What Type of Symptoms of Stress to Look Out in Teens

Teenage life is a stressful situation for many people. This transition from childhood to adulthood makes teens very prone to stress. Aside from school work, other sources of teen stress are family, friends, relationships, siblings, and others. Therefore, it is vital for parents to know if their teen is under a lot of stress and how he or she is managing it.

Teen stress can cause a lot of physical, emotional, and psychological problems. For one, stress can cause depression which can lead to suicidal tendencies. Other chronic diseases can also develop from stress. In order to properly assess the stress level of your teen, you must be on the look out for the symptoms of stress in teens.

What are the different symptoms of stress in teens?

Symptoms of stress in teens can be categorized into four types: cognitive, emotional, physical, and behavioral symptoms.

Cognitive symptoms of stress in teens are memory problems, poor judgment, inability to concentrate, negative thinking, anxiety, and constant worrying. These are the different ways that stress can affect your teen's way of thinking.

Emotional symptoms of stress in teens are moodiness, irritability, short temper, agitation, feeling overwhelmed, sense of loneliness or isolation, depression, and general unhappiness. More often than not, emotional symptoms are the warning signs that your teen is under stress. If you observe any of these emotional changes in your teen, talk to him or her.

There are also physical symptoms of stress in teens. These are pains, aches, diarrhea or constipation, nausea or dizziness, chest pain, rapid heartbeat, and frequent colds. Because of stress, your teen can definitely experience any of these physical symptoms.

Last but not the least is behavioral symptoms of stress in teens. These can be any of the following: eating less or more, sleeping too little or too much, isolating one's self, procrastinating, neglecting responsibilities, use of alcohol, drugs, or cigarettes, and nervous habits like biting of nails and pacing. Like emotional symptoms, behavioral symptoms are usually the first signs of stress in teens. And to dull the effects of stress, teens usually turn to drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes.

These are the different symptoms of stress in teens. And as you can see, if these symptoms are left unchecked, these can really lead to more diseases and problems. For instance, the use of drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes can turn to addiction if it is not corrected. Isolating one's self can lead to depression. Emotional changes can lead to broken relationships. And cognitive changes can lead to poor performance in school.

If you see any of the symptoms, try talking to your teenager. More often than not, communication is the key to better understand what your teen is going through.