While normal levels of anxiety may be helpful, excessive anxiety can cripple a young person’s ability to function, undermine their lives going forward, and endanger their overall welfare. Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to anxiety as they transition into adulthood. More so than at any other time in life, the adolescent brain is capable of remarkable adaptability. Unfortunately, this challenging developmental phase is also a peak time for the clinical onset of many mental illnesses.
Anxiety and avoidance behavior can have a damaging impact on daily life including outcomes at school, friendships, and intimate relationships. When anxiety becomes so disruptive that it interferes with the individual’s daily life or their family, it is time to seek the attention of a trained clinician. Tragically, a young person with an anxiety disorder may drop out of school, abuse drugs or alcohol, or may attempt or resort to suicide.
