20 Signs of Anxiety

So many teens today are struggling with anxiety, and they don’t always tell their parents. Sometimes they may not even recognize all the signs and symptoms of anxiety! Or, they don’t know how to open up the conversation.

Here are 20 to watch for:

1. They are fidgety and can't sit still.

2. They have physical symptoms like headaches or body aches.

3. Their diet changes (eat too much or too little, are super picky).

4. They are forgetful.

5. They get confused easily.

6. They make decisions too quickly or erratically.

7. They have trouble sleeping.

8. They see everything as dangerous/harmful (their anxiety alarm goes off too often).

9. They have unusual self-soothing techniques (nail biting, checking locks, washing hands, etc).

10. They stress for hours over things that only take minutes to do.

11. They have a hard time asking for things.

12. They overthink their social interactions. 

13. They worry they aren’t equipped to become and adult and they show no excitement about the future/moving out/getting a job. 

14. They need constant reassurance about things.

15. They are really impatient with family and friends. 

16. They appear overly picky or fussy about details. 

17. They might create excuses to leave an event early or not go at all if they have social anxiety. 

18. They have an urge to hide and spend a lot of time in their rooms.

19. They are very self-critical. 

20. They pretend they don't care and act apathetic/disinterested.

If you notice any of these in your teen, take them out to grab a soda or snack and bring it up in the car. You can tell them about how anxiety affects you, or gently tell them you have noticed they seem anxious. Even if they don’t open up, they will know that you are paying attention and that you care.

For some things you can say when you see your teen experiencing anxiety, check out this blog post.