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Nearly 30% of teenage boys and 40% of teen girls are diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. There are several medications known as benzodiazepines that are prescribed to adults for anxiety that can quickly relieve symptoms and increase feelings of relaxation. However, psychiatrists avoid prescribing these to teens because they are linked to a high rate of addiction [1].
Sometimes, antidepressants are used to improve symptoms of anxiety in teens. However, these can cause adverse side effects like shakiness, diarrhea, or brain fog. Instead, there are several steps teens can take at home to improve symptoms of their anxiety.
There’s nothing wrong with taking psychiatric medication, in many cases it’s safe, effective, and helpful. But anxiety in teens can often be improved through lifestyle changes, positive support, stress management, and if these don’t work, mental health therapy.
What Is Teen Anxiety and How Does It Manifest?
Teen anxiety is an ongoing, intense feeling of worry, panic, nervousness, fear, or dread. Teens are more vulnerable to developing anxiety due to sensitive brain development, puberty, hormonal changes, life transitions, and academic stress.
Anxiety in teens is not always easy to recognize. It can manifest as physical health problems or mimic symptoms of other mental health disorders.
Some common signs of anxiety in teens include:
- Persistent worry, fear, or dread
- Trouble focusing
- Irritability, aggression
- Increased heart rate, breathing, sweating, or trembling
- Stomach problems and headaches
- Sudden decline in school
- Substance abuse
The Benefits of Managing Anxiety Without Medication
There are several benefits that teens can gain by learning how to manage their anxiety without medication:
- No side effects. Most mental health therapies for anxiety won’t cause adverse effects.
- Addresses root cause. Therapies and lifestyle changes address underlying patterns of thought or behavior that drive feelings of anxiety.
- Easy and affordable. Medication can be expensive and is not always covered by insurance.
Supporting Anxiety Without Medication
There are several ways for parents to support their teens struggling with anxiety without immediately putting them on medication.
Prioritize Sleep
The production of the hormone melatonin plays a significant role in falling and staying asleep. During puberty, it’s common for hormonal levels to fluctuate throughout the day, sometimes making teens tired during the day and struggling to fall asleep at night. Lack of sleep can increase feelings of anxiety, restlessness, and irritability.
Support your teens in getting 8 to 10 hours of sleep each night by [2]:
- Encourage a sleep routine (listen to music, turn on low lighting, read a book, do a skincare routine before bed, etc.).
- Shut down phones, tablets, smartwatches, and computers 2 to 3 hours before bedtime. If your teen likes to listen to music to fall asleep, make sure their settings only let them access emergency apps, music, or other helpful apps for nighttime. Televisions can help some teens fall asleep by distracting them from their thoughts.
- Natural medicine, such as children’s melatonin, chamomile tea, or magnesium vitamins for kids can be helpful for teens who have difficulty sleeping.
Balanced Diet
According to research from the Cleveland Clinic, 90% of serotonin, the chemical involved in mood, sleep, and appetite, once thought to be produced in the brain, is produced in our gut. The gut is closely connected to the brain, and the food teens eat plays an important role in their mental health and development [3].
Although occasionally fun and harmless, avoid feeding your teen a diet high in processed, sugary, or greasy foods like:
- Sodas or other carbonated drinks
- Fast food from chains such as McDonald’s, Arby’s, or KFC
- Fried foods
- Energy drinks
Make sure your teen eats a balanced diet of protein, fats, and carbohydrates. According to Harvard Health, studies have found that diets filled with these foods can reduce anxiety levels [4]:
- Whole grains, nuts, seeds, leafy greens, and spinach are all natural sources of magnesium found to help fight anxiety and stress.
- Foods with zinc, such as beef, egg yolks, oysters, and nuts like cashews, have been linked to lower anxiety levels.
- Omega-3 fatty acids in salmon, avocado, tuna, and walnuts are considered a superfood for mental health.
- Fermented foods like sauerkraut, pickles, and yogurt help maintain gut health and improve mental wellness.
Regular Exercise
Teens should participate in 60 minutes of moderate exercise daily. Research continues to confirm how daily exercise can help fight mental health challenges like anxiety. It improves mood, self-esteem, and cognitive performance [5].
Encourage your teen to join a sport, or activity such as dance or gymnastics. Go on mental health walks, runs, or hikes as a family. If you live near a beach or lake, consider trying out a watersport such as kayaking, surfing, wakeboarding, or snorkeling.
Encourage Social Connections
Teens in today’s generation are experiencing significantly high levels of social anxiety, loneliness, and isolation. Studies found that face-to-face socializing has declined 45% from 2003 to 2022.
It’s helpful for teens to practice social skills like communication, active listening, and problem-solving. Encourage your teen to join an extracurricular activity like sports or an academic club, make conversation with peers, participate in casual small talk when they are out and about, and engage in class. This can increase confidence and, in return, lower anxiety levels [1].
Recognize When Natural Approaches Aren’t Enough
Although there are several benefits to healing anxiety and other mental health problems in natural, holistic ways, this isn’t realistic for every teen. Some teens may struggle with genetic predisposition or trauma that requires medical intervention, clinical therapy, or medication. And that’s okay.
Medication-Free Anxiety Treatments for Teens
If your teen has a support system and implements positive lifestyle changes but is still struggling with anxiety, it’s important to reach out for professional mental health support. There are many evidence-based therapies to treat anxiety that don’t require medication.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
These two approaches are most widely used to treat mental health challenges in teens.
CBT focuses on reframing perceptions, situations, and negative thought patterns that drive anxiety. It is also goal-oriented and emphasizes positive coping skills.
DBT is effective for teaching teens how to manage the negative emotions that drive anxiety. It helps teens build resilience and focuses on four key concepts: distress tolerance, mindfulness, relationship building, and emotional regulation.
Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET)
Exposure therapy is used for social anxiety and phobias to gradually expose teens to their fears in a safe and structured manner. The use of virtual reality (VR) has grown in popularity as a way to do this, especially in treatment for youth.
VRET uses assistive technologies to expose teens to anxiety-provoking situations and process emotional distress [6].
Online Therapy
Remote therapy and telehealth services have grown in popularity, especially among teens.This is a generation that often prefers doing things online, like banking, shopping, and attending medical appointments.
Online therapy allows teens to attend sessions in the privacy and comfort of their own home. It allows teens for more flexibility to stay in their homes, classes, and extracurriculars.
Trauma-Focused Therapies
Trauma-focused or trauma-informed therapies focus on helping teens process traumatic memories and experiences and alter how the brain perceives and reacts to trauma. This can reduce the associated emotional distress, like anxiety, depression, and physical discomfort that often emerges from unresolved trauma.
Some common trauma-focused therapies include Trauma-focused CBT (TF-CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT).
Adventure Therapy
Adventure therapies like camping, hiking, rock climbing, or surf therapy push teens out of their comfort zone and build their self-esteem. These activities help teens with anxiety get out of their own heads and problem-solve during in-the-moment activities. Most adventure therapies take place outside, where teens can be immersed in nature and distracted from anxious thoughts, technology, and the expectations of daily life.
Evidence-Based Mental Health Treatment for Teen Anxiety
Clearfork Academy residential facility is a licensed treatment program with 24/7 supervision, helping teens recover from anxiety and other mental health or substance abuse disorders.
We provide around-the-clock care and support to teens on their journey toward sobriety and wellness. We offer evidence-based treatments such as CBT, DBT, and EMDR and strive to educate parents about mental health.
Contact our admissions team today to see how we can support your family.
Sources
[1] Thirty-year trends of anxiety disorders among adolescents based on the Global Burden of Disease Study. 2024. National Library of Medicine.
[2] Sleep in adolescence: physiology, cognition and mental health. 2017. National Library of Medicine.
[3] Serotonin. 2022. Cleveland Clinic
[4] Nutritional strategies to ease anxiety. 2019. Harvard Medical School.
[5] Effects of Exercise and Physical Activity on Anxiety. 2013. National Library of Medicine.
[6] Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy. XR Health.
Founder & CEO
Originally from the Saginaw, Eagle Mountain area, Austin Davis earned a Bachelor of Science in Pastoral Ministry from Lee University in Cleveland, TN and a Master of Arts in Counseling from The Church of God Theological Seminary. He then went on to become a Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor in the State of Texas.
Austin’s professional history includes both local church ministry and clinical counseling. At a young age, he began serving youth at the local church in various capacities which led to clinical training and education. Austin gained a vast knowledge of mental health disorders while working in state and public mental health hospitals. This is where he was exposed to almost every type of diagnosis and carries this experience into the daily treatment.
Austin’s longtime passion is Clearfork Academy, a christ-centered residential facility focused on mental health and substance abuse. He finds joy and fulfillment working with “difficult” clients that challenge his heart and clinical skill set. It is his hope and desire that each resident that passes through Clearfork Academy will be one step closer to their created design.
Austin’s greatest pleasures in life are being a husband to his wife, and a father to his growing children. He serves at his local church by playing guitar, speaking and helping with tech arts. Austin also enjoys being physically active, reading, woodworking, and music.
