Best Anxiety Books for Teens (15+ List)
By
OptimistMinds
As a BetterHelp affiliate, we may receive compensation from BetterHelp if you purchase products or services through the links provided.
Author bio
The Optimistminds editorial team is made up of psychologists, psychiatrists and mental health professionals. Each article is written by a team member with exposure to and experience in the subject matter. The article then gets reviewed by a more senior editorial member. This is someone with extensive knowledge of the subject matter and highly cited published material.
In this extensive list, we will go over quite a few books that will help teenagers deal with anxiety. Most of these books are based on research and clinical information that help in diagnosis and treatment. A few are personal memoirs, workbooks, and inspiring resources.
What are the Best Anxiety Books for Teens?
- A Still Quiet Place for Teens by Dr. Amy Saltzman
- Anxiety Relief for Teens by Dr. Regine Galanti
- Anxiety Sucks! by Natasha Daniels
- Anxiety Workbook for Teens by Lisa M. Schab
- Conquer Negative Thinking for Teens by Mary Alvord
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy for At-Risk Adolescents by Pat Harvey
- I would, but my DAMN MIND won’t let me! by Jacqui Letran
- Little Ways to Keep Calm and Carry On by Mark Reinecke
- Mindfulness for Teen Anxiety by Dr. Cristopher Willard
- My Anxious Mind by Dr. Michael A. Tompkins
- One Year Wiser by Mike Medaglia
- Stress 101 by Margaret Hyde & Elizabeth Forsyth
- The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook by Dr. Edward Bourne
- The Anxiety Survival Guide for Teens by Jennifer Shannon
- What You Must Think of Me by Emily Ford
- You Can Do All Things by Kate Allan
Books on Anxiety for Teenagers
According to the WHO, anxiety disorders often develop during adolescence and can range from mild to serious. The prevalence of anxiety disorders in children and adolescents younger than 18 years is about 5–13%.
In general, the period of adolescence can be turbulent for most households. When you add a mental illness to the mix, it makes things a lot more challenging. With increasing school work, more responsibilities, career planning, and social obligations, life feels rather stressful.
Thankfully, there are plenty of books and resources that can make this journey smoother. The following is a list of books, guides, workbooks, and memoirs to help teens overcome their anxiety.
A Still Quiet Place for Teens by Dr. Amy Saltzman
This is a mindfulness workbook to ease stress and difficult emotions. The exercises will help teenagers balance their feelings, stay concentrated, and experience the natural quietness within each of us.
Mindfulness expert Amy Saltzman offers a comprehensive program to get through daily struggles in a more focussed and effective way. The book uses mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) techniques to make teens better at facing challenges and repairing relationships.
Click here to buy.
Anxiety Relief for Teens by Dr. Regine Galanti
Starting your teen years gives you the first taste of responsibility in life. After a much more free childhood, the increased expectations at school and home can be pretty challenging. Adolescents often struggle with this new phase of life, especially since their body also undergoes many transitions.
Dr. Galanti’s book includes essential CBT techniques and mindful practices to overcome anxiety and stress related to this. It helps you reverse negative patterns and cope with all these challenges in a healthier, more fruitful way.
Click here to buy.
Anxiety Sucks! by Natasha Daniels
Unlike many other anxiety-related self-help books, this one is short and to the point. This is a teen survival guide and has been written while keeping in mind teen preferences and vocabulary.
Daniels confidently writes that any teen can get through this book in one to two sittings. It won’t lie on a shelf gathering dust after being purchased. More importantly, it will deliver a “death blow” to the anxiety monster living in your head.
Click here to buy.
Anxiety Workbook for Teens by Lisa M. Schab
This is a workbook for teens that offers a set of simple activities to reduce feelings of anxiety. It will give you the necessary skills to stop letting anxiety take over your life. Find out how to face day-to-day challenges in a better and more effective manner.
You’ll be able to do this because the activities will develop a positive self-image. Anxiety is not permanent and definitely treatable. In addition to therapy, try the tools and techniques mentioned in this guide.
Click here to buy.
Conquer Negative Thinking for Teens by Mary Alvord
The foundation behind the activities in this workbook is a concept called cognitive restructuring. This is a therapeutic technique used in CBT to help individuals change the way they look at certain situations.
By doing so, what seemed to be challenges earlier transform into opportunities. This book will help you reframe your thoughts, regulate your emotions, and become a more flexible thinker. It’s basically what psychotherapy for anxiety involves but practice worksheets you can do at home to augment counselling.
Click here to buy.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy for At-Risk Adolescents by Pat Harvey
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy or DBT is a form of psychotherapy that is evidence-based. These techniques have been clinically proven to help build emotion regulation skills. This is a book that makes DBT practices reader-friendly and easy to implement.
It is meant for at-risk adolescents experiencing depression, anxiety, anger, and the myriad behaviors that can result from these emotions. Inside, you will find practical handouts and exercises that can be used individually or with a mental health professional.
Click here to buy.
I would, but my DAMN MIND won’t let me! by Jacqui Letran
If the title sounds relatable, we’re not surprised. Anxiety disorders tend to take control over our lives and decisions. We’re unable to be our authentic selves because of fear and apprehension.
Jacqui Letran is a teen confidence expert with over two decades of experience with young individuals. In her book, she equips teens with the tools they need to win the battle with their mind. She uses real life examples to show you a quick and easy path to being a happy teen.
Click here to buy.
Little Ways to Keep Calm and Carry On by Mark Reinecke
This book contains twenty lessons for managing worry, anxiety, and fear. These chapters are short yet powerful and include anxiety-reducing techniques. Practicing them will help you move past stressful moments with grace.
This book was awarded with “The Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Self-Help Seal of Merit”. This is an accolade meant for the most outstanding self-help books that implement CBT techniques. Read these lessons and discuss your reflections with your friends or therapist to become a less anxious version of you.
Click here to buy.
Mindfulness for Teen Anxiety by Dr. Cristopher Willard
Dr. Cristopher Willard is an experienced psychologist and learning specialist. In his book, he offers proven-effective, mindfulness-based practices to help you cope with your anxiety.
You will learn how to identify common triggers, manage time better, and feel more calm. The book has useful tips to ease your nerves in situations of public speaking, social anxiety, test anxiety, and more.
Click here to buy.
My Anxious Mind by Dr. Michael A. Tompkins
Reading this book will provide you with cognitive – behavioral strategies to tackle anxiety head-on. You will learn how to feel more confident and empowered and to take control of anxious feelings.
The tips and suggestions cover a variety of relevant topics like interpersonal skills, managing stress, and panic attacks. Readers will get equipped to diet and exercise appropriately as a treatment measure. They will also be able to decide whether medication is right for them.
Click here to buy.
One Year Wiser by Mike Medaglia
This is not a workbook or guide to understand how anxiety works. Instead, it is a curation of 365 inspiring meditations from the wisdom of many people who have lived before us.
These include both ancient and modern thinkers, from the Buddha to Abraham Lincoln to Anne Frank. Their words are brought to life by stunning illustrations that grab your attention. Keep this book as a resource to return to every time you need some motivation.
Click here to buy.
Stress 101 by Margaret Hyde & Elizabeth Forsyth
Stress is a universal phenomenon and impacts our lives gravely. When we’re unable to manage stress, it affects our mental health, physical health, and overall well being.
This is an overview for teens that will introduce them to everything they need to know about stress. All the way from what it is to what it does to the body to how to manage it. The authors have worded each chapter keeping in mind that the target audience will be aged 13 and above.
Click here to buy.
The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook by Dr. Edward Bourne
This is an unparalleled, essential resource for people struggling with anxiety and phobias. It was first published more than three decades ago and this is the seventh edition so far. This guide teaches you how to tackle the fears that hold you back.
The activities will give you skills for assessing and treating anxiety and are based on the latest clinical research. Readers will be able to quiet worry, end negative self-talk, and take charge of anxious thoughts.
Click here to buy.
The Anxiety Survival Guide for Teens by Jennifer Shannon
The therapy techniques in this book combine cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). Readers will be able to identify the primitive part of the brain where anxious thoughts arise, rereferred to as the “monkey mind”.
This book is meant for people with generalized anxiety, phobias, social anxiety, panic and agoraphobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or separation anxiety. It’ll help them feel more independent, more confident, and be their best.
Click here to buy.
What You Must Think of Me by Emily Ford
The complete title is What You Must Think of Me: A Firsthand Account of One Teenager’s Experience with Social Anxiety Disorder. Unlike most of the items on our list, this one is written by someone who herself recovered from teenage anxiety. It talks about her firsthand experiences with social anxiety.
You will be able to relate with Ford’s frank, witty, and sometimes poignant account of her struggles with fear. This memoir also contains the latest medical and scientific information about the causes, diagnosis, treatment, and self-management of social anxiety.
Click here to buy.
You Can Do All Things by Kate Allan
The last item on our list combines wisdom, humor, and beautiful, whimsical artwork to help teens struggling with anxiety. You can turn to this every moment you feel anxious, inadequate, and overwhelmed.
It contains drawings, affirmations, and mindfulness to help with anxiety and depression. The several candid illustrations can be very calming and supportive in those difficult day-to-day challenges of life with anxiety. They use inspirational and gentle drawings of animals to cheer you up and bring you resilience.
Click here to buy.
Conclusion
In this extensive list, we went over quite a few books that will help teenagers deal with anxiety. Most of these books were based on research and clinical information that help in diagnosis and treatment. A few were personal memoirs, workbooks, and inspiring resources.
FAQs (Best Anxiety Books for Teens)
What can I give my teenager for anxiety?
There are many treatment options for anxiety that you can try. For medication or psychotherapy, you will have to consult a professional. At home, you can try aromatherapy, dietary supplements, adaptogens, and books that help with CBT.
Can a 14 year old have anxiety?
Anxiety is a part of normal development in children but healthy development allows them to come out of it. Life for a 14-year old can be pretty overwhelming. There are so many transitions happening in their peer groups, their priorities, as well as their bodies. The sudden changes make it typical for adolescents to develop anxiety.
Does teenage anxiety go away?
Anxiety can be scary but it is not a permanent condition. It is very much treatable. Ways to get rid of anxiety are therapy, medication, holistic healing, careful diet, and exercise. The latter three can only help when complementary with professional help.
Citations
Take Control of Your Anxiety Today: Personalized Counseling with BetterHelp
