Peer Counseling & Teenage Anxiety

How to deal with teenage anxiety

Almost 1 in 3 children between the ages of 13 - 18 experience anxiety*. This is an alarmingly high number of young people battling with their day-to-day existence, caused by a laundry list of possible contributors from anything from early childhood trauma to peer pressure at school. This huge portion of anxiety-riddled young people in our society in turn presents an equally huge need for sophisticated support that caters to their mental health.

There are many common reasons for this considering teenagers’ stage in life. There may be pressure to perform in school and on the sports field or misleading messages on social media. While everyone’s reality is different, there’s one option available to any teen, anywhere, who’s struggling through the motions of anxiety: Peer counseling.

Feeling misunderstood?

It’s not abnormal for teenagers to feel misunderstood given the huge biological change their bodies are going through. They also have not yet been equipped with the right tools to communicate their thoughts and feelings. Anxiety in teens is different from anxiety in children or adults, mainly explained by the rush of hormones they experience. During this transitional period, hormones can affect how teens feel emotionally — anxiety is likely to be a result of this because they feel they no longer have control over their moods or are now self-conscious of their evolved bodies

A transition from child-like to adult fears

Your fears when you were younger were likely about the monster under your bed or the dark. Now, your worries are layered. There’s pressure to come out at the top for sport and achieve the ideal grades to get into your college of choice. There’s the subsequent anxiety that comes from thinking about what you’re going to do after graduating and the career path you’re going to choose. The weight of expectation from those around you is almost unbearable and it’s okay to feel overwhelmed.

One of our peer counselors may understand your anxiety

Talking about your mental health with your parents, teachers or even your best friend may not be easy but we advise not avoiding talking about it all together. Consider online peer counseling as a way to share what’s on your mind. Our team of trained and carefully chosen counselors have been through what you’re going through. They know what it’s like to fail at connecting with the adults in your life. That’s why their focus with every online session is to make sure you feel heard.

Peer Collective: A good match for facing teenage anxiety

All your sessions will happen online and you can take them at your own pace. We encourage you to peruse the Peer Collective platform and our counselor’s profiles so that you can find someone who will most likely resonate with you. If you struggle with commitment, you can book your first online peer counseling session for free.

*Source: Healthychildren.org