{"id":26598,"date":"2021-08-04T21:38:53","date_gmt":"2021-08-05T01:38:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/healthymindsphilly.org\/?p=26598"},"modified":"2024-04-18T11:29:23","modified_gmt":"2024-04-18T15:29:23","slug":"managing-teen-stressors-and-anger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/healthymindsphilly.org\/dev\/blog\/managing-teen-stressors-and-anger\/","title":{"rendered":"Managing Teen Stressors and Anger"},"content":{"rendered":"

While adolescence can be an exciting time of growth, it can also be filled with social and mental health struggles. Teens face huge decisions about who they want to be and what they want to do in their lives, while also dealing with a storm of new emotions and experiences. They may rebel at the restrictions left over from childhood, while also feeling nervous about the new responsibilities they must take on. It\u2019s a time filled with new freedoms but can also be a scary and uniquely stressful one.<\/p>\n

Given the complex developmental circumstances of adolescence, it should come as no surprise that many teens struggle with anger. Anger is an emotion we all feel, although we express it in different ways.\u00a0 Anger can be a completely normal and understandable response to what teens are going through \u2013 but how do you know when it\u2019s too much, or when it\u2019s a sign of an underlying problem? And what can both teens and parents do when that anger rears its head?<\/p>\n

If you or your teen is struggling with constant irritability and anger, or anger that seems to come on with no apparent trigger, it could be a sign of mental health struggles such as anxiety, depression of a reaction of traumatic events. \u00a0If you have concerns about a teen, you are not alone.\u00a0 According to NAMI, 1 in 6<\/a>\u00a0U.S. youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year.<\/p>\n

Anxiety can surface as excessive worrying, while depression shows up through sadness; both can lead to changes in sleep and appetite.\u00a0 When feeling overwhelmed and frustrated, teens can react with anger and even verbal or physical aggression. If you are worried that this may be the case, it\u2019s important to seek treatment for the underlying depression, anxiety or other mental health concerns.\u00a0\u00a0 Remember that dramatic changes in behavior can be signs there is something going on, and a good reason to seek professional counseling services.<\/p>\n

Whether anger is a symptom of an underlying issue or a routine response to the stress of the teenage years, it\u2019s important not to allow that anger to fuel unhealthy coping mechanisms or even aggressive behavior.<\/p>\n

Here are some ways that teens (and parents) can work to express anger in a healthy way:<\/p>\n