Anxiety can be difficult for adults to manage. For teenage boys who are already struggling with usual teen difficulties, adding paralyzing anxiety on top can be crippling. Yet, some parents insist that teens need to push through and get over their anxiety without providing extra help or tools.
At our residential treatment center for troubled teenage boys, many of the teens struggle with anxiety at some level. It led many of them to engage in destructive behavior, from self-medicating their anxiety with substances like alcohol or pot to acting out aggressively to hide their anxiety.
Instead of leaving these teens to spiral out-of-control with their anxiety, with the right treatment, teenage boys can learn how to manage their feelings and cope appropriately.
Teen Boys Can’t “Just Get Over” Their Anxiety
Everyone feels a bit anxious from time-to-time, especially when doing things like presenting at a conference or asking someone on a date. However, paralyzing anxiety falls under the umbrella of mental illness, as there doesn’t have to be a clear trigger for the anxiety, unlike temporary situational anxiousness.
Teenage boys who are told to “just get over” their paralyzing anxiety can react in a number of ways. Commonly, they will become withdrawn, which some parents take as sulking. Instead, many of these boys feel hurt and misunderstood without the ability to communicate their feelings to their parents.
Signs Your Teenager Is Anxious And Struggling
There are many signs that you can look for if you believe that your teen is struggling with anxiety. In many cases, you don’t have to look too hard, as many teens will tell you that they are regularly scared, anxious, or afraid. However, if you need to look for symptoms, here are some common signs of anxiety in teenage boys:
Skipping class when he has to present or school altogether
Engages in compulsive behaviors (OCD is a subset of anxiety)
Nausea and vomiting when they may be required to mingle
Withdrawn from hobbies and interest
Suffers from nightmares
Often mumbles and speaks quietly
Can have difficulty breathing and start sweating when on the spot
Struggles with obsessive thoughts about potential anxiety-inducing circumstances
Has panic attacks
Becomes angry and defensive
For teenage boys showing signs that they are suffering from anxiety, therapy is essential to provide them with the tools they need to manage their mental health. However, for some teenage boys, more immersive therapeutic treatment at a therapeutic boarding school can be what these boys need to move forward.
How Treatment Can Free Your Teen From Anxiety
With treatment, your teen boy doesn’t have to be a slave to his anxiety. For those teenage boys who have high anxiety that isn’t being assuaged with traditional therapy, a therapeutic boarding school may be the answer.
While it can be tough for anxious teenage boys to leave home and attend a school like Sundance Canyon Academy on their own, the supportive environment often wins them over. With caring staff members, trained specialists, and other boys who are dealing with their own struggles, your son can learn that he isn’t alone in his struggles.
If you think that Sundance may be the right place for your son to receive treatment for his anxiety and want to learn more, please feel free to contact us by phone or email. We are always ready to talk to parents and guardians about our program and help you see if we are a good fit for your son’s needs.