Imagine having expectations and standards set by everyone around you, and then imagine not meeting these expectations. This happens on the regular, teenagers are unable to please and meet everyone's standards, they struggle because of constant pressure from others. Anxiety disorders are very prominent in teens due to social pressure, overthinking and trauma. Anxiety disorders in teens may resonate from as early as childhood to the stress of present-day life. By using coping strategies and being aware of our personal mental health, we can prevent anxiety disorders from developing.  

Anxiety through social pressure is a constant fear of teens. Teens have a standard from themselves, their friends and parents. Social pressures may include forms of bullying, peer pressure, academic issues, and online social media. Teens feel as if they must meet a standard by getting good grades, completing chores, helping around the house but when they don’t do this, they may feel immense pressure from parents. In a friend situation, they may feel peer pressured to do something their friend is also doing, this may be doing drugs, drinking alcohol, etc. The expectations teens set for themselves may also include being fit and active, maintaining a social life, and doing good on all assignments.  Bullying is also a large mental health component, with access to social media, teens typically get cyberbullied through hate comments. Teens social pressure and expectations are the largest anxiety cause for teens.  

Another cause of anxiety is overthinking situations, Overthinking is taking a situation to the highest degree of disaster or chaos. Typically, teens imagine the worst possible scenario happening and they start to worry. Overthinking is common in teens in high school, especially with the stress of grades, college and higher expectations. Overthinking may be as simple as worrying about failing a test to wondering about your purpose.

Overthinking is commonly seen as a stressor for people with anxiety disorders  
Another example is trauma, which provokes anxiety through past childhood or experiences. There are several types of trauma including physical, mental and abusive trauma. Examples include; abuse, death of a loved one, violence, natural disasters, moving, neglect, etc. Data has shown that anxiety is commonly seen in those who experienced trauma at a young age.  The data included shows that several people have dealt with trauma since their child age, and it has continued to teenagers.    

Each person deals with anxiety differently, some coping strategies are more helpful than others. The most seen coping strategies from anxiety disorders include alcohol for the older (drinking problems away), medication, self-care, and therapy. The most effective anxiety treatment is Psychotherapy, specifically Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which changes “inaccurate or distorted thinking patterns, emotional responses and behaviors”. Coping strategies benefit the person from struggling with anxiety, it allows them to deal with their problems in a healthy manor. Otherwise, people would have harmful coping strategies that aren’t beneficial. I must agree that drinking your problems away is not the best way to handle anxiety, but for some people it puts them into a state of peace, where they feel no worries. Healthy coping strategies for teens include keeping up physical health, staying socially active, creating a schedule with breaks, healthy distractions, and prioritizing. These strategies allow less stress and gives teens more of a break from the craziness of the world.  

Overall, anxiety disorders are commonly seen in several teens, where lots use coping strategies, but some choose not to or aren’t aware that they even suffer from anxiety. It is beneficial that people should be aware of their mental health and wellbeing. Coping strategies prevent anxiety from becoming severe, which could lead to depression or in extreme cases, suicide. By being aware of our mental state and limiting the feeling of stress, we can prevent anxiety disorders from reminiscing in teens.