Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/569858
WHAT DOES ANXIETY LOOK LIKE? In elementary school children, stress may cause nightmares and separation anxiety from parents, says Makena. They may not be able to articulate why they have excessive worries. Some stop speaking at school, displaying disorders such as "selective mutism," or miss school because their anxiety symptoms cause them to feel physically ill. When they fall behind aca- demically, it creates anxiety about catching up. Teens may vocalize their feelings and frequently act out. Some self-mutilate to calm themselves, or self-medicate with drugs or alco- h o l . M a ke n a s a y s s y m p t o m s m a y i n c l u d e f e a r, i n a b i l i t y t o c o n c e n - trate, irritability, sleep disturbances and absenteeism. Anxiety may lead to more serious problems such as depression and sui- cidal behavior, says Davis. "Each year more students are hospitalized and receiving psy- chotropic medication." A high school student Davis works with who wishes to remain anonymous takes medication for social anxiety, but it makes her drowsy at school. She finds it difficult to work in peer groups, which has become the new style under Common Core. Exac- erbating her anxiety is rejection by family members after she came out as gay. She says others mistakenly think she can "just snap out of it" and don't realize how debilitating anxiety can be. "They think I'm being moody or difficult, but it's totally overwhelming. I'm not able to function." Anxiety doesn't affect everyone exactly the same way, says Abono. One former student, Mikayla Kamalakis, tried to hide her anxiety and internal- ized her feelings. "I didn't want my friends to know, because I felt weird and different," she says. She stopped eating, lost 30 pounds, and was constantly exhausted and miserable. On one occasion, she couldn't breathe and passed out. Medication and counseling have helped. Another student, Tianna Williams, displayed anger and frustration that got her into trouble at school. One panic attack was so severe she went to the hospital. Both girls say that without Abono's support they would not have been able to stay on track to graduate. Kamalakis graduated in 2013, and Williams is on track to graduate this year. And while they may display different symptoms, both agree that much of what is causing so much distress these days for teens is social media. HIGH TECH CAN EQUAL HIGH ANXIETY "There's a lot of drama in high school," says Williams. "There will be something on social media about you, and you think, 'What did I do?' There's so much bullying." Rumors spread like wildfire, agrees Kamalakis. "Information spreads so fast, there could be a gazillion rumors about me that aren't true. I told someone something in confidence, and they screenshotted it, and people pointed and laughed. They forgot I'm human." School staff try to keep on top of online bullying, but it can be challenging to prove where it started or that it actually happened at school, says Abono. Other facets of technology can also contribute to anxiety. "At CSU San Bernardino, students talk about having a sense that they don't fit in," says Webster-Henry. "There's a little of the 'celebrity com- plex' where certain people worry they aren't being included in certain events when they see others having fun on Facebook — or they worry they are not getting enough 'likes.'" Today's students may be more comfortable with online communication and find themselves experiencing social anxiety when they must commu- nicate verbally, she adds. "They don't know how to navigate introductions and misread body language and facial expressions. They don't know how to connect with people, make friends, or share things they are experiencing appropriately. Typically, people with anxiety are overwhelmed, feel that everything in life is wrong, and can't put things in perspective. I'm seeing lots of social anxiety." HOW CAN EDUCATORS HELP? When a student is experiencing extreme anxiety, counselors, nurses, psychologists and social workers may be the first responders. The challenge is to help students calm down Heather Webster- Henry, marriage and family therapist at CSU San Bernardino, sees a lot of anxiety related to social media. 32 cta.org Feature