Anxiety & Faint Feelings in Teens: Ways to Cope & Support Options
Racing thoughts, a quickening of the heartbeat, or shallow breathing might be a sign that your teen is experiencing anxiety. Typically, these moments usually only last for a few minutes, but sometimes these fearful feelings can go on for hours or even days. Your teen may feel overcome with worry, even feeling faint at times.
Teenagers are at a critical time in their lives. They juggle school, family, new relationships and friendships, and sometimes jobs, and for some teens, striking a balance can feel like too much.
Many teens experience occasional anxiety; however, when it starts to interfere with their daily activities and responsibilities, it may be time to consult a professional. If your teen is avoiding places, events, or situations to prevent these feelings from creeping in, it’s important to address what might be bothering them.
This page can also help you better understand the somatic symptoms of anxiety, as it explores the stress-related fainting youth sometimes experience. It discusses:
- What anxiety is
- Faint feelings and other somatic symptoms of anxiety
- Risk factors for anxiety in teens
- Signs a teen should seek professional support
- How parents can help their teen
- Treatment and support options for teens with anxiety
What Is Anxiety?
It’s normal for someone to experience occasional feelings of worry or fear when confronted with an actual dangerous situation. However, people who live with anxiety disorders experience these feelings frequently, even when there is no danger present.
If these racing thoughts, overblown fears, and panic attacks start to get in the way of how your teen is living their life, it may be time to consult with a therapist or other mental health professional.2
However, there are different types of anxiety that can manifest in various ways, including creating faint feeling anxiety teen symptoms.
Types of Anxiety That Can Affect Teenagers
Adolescence is when many mental disorders can either begin or start to show initial signs, and anxiety does not discriminate. In other words, a teenager can develop any one of the various types of anxiety based on their biology and experiences. However, discovering the specifics of an adolescent’s anxiety can help with finding the best ways for them to cope with it.
Some of the most common types of anxiety among teens are:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD):
If your teen is excessively worried or fearful about ordinary activities or events, they may be struggling with GAD. Oftentimes, when a teen has GAD, it can seemingly come out of nowhere and isn’t necessarily tied to any specific event.
Social Anxiety:
If your teen is overly worried about social events or situations, they could be experiencing social anxiety. Aim to pay particular attention to whether your teen has started to withdraw from social events and check in to ask them how they are feeling.
Panic Disorder:
If your teen has been suffering from sudden and intense feelings of panic or panic attacks that reach a high peak within minutes, they might have panic disorder. If your child is experiencing the panic attack symptoms adolescents sometimes deal with, it’s important to seek support.
Phobias:
A teen who is specifically afraid of something out of proportion with reality might be dealing with a phobia. For example, they could have…
- Agoraphobia: People with agoraphobia fear going into public places and situations where they might experience feeling embarrassed or trapped.
- Claustraphobia: This involves fearing being enclosed or confined to a space with an inability to escape.
Faint Feelings & Other Panic Attack Symptoms in Adolescents
Anxiety has a number of symptoms, and each of them can range in severity. When one or multiple of these symptoms are experienced frequently, it’s important to seek professional guidance. Without treatment, anxiety symptoms can worsen and continue into adulthood. Therefore, teens should be taught the skills to better manage their feelings in a healthy, safe way.
Also, it may be wise not to wait for them to come talk to you; chat with your teen if you notice any signs of distress. For instance, as anxiety can trigger the fight or flight response, it can lead to hyperventilation and changes in blood pressure. As a result, this can cause the dizziness stress teens may experience. In other words, your teen may end up feeling faint without realizing that anxiety is to blame.
Racing heart- Breathing difficulty
- Heart palpitations
- Racing thoughts
- Sweating
- Trembling
- Feelings of impending danger
- Trouble sleeping
- Digestive issues
This is not an exhaustive list of symptoms, as anxiety can manifest itself in many ways based on how an adolescent deals with stress. So it’s important to pay attention to your child’s behavior and nonverbal communication, as they may not always know how to ask for help.
Risk Factors for Anxiety in Teens
There’s no single risk factor for anxiety in teens. Adolescents can commonly experience anxiety for a wide variety of biological, genetic, and environmental reasons.
For example, today’s teens are often constantly online. With so much access to social media and news updates, it can be difficult to manage feelings of fear and nervousness.
Some of the other major reasons why teenagers could experience anxiety are:
- Exposure to trauma or violence (emotional, physical, or sexual)
- Low socioeconomic status
- Biological factors like heritability and temperament
- Parental anxiety
- Social media and internet usage
- Moving home or school
- Divorces and other major life changes (such as loss of a loved one)
When Should a Teen See a Healthcare Provider?
Aim to take notice of what’s going on in your child’s life and how they are doing with their schoolwork and relationships. Deviations from their normal habits can be indicators that help may be necessary.
If you notice any changes to your teen’s behavior or if they have troubles with dizziness, digestion issues, headaches, fatigue, or fainting spells, you should locate mental health services for teens near you. Professionals can assist you with navigating the mental health system and help you determine what your child needs.6
However, as emotional overwhelm can be so strong that your child becomes dizzy or faint, somatic anxiety teens help in the form of medical support may be necessary. A doctor can help determine whether there’s an underlying medical condition and refer to mental health services if there is no physical cause of symptoms.
What Can Parents Do to Help Teens Cope With Anxiety?
It may also help to let your teen know of your own issues with stress or anxiety, as well as offer to assist them in seeking support. Further, ensuring that they are eating healthy foods, exercising, and getting quality sleep each night can support both their physical and mental well-being.
Overall, aim to normalize their experiences and provide hope. Many people cope with anxiety and recover, and help is available for your teen in this process.7
Treatments & Support Options for Teens with Anxiety
If your teen is having trouble with anxious feelings and needs stress management techniques, there are several options and levels of care available to them. Teenage anxiety is very common, and there are many reputable programs for you to consider when getting help.
Some evidence-based approaches for anxiety and youth panic disorder support include:
Therapy
Psychotherapy is one of the best ways to help an adolescent cope with anxiety, and no matter where you are in the country, there is therapy near you. Talk therapy is even available online, so that no matter where your teen goes, they have a lifeline. For example, specialized therapy like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can help your teenager to identify their triggers, adjust any challenging behaviors, and manage difficult emotions.8Medication In addition to therapy, a professional may suggest medication if your teen’s behavior or emotions are creating major problems in their life. Antidepressants like serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and anti-anxiety medications are the most commonly used medications to treat anxiety in adolescents. When a teen’s symptoms are severe, such medications can help them achieve more emotional balance and avail of the benefits of therapy.8
Self-Care at Home Ensuring your teen is practicing good sleep habits, eating nutritious meals, and getting enough physical exercise is essential for their overall mental health. Simply put, healthy habits at home can make a big difference in their anxiety levels.
Teens should also practice balanced media use. We are now realizing the effects of overusing media on adults’ and youths’ mental health, so we should be attempting to temper the impulse of constant media use. There are tools available to help the entire family have a healthier relationship with media and digital devices.9
Mission Prep: Mental Health Services for Teens
If your teen is dealing with a manageable condition like anxiety, you will likely want to get them help and access to coping skills as soon as possible. The effect that anxiety can have on a teen’s life can be widespread, but it is treatable. The best thing you can do for their current and long-term well-being is to provide them with access to mental health professionals who understand their specific needs and can provide the tools to cope.
At Mission Prep, our staff is dedicated to providing quality, up-to-date, and evidence-based treatments for anxiety and youth panic disorder support. Contact us today to schedule an appointment for a full assessment to create a program that suits your teen’s anxiety needs.
References
- Marshall, A. (2025, September 17). The four fear responses: Fight, Flight, Freeze, and Fawn. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/the-four-fear-responses-fight-flight-freeze-and-fawn-5205083
- Mayo Clinic. (n.d.). Anxiety disorders – Symptoms and causes. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anxiety/symptoms-causes/syc-20350961
- Kowalchuk, A., Gonzalez, S. J., & Zoorob, R. J. (2022, December 15). Anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. AAFP. https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2022/1200/anxiety-disorders-children-adolescents.html
- Miller, C. (2025, August 27). How anxiety affects teenagers. Child Mind Institute. https://childmind.org/article/signs-of-anxiety-in-teenagers/
- Luo, D., Dashti, S. G., Sawyer, S. M., & Vijayakumar, N. (2024). Pubertal hormones and mental health problems in children and adolescents: a systematic review of population-based studies. eClinicalMedicine, 76, 102828. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2024.102828
- Riley Children’s Health. (2014, October 30). When to call the doctor: Depression and anxiety in your child. .https://www.rileychildrens.org/connections/when-to-call-the-doctor-depression-and-anxiety-in-your-child
- Johns Hopkins Medicine. (n.d.). Anxiety and stress in teens. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/anxiety-disorders/anxiety-and-stress-in-teens
- Schluger, A. E., & Reid, S. (2025, August 15). Anxiety in Teens: A Parent’s Guide to Helping Your Child. HelpGuide.org. https://www.helpguide.org/mental-health/anxiety/anxiety-in-children-and-teens
- American Academy of Pediatrics. (n.d.). Healthy self-care for teens: How families can help. HealthyChildren.org. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/emotional-wellness/Building-Resilience/Pages/healthy-self-care-for-teens-how-families-can-help.aspx
