This headline caught my eye: "Why Are American Girls So Anxious?"
Here are some interesting lines from the article--
Signs of youth anxiety disorder: fatigue, sleep problems, irritability, difficulty concentrating, avoids eye contact or socializing, frequent headaches or stomachaches, hoarding, pulls out hair or eyelashes, constant, irrational worries
In any given year, 12 to 22 percent or teenagers are suffering with an anxiety disorder.
There's been an explosion in anxiety among American girls in the past 20 years. There is something going on in American culture that is causing kids, and especially girls, to become more anxious.
Part of this we can own up to the sexual revolution. There is so much more of an emphasis on girls to achieve and succeed. In general, all teenagers are getting more pressure, but we are expecting more out of girls than we ever were before.
A decline in religious practice among young people may also be a factor in their increasing anxiety.
Highly related to anxiety and depression is the breakdown in relationships; the lack of social support and solid relationships with others. People are not spending as much time interacting in person, and our relationships are not as stable as they were in the past. The problem points to one solution: Strengthen those relationships.
The first thing parents should do if they suspect their daughter is suffering from anxiety is to listen. When kids are struggling in any way, parents tend to jump in and tell kids what to do; they start directing them. But first of all, you listen, say, "Tell me what's going on." And just sit and give the kids a chance to open up to you.
Dr. Leonard Sax, a family physcian and psychologist recommends that parents restrict their children's social-media exposure. Nurture strong family ties. Among other things, that means no cellphones in bedrooms, earbuds at the table or in the car, and no friends on family vacations.
(Jennifer Graham, Deseret News, May 13, 2016)
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