The Blogspot of Beth Grosshans: Diagnosing Anxiety in Teenagers

Monday, July 6, 2015

Diagnosing Anxiety in Teenagers

Clinical child psychologist Dr. Beth Grosshans practiced in Newtown, Pennsylvania, for more than 20 years. In her book Beyond Time Out: From Chaos to Calm, Dr. Beth Grosshans addresses behavioral issues common in children, including unruliness and several types of anxiety.

As they grow, many teenagers experience short- or long-term anxiety. Symptoms may include insomnia, loss of appetite, mood swings, substance abuse, social avoidance or shyness, or developmental delays. Types of anxieties include separation anxiety, social anxiety, or general anxiety, and they may appear in conjunction with related behavioral concerns, such as an eating disorder or ADHD. The condition may be exacerbated by traumatic life events, the death or illness of a loved one, bullying, academic stress, and other environmental factors.

Parents may choose to consult with a professional if the level of anxiety is affecting the teenager’s daily life. Treatment options include cognitive behavioral therapy, medication, or a combination of both. Physicians frequently prescribe medication to control abnormal serotonin levels, which can contribute to anxiety, although some patients find that a cognitive therapy program is enough to treat the anxiety by itself.

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About Beth Grosshans

After establishing her Flemington, New Jersey-based private practice in 1994, licensed clinical psychologist Beth Grosshans, PhD, assisted children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families with psychological assessments and interventions for over 15 years. Concurrently she worked as a private consultant, providing clinical training and seminars on child development issues for faculty members at local schools. Also serving as an instructor for the Princeton Center for Teacher Education during this period, Dr. Beth Grosshans taught the course Child Development: Infant, Toddler, and through the Elementary Years at the Princeton Montessori School.

Since retiring from clinical practice, Dr. Beth Grosshans has concentrated on writing for and speaking to parents and educators about child development issues and discipline. She co-wrote the book Beyond Time-Out: From Chaos to Calm, in which she introduced the concept of imbalanced family power, contradicting prevailing child-centric notions of effective parenting and emphasizing the importance of exerting parental leadership and authority to prevent unruliness and anxiety in children.

Dr. Beth Grosshans received a BA in psychology from the University of Cincinnati and earned both an MA in psychology and a PhD in clinical child psychology from Ohio State University. Under Habib Davanloo, MD, she has also completed several intensive professional training courses in Intensive Short Term Dynamic Therapy. She is a retired member of the board of directors of the New Jersey Psychological Association Foundation and of the American Psychological Association.