What is angst?
According to the online dictionary, angst is a feeling of deep anxiety or dread, typically an unfocused one about the human condition or the state of the world in general. In terms of teenagers, the best synonyms are: anxiety, fear, worry, unease. When asked of teens, they tend to describe it as ‘a persistent feeling of something about to happen’ to them and not a good something.
Today’s teens are that far removed from our own teenage years when most of us had this feeling at some point or another. So angst is a normal feeling but persistent angst trends to more significant mental health risks.
What does it look like in Teenagers?
- Moodiness – more negative or sad than upbeat and positive
- Low self-esteem
- Changes in eating and sleeping – either too much or too little
- Sensitive to criticism
- Fatigue or lack of energy
- Lack of enthusiasm and motivation
- Grooming issues
- Disinterest in school work and/or activities
- Irrational thinking & arguments
- Sadness and/or Irritability
- Spending more time alone than before
- Physical aches and pains
- Difficulty concentrating
- Indecision on minor or simple things
Is teenage angst the same thing as depression or anxiety?
That’s a hard question to answer. You know you teen best. Teenage angst is most likely a path to depression and/or anxiety in teenagers. You will see the symptoms above often listed on symptoms for depression and anxiety but many of these are symptomatic of teenagers in general. As a parent, if you are concerned then you need to take some kind of action. At a minimum, start a conversation with your teen but avoid the words: depression and anxiety so you don’t plant those words in their head. Listen carefully to their response(s). Ask what they need and do not commit to your teen if you are unwilling and unable to follow thru. Be prepared to revisit the conversation often. If it pisses off your teen, then too bad. Be the parent! There is no substitute. There are no do-overs.
Is medication a solution?
Involve you teen’s primary care doctor for any aches or pains. Growing pains do accompany the physical growth and should be checked. Adolescent bodies are changing radically and the effects of medications are difficult to address for most clinicians. Your family doctor may or may not be the best person to evaluate psychopharmacological solutions for your kid. Drug studies are conducted on adults so we are more likely to understand the affects of drugs on you than your teen.
Recent studies suggest psyche medications have been over-prescribed for teens. So don’t jump on medication as the only solution. Most kids are experiencing these feelings for the first time. Learning to cope with feelings and becoming more resilient to life’s challenge is no less important than medications. Dulling or masking a kid’s feelings does not create a functional adult. Medications are meant to give kids a chance to learn to cope with their feelings. If medication is a solution then counseling should be, too, to help them decode their feelings and learn coping skills.
Teen years are marked (or marred) by issues of Independence and self-Identify
That’s a good summary of teen years. The teen years are the transition from child to early adult. Becoming independent in thought and action is a goal for teens (and for parents). A primary component of being independent is finding one’s self-identity. Teens do not want to be known as ‘so and so’s child’ or ‘somebody’s little brother/sister.’ They are hell-bent on forging their own identify. In doing so, they face tough choices with respect to: appearance, social life, schoolwork, sexuality, drugs and romantic pursuits. Those are serious issues for them and it is natural for them to change and increase in importance as teens mature towards adults. So parents, hang on while you kid changes and adapts in pursuit of their own identity; but do no abdicate your parental role, either.
There is a lot of peril in their issues. A couple of missteps can be embarrassing. The single most important thing any teen wants is to be accepted. Accepted by everyone. To not be singled out. Within their peer circle, they want to be accepted and respected.
Our goals in counseling:
- Decoding feelings
- Dealing with negative vs positive self-thinking
- Coping skills and resiliency
- Working on issues related to self-identity
- Critical Thinking skills
If you are struggling as a parent, then give us a call. We have counseling goals to help strengthen you as a parent, too.