • Write about what is making you feel anxious

  • Practice breathing exercises (There's many websites and Youtube videos that teach these techniques; I recommend this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmBYdfv5RSk)

  • Aromatherapy (use of scented oils, candles, or incense can alleviate stress)

  • Drawing and/or coloring

These are only a few of the things that you can do to reduce stress and anxiety. Try some of them and see which ones fit you!

Hotlines, Therapists, and Support Groups

KUTO (Kids Under Twenty-One) - This is an organization that runs with a youth staff who works to help teens whether it is crisis prevention, suicide prevention, and other forms of support. They're teens helping teens.

Turn2me - This is an online support group service. You will have to create an account to access their site. From there you can join a group chat session depending on the group and time slot you choose.