Teenagers, like adults, may experience stress everyday and can benefit from learning stress management skills. Most teens experience more stress when they perceive a situation as dangerous, difficult, or painful and they do not have the resources to cope. Some sources of stress for teens might include:

• school demands and frustrations
• negative thoughts and feelings about themselves
• changes in their bodies
• problems with friends
• unsafe living environment/neighborhood
• separation or divorce of parents
• chronic illness or severe problems in the family
• death of a loved one
• moving or changing schools
• taking on too many activities or having too high expectations
• family financial problems.

Some teens become overloaded with stress. When it happens, inadequately managed stress can lead to anxiety, withdrawal, aggression, physical illness, or poor coping skills such as illicit drug use.

When we perceive a situation as difficult or painful, changes occur in our minds and bodies to prepare us to respond to danger. This "fight, flight, or freeze" response includes faster heart and breathing rate, increased blood to muscles of arms and legs, cold or clammy hands and feet, upset stomach and/or a sense of dread.

The same mechanism that turns on the stress response can turn it off. As soon as we decide that a situation is no longer dangerous, changes can occur in our minds and bodies to help us relax and calm down. This "relaxation response" includes decreased heart and breathing rate and a sense of well being. Teens that develop a "relaxation response" and other stress management skills feel less helpless and have more choices when responding to stress.

Helping Teenagers with Stress No. 66 (11/98)

Parents can help their teen in these ways:

• Monitor if stress is affecting their teen's health, behavior, thoughts, or feelings closely. Listen to teens and watch for overloading.
• Learn and model stress management skills.
• Support involvement in sports and other prosocial activities.

Teens can decrease stress with the following behaviors and techniques:

• Exercise and eat regularly.
• Avoid excess caffeine intake which can increase feelings of anxiety and agitation.
• Avoid illegal drugs and tobacco.
• Learn relaxation exercises. For example, learn abdominal breathing and muscle relaxation techniques.
• Develop assertiveness training skills. For example, state feelings in polite and firm and not overly aggressive or passive ways. "I feel angry when you yell at me. Please stop yelling."
• Rehearse and practice situations which cause stress. One example is taking a speech class if talking in front of a class makes you anxious.
• Learn practical coping skills. For example, break a large task into smaller, more attainable tasks.
• Decrease negative self talk: challenge negative thoughts about yourself with alternative neutral or positive thoughts. "My life will never be better" can be transformed into "I may feel hopeless now, but my life will probably get better if I work at it and get some help."
• Learn to feel good about doing a competent or "good enough" job rather than demanding perfection from yourself and others.
• Take a break from stressful situations. Activities like listening to music, talking to a friend, drawing, writing, or spending time with a pet can reduce stress.
• Build a network of friends who help you cope in a positive way.

By using these and other techniques, teenagers can begin to manage stress. If a teen talks about or shows signs of being overly stressed, a consultation with a child and adolescent psychiatrist or qualified mental health professional may be helpful.

The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) represents over 6,500 child and adolescent psychiatrists who are physicians with at least five years of additional training beyond medical school in general (adult) and child and adolescent psychiatry.

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Copyright © 1997 by the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

Presented with permission of the AACAP