Everyone gets worried sometimes. However, some people experience anxiety that goes beyond basic worry. Anxiety disorders are characterized by chronic feelings of anxiety that negatively impact a person's daily life. Some people are predisposed to developing anxiety, which often manifests for the first time in adolescence or young adulthood.

Anxiety disorders can be mild to severe, but all anxiety disorders can be treated. If you suffer from anxiety, counseling and medication can help you manage your symptoms and live a healthy, happy life. If you are a young person dealing with anxiety, here are three ways that anxiety disorder treatment can help you.

1. It can allow you to succeed in school.

Many teens and young adults are still in school. College poses unique challenges for people with anxiety. When people go away to college, they're suddenly cut off from the support systems they've had all their lives. This stress can exacerbate anxiety, making it difficult to succeed in school. Anxiety disorder treatment can help. By meeting with a trained counselor once a week, you can discuss your anxious feelings in a safe place. Your counselor can help you come up with strategies to get your schoolwork done so you don't fall behind due to your mental health condition.

2. It can help you form healthy relationships.

An anxiety disorder can negatively impact all parts of your life, including your relationships. Your anxiety may manifest as social anxiety, a fear of social situations. Social anxiety can lead to self-isolation. In extreme circumstances, it can even lead to agoraphobia, a fear of leaving your house. People with untreated anxiety also have trouble maintaining appropriate boundaries in their relationships. You may find yourself relying on your friends to help you manage your anxiety to an unhealthy degree, which can create stress in relationships. A counselor will help you overcome your social anxiety. They can also teach you how to engage in healthy relationships through individual and group therapy sessions.

3. It can curb self-destructive behavior.

Some people with anxiety disorders try to manage their condition through self-medication. Self-medication can be harmful if it comes in the form of destructive behaviors. Drinking, using drugs, and engaging in risky behaviors may assuage your anxiety in the short-term, but these actions can be bad for your health. Anxiety disorder treatment can teach you healthier coping mechanisms. For example, deep breathing exercises can be used to calm yourself in any situation, and anxiety medication is a safe alternative to using illicit drugs and alcohol.

To learn more about anxiety disorder treatments, contact a counselor.