Phobias In Teens

Many fears of younger children are mild, passing, and considered within the range of normal development. Though some teenagers develop exaggerated and usually inexplicable fears called phobias that center on specific objects or situations. These intense fears can limit a teenager's activities.

The fear generated by a phobia is excessive and not a rational response to a situation. The objects of a phobia usually change as a child gets older. While very young children may be preoccupied with the dark, monsters, or actual dangers, adolescents' phobic fears tend to involve school and social performance. 

Several studies have revealed an increase in school avoidance in middle-school or junior-high years. With school avoidance, excessive worries about performance or social pressures at school may be at the root of the reluctance to attend school regularly. This leads to a cycle of anxiety, physical complaints, and school avoidance. The cycle escalates with the worsening of physical complaints such as stomachaches, headaches, and menstrual cramps.

Visits to the doctor generally fail to uncover general medical explanations. The longer a teenager stays out of school, the harder it becomes for them to overcome their fear and anxiety and return to school. They feel increasingly isolated from school activities and different from other kids.