There are a lot of anxiety books for adults that we've talked about in the past. Now, we've asked Dr. Terri Bacow to help us choose the best books for teens with anxiety.

This year, for the first time in history, the surgeon general of the United States gave an advice on how to help young people with their mental health. This is a good thing. It's because of the pandemic that teens are going through a "devastating" mental health crisis, says the man. This is true for teens in particular. They are more anxious and depressed than they have been in a long time.

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I don't know. Therapy, even though it is the best thing to do, can be very expensive and hard to find in some places. As a good thing, "self-help" can help. This is also known as bibliotherapy. Young people who have anxiety can get help by picking up books for teens, tweens, and young adults who have anxiety in a way that isn't going to make them feel bad.

Goodbye, Anxiety: A Guided Journal for Overcoming Worry is a great example of this cheap and effective method. Expert: Dr. Terri Bacow came up with the idea for this workbook in the Spring of 2020 while taking care of her two kids who were going to school from home and running her own private practice from home (filled with clients expressing that their stress levels were at an all-time high).

Dr. Bacow wanted to write an anxiety survival guide for teenagers and young adults who were having panic attacks, negative thoughts, and a lot of stress.

It is clear that a guide like this is very important. Young people can learn important coping skills from Dr. Bacow's book, which is written in a way that is easy for them to understand and even funny. There are a lot of popular song references in this guided journal. You or your teen will be sold when you see them.

Meet Dr. Terri Bacow

It is true that I am a licensed clinical psychologist in New York City. I also write for the media and am an expert on mental health. If you need help with something, I know how to use evidence-based techniques like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), which focuses on getting you what you need to move forward.

In my private practice, I specialize in the treatment of anxiety, stress, ADHD, and the mental health of parents. I also work with children. I like to write and speak, and I often give talks to schools and other places about different topics in psychology.

Why are so Many Teens Claiming to Have Depression and Anxiety?

There are a lot of things that psychologists and psychiatrists look for when they diagnose people with anxiety. Almost everyone I work with in my therapy practice has it, and it's a big problem for everyone I help.

Anxiety is more common in young people than older people, and adolescence is the time when people are most likely to have anxiety. People between the ages of 12 and 17 are more likely to have an anxiety disorder, according to scientists. They say that almost a third of adolescents between the ages of 13 and 18 have an anxiety disorder.

 

Anxiety and depression often go hand in hand, so it's not unusual for young people to have symptoms of both at the same time.

Why are so Many Teens Claiming to Have Depression and Anxiety?

As a parent, it can be very upsetting to see your child having problems with their anxiety or mood. If your child is a teen or young adult, it can be hard for you to help. They may be irritable, shy, or embarrassed about their problems, and they may not want to talk about them.

Make sure you don't judge and keep the lines of communication open so that everyone can talk. Never make your child open up. You can invite your teen to do something with you or send them a text to start a conversation. Make light of your own anxiety or worry by telling a story about it.

When your teen tells you about his/her/their anxiety, show him/her/them that you understand. They should try to make their feelings more like everyone else's feelings. Say, "This sounds really hard, but I totally get it and I'm here for you. I'm here for you." Ask, "What can I do to help?" Offer to set up a meeting with a therapist or give one of the self-help books below to your teen if they want to talk.

Beyond that, be patient with your teen. When they start to feel anxious, say things that will make them feel better.

Why are so Many Teens Claiming to Have Depression and Anxiety?

Goodbye, Anxiety is an attractive, appealing, and interactive book that is full of scientifically-based ways to help young people deal with their fears. People who read this book will be able to "dump" their worries onto a piece of paper with the help of 100+ witty and relevant writing prompts about common teen issues.

Goodbye, A good way to deal with anxiety is to teach young people CBT (cognitive-behavior therapy) and DBT (dialectical behavior therapy) to help them fight worry thoughts and change their anxious thinking patterns and behaviors.

My goal was always to give teenagers and young adults practical tools like coping strategies and supportive statements that they can use when they start to worry. I wanted to do this in a way that was easy, accessible, and relevant to the things they were worried about (such as friendships, relationships, social media, work, and academic pressure).

It's also in the back of the book and on my website that I give you a list of apps, podcasts, and videos that can help you deal with your anxiety.

What are the Best Books for Teens with Anxiety?

Goodbye Anxiety: A Guided Journal for Overcoming Worry by Terri Bacow, PhD.

Having to do schoolwork, use social media, and figure out how to make friends can cause a lot of stress as a teen or young adult. You may feel anxious and overwhelmed a lot of the time.

That's why I made this book with fun and easy writing exercises that will help you deal with your own worries, insecurities, fears, conflicts, and stressors.

If that's not enough, you'll also learn real-life ways to deal with stress when you're stressed.

The Shyness and Social Anxiety Workbook for Teens: CBT and ACT Skills To Help You Build Social Confidence by Jennifer Shannon

I use this book a lot when I work with people who are afraid of social situations. This book is full of fun worksheets and exercises based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). It will help anyone learn how to deal with social situations with grace and poise.

In particular, I like how the author talks about what it's like to be in the "spotlight." People who have social anxiety usually don't like situations where they have to be in the spotlight. While it was written for teenagers, I share the concepts and ideas with adult clients as well and think it is a great tool for overcoming shyness and making new friends.

The Self-Esteem Companion: Simple Exercises To Help You Challenge Your Inner Critic And Celebrate Your Personal Strengths by Matthew McKay

This book is a pocket guide. It is an interactive book that is meant to work with the bestseller Self-Esteem, but it can also be used on its own, and it works very well. CBT-based book: All adolescents who have a negative self-image will benefit from this book. It helps readers see themselves in a more positive light and makes them feel better about themselves.

The Self-Esteem Companion has 60 exercises, and readers can pick and choose which ones they want to do at any time. They can answer the ones that speak to them. For teens who are on the go and have short attention spans, this is a great choice.

"Should" statements, which are all the things we tell ourselves we should do and be, are my favorite part of the exercise. It also focuses on identifying and talking back to your inner critic.

 

The Riding The Wave Workbook (Treatments That Work) by Donna Pincus

Getting this workbook is the best thing you can do if you have or have ever had a panic attack.

The research study that this book is based on was done while I was in graduate school. I helped with the research project. It's important to find ways to help teenagers who have panic attacks.

This book has a lot of easy-to-understand information about how to recognize and work through panic attacks, as well as a lot of exercises that are good for teenagers to do. Further, it has an optional parent component and a section with handouts for parents in it, as well.

Using the metaphor of "riding the wave" of your anxiety is very helpful, and I often use the ideas from this book in my work with panicked people of all ages.

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