Anxiety can cause many other problems on the way including chronic pain, insomnia, and problems functioning either at work or school.

Anxiety can make most people in general feel caged in. While it shouldn’t be compared to a normal sense of worrying over something, it can be very severe. Many individuals with anxiety have intrusive or negative thoughts that can interfere with how they interact with others.

“My anxiety is much more present nowadays because I don’t have nearly as many physical distractions due to online learning, so I’m faced with a higher amount than I would usually have combined with the fact that I am a senior and everything about my future seems to be forced down upon me all at once,” senior Angela Gonzales said, who suffers daily from anxiety.

Anxiety can also play a role in the way an individual acts or responds in certain situations. Because of this, people may avoid going to specific places in order to avert unwanted feelings.

“Anxiety has affected me by tricking my mind into believing something is real when it’s not, causing me to hyperventilate until I am able to calm down,” senior Kayle Trombley stated.

There are many types of disorders that deal with anxiety including panic disorder, separation anxiety disorder, most phobia disorders, social anxiety disorder, and more. Anxiety in general can be followed by emotional stress, which can also cause many health problems.

“In the scope of COVID-19, I got more time to myself. Although it helped me to understand myself and my struggles more, it also made me more anxious and depressed on my previous life decisions. Once school rolled around these emotions got worse as every night I felt like crying and quitting,” senior Golnaz Shokrollahi said.

There are many factors that can increase one’s anxiety especially when it comes to making decisions. Many teens specifically have quietly struggled with it without getting the necessary help that they need.

“During every assignment, the fear of doing one thing wrong overcame me. One night I completely broke down and let myself cry it out. Time has passed and I feel better but sometimes I find myself in the same situation. I’ve also found ways to cope such as prayer and meditation,” Shokrollahi added.

Over time anxiety can be difficult to control. Luckily, there are strategies to help with the tension that people go through when having a panic attack from the cause of intense anxiety. Ways to cope include singing, drawing, meditation, yoga, and cooking.