Quite often anxiety is hidden and parents can be unaware their teen is suffering from anxiety. They just think they have a ghastly teenager on their hands. Teenagers with their jumbled up emotions don’t recognise they are suffering from anxiety, and if they do they do not associate their behaviours with it. When your teen has difficulty managing their emotional responses they’re going to seem aggressive and conflict-driven. And as parents we have to deal with all this aggression and conflict, when quite simply if you got them to a doctor to get an anti depressant to regulate their moods you would have a much different teenager.

I thought I would point out some of the behaviours other than aggression and conflict that can be exhibited , so that parents can have a greater awareness of what their teenagers might actually be going through:

Recurring fears and worries about routine parts of everyday life

Irritability

Trouble concentrating

Extreme self-consciousness or sensitivity to criticism

Withdrawal from social activity

Avoidance of difficult or new situations

Chronic complaints about stomachaches or headaches

Drop in grades or school refusal

Repeated reassurance-seeking

Sleep problems

Substance use

Not all anger is linked to anxiety, but often if individuals take a step back and uncover what is triggering their anger, they may discover that they are showing signs of fear and panic, which may be the root of an anxiety disorder.

Given that teens experience a wide variety of physical and emotional changes as they grow, an anxiety disorder can be difficult to spot. Many red flags may seem like usual teens struggles or be chalked up to hormones. Watch for these hidden signs of anxiety in your teens: