aches and pains). They may also take the form of restlessness, tremors, and shaking. Psychological effects can include unrealistic and/or excessive fear and worry (about past or future events), thoughts racing, thoughts “going blank”, decreased concentration and memory, difficulty making decisions, irritability, impatience, anger, confusion, restlessness or feeling on edge, nervousness, tiredness, sleep disturbances, vivid dreams, and repeated unwanted and unpleasant thoughts. Behavioural effects can include avoidance of situations, repetitive compulsive behaviour (e.g., excessive checking), distress in social situations, and urges to escape situations that cause discomfort (phobic behaviour) (187). Signs at home Although many of the following signs could be ‘normal’ adolescent behaviour, a young person experiencing anxiety may show the following signs at home: – Being tearful in the mornings and reluctant to go to school – Spending excessive time doing schoolwork or expressing continuous concerns that the work isn’t good enough – Spending a lot of time worrying about their appearance and behaviour leading up to social events or being reluctant to attend at all – Complaining of sudden physical illness such as stomach aches and headaches (sometimes real, but sometimes an attempt to avoid school) – Demanding constant reassurances from parents/carers – Being irritable and snappy in interactions with family (187)
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