By Taylor Decuir
Most teens imagine bright futures; however, for teens with anxiety, this is harder. Ramsgaard et al. (2019) investigated the differences in how anxious teens versus teens without anxiety describe their past, future, and cultural expectations. One hundred and sixty-nine teens were instructed to write about their past, future, and how these events were shaped by cultural expectations of life experiences. While anxious teens still envisioned bright futures, when compared to peers, their narratives contained fewer details of positive social support. Their narratives also reflected the limitations and struggles of their current lives, suggesting that they believed anxiety would predict their quality of life.
References
Beaumont, M. (2018). [Teen girl contemplating future] [Photograph]. Milton Accountant. http://www.miltonaccountant.com/ 4-tips -achieving -positive-money-mindset/
Ramsgaard, S., Bohn, A., & Thastrum, M. (2019). Past and future life stories in adolescents with anxiety disorder: Comparison with community controls. Memory, 27(7), 998-1010. https://doi.org/10.1080/09658211.2019.159566
This was an interesting post for me because I relate to it. I have experienced anxiety for a majority of my life. I do have a lot of positive social support however, so my anxiety does not relate to that. I think a lot of teens experience anxiety about their futures nowadays, and probably much more than before with Covid-19 and the uncertainty of what's to come.
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting topic. I can see how being anxious could affect the way you see your life. Although I have never considered myself to be an anxious person, I know people who are, and I can agree that their outlook on life would be described with fewer positive details.
ReplyDeleteVery important topic. It can be very difficult for those with anxiety to have a very bright outlook on life because of the nature of anxiety, but you did a great job summarizing the article.
ReplyDeleteTaylor this was a great topic to discuss and you accomplished that very well. I've had an anxiety disorder for as long as I can remember and I have always noticed that I find myself structuring my life around my anxiety. It's difficult to be positive when you're already anxious about the furture.
ReplyDeleteHello Taylor, I agree that battling anxiety can send a rush of emotions and fear towards the future. People that suffer with anxiety can envision a bright future still, but with various obstacles in the way. For me, not knowing is one of the worst things for my anxiety, the unknown. With the love and support of genuine people, the battle with anxiety can be conquered. Thank you for sharing this post.
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