Teenage Anxiety
Anxiety disorder in Singapore is common that an estimated 6% of the population suffer from some mental anxiety.
Teenage anxiety in Singapore has risen sharply since Covid-19 forced children into home based learning (HBL). Many children find is difficult learning online through Zoom and suffer from mental anxiety, especially for teenagers with their PSLE, O-Level or A-Level this year.
For some children, the anxiety causes stomach aches, nausea and poor sleep with some teenagers refusing to attend school or or have irregular attendance. In the beginning, we might wonder if they were sick, but after a few times, we notice they have anxiety on school days only.
Anxiety changes how they behave. They can become withdrawn, less sociable and lock themselves in their room and avoid crowded malls or restaurants. Some of them develop OCD behaviours.
As parents, we don’t need our child to be tested to know they have anxiety. We can see it. The good news is that most children are willing to get help with some encouragement.
17 Signs your Teenager has Anxiety
Fast heartbeat / Heart palpitations / breathing becomes faster
Chest pain and tightness
Panic attacks / Difficulty breathing / Shortness of breath
Nausea / Feel like throwing up
Sweaty palms / Hands trembling / Body shaking / Tingling sensations
Can’t concentrate / Mind goes numb / Paralysed
Phobias - fear of crowded places, presentations, dirt and germs
Worrying about what others think / Feeling judged
Dizzy / Felling like going to faint
Breakdown and cry / Helpless / Hopeless
Worry / Scared of the future
Constantly nervous / Restless / Can’t sit still
Worrying alot about health, school homework and exams or certain people
Poor sleep / Nightmares
Feeling tense / Muscle tightness / Eye and facial twitches / Hot flushes
Self doubt / Low self confidence / Feel like you are failing
Gastric reflux / IBS / Stomach ache / Ulcers
Ke Shin Overcame Anxiety and Felt More Confident
Sometimes we feel insecure about ourselves and it almost feels like the “imposter syndrome”. Ke Shin shares how she overcame anxiety and boosted her confidence which gave her greater motivation and connection to friends, colleagues and family.
Types of Anxiety Disorders
Obsessive compulsive disorder / O.C.D - Constantly washing hands, Checking, Super high attention to details
Anxiety attacks / panic attacks - chest pains, difficulty breathing, wet palms and trembling of the body
Specific phobias - Fear of heights, fear of spiders, fear of germs
PTSD or Post-traumatic stress disorder - Death of a loved one, Diagnosed with cancer
Social anxiety - Fear of public speaking, Inability to express ideas to a group
Separation anxiety disorder - Fear of losing someone or bring alone
Someone could suffer from more than one type of anxiety disorder and this could be the result of trauma, a significant life event or even a medical condition.
The good news is that no matter what type of anxiety you suffer from, snxiety counselling and therapy can help. With any condition, address it immediately.
7 Common triggers for Teenage Anxiety
Stress getting good grades, too many activities, difficulty catching up in class
New school environment, difficulty socialising and make friends.
Toxic classmates
Worry if they can get into the school or course they want
Worry about how their friends think of them
Trauma from being bullied, abused or molested
Death in the family
How Teenagers Cope with Anxiety
Distraction Always on their phone for many hours each day. Social media, gaming, Netflix and YouTube.
Avoidance They try to avoid situations that in the past triggers uncomfortable feeling and panic attack. Don't want to attend school. Avoid crowded places like shopping malls or restaurants.
Alcohol and Drugs Drinking to numbs the feelings and help them forget
Food Over-eating gives them a sense of comfort
Coping with anxiety is frustrating because the child want's it to stop. The good news is that the right Counsellor can help.
Link between Anxiety and Depression
Anxiety is strongly linked to depression because after many failed attempts at trying to cope and avoid anxiety, your child can spiral into dysthymia or depression.
The long term effects of anxiety is poor grades, poor health, poor sleep, stress and depression. This can lead to the child doing very poorly in school, even causing them to drop out. As parents we want to help them before their situation becomes worse and they start cutting themselves or think about suicide.
Getting Medicated
Unfortunately, no medication cures anxiety or depression. Most drugs aim to just reduce the nervous feeings and help them sleep better. The problem is that sometimes, the medication itself has many side effects.
If your child has been to a polyclinic, KKH or IMH (Institute of Mental Health) and have seen the psychiatrist and you are on medication, it's best that you follow their instructions. Even though you are seeking alternative treatment.
Anxiety relapse rates are very high for medication, so many take the next step towards resolving the root cause of the anxiety through counseling.
Selvi has a son who had Anxiety and OCD.
It is difficult for a Parent to see their Child suffer with Anxiety, O.C.D, Phobias and Depression. One such parent helped her son overcome his challenges through our Anxiety and Depression Therapy for Teenagers. Here is her story.
How to help someone with Anxiety
What to do when someone you know has anxiety? The best helpline is to spot the signs of anxiety and encourage to get professional help.
Anxiety can literally change a persons life. A person could feel so nervous and fearful of crowded places that they avoid going to restaurants or even avoiding taking a holiday because they worry about being stuck in an aeroplane where they can’t escape the situation.
You may have asked your child if they need help but they said “No.” What next?
Keep trying. Youe child has tried or is trying to cope with the anxiety has has constantly failed. Not succeeding repeatedly may have spiralled them into a state of depression.
With depression, there will be times when they are less open to receive help but there will be times they are actively searching for a solution and willing to get help.
There are many causes for anxiety. It could be caused by pressures from school or work, abuse, bullying or trauma in the past. It’s best to let the right Counselor resolve the root cause.
The best way to help is what you are doing right now, finding the right counselor for your loved one. And as you decide on the right counselor, start encouraging them to agree to counseling. Get them feeling confident they too can succeed by reading the latest client reviews or video testimonials. Keep encouraging them to get help. After some time, they might agree.
At Stress.SG we have a program specific to the unique challenges of Teenagers ranging from as young as 12 all the way to 23 years old.
We have a specific program for children in their PSLE year and a different program for Secondary school, Junior College, Polytechnic and University. We also have a program for those serving National Service.
As parents, we feel sad seeing them like this and don’t know where to turn for help. Sometimes we have to tell them they need external help as you can see they have lost confidence, feel restless, anger management problems, and can’t control themselves. There is hope, with the right therapy, anxiety and depression can be overcome.
Anxiety and Depression Counselling and Therapy
