Local counseling center sees an increase in younger people with anxiety

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Recent challenges presented by the pandemic, the economy,  working from home, and unemployment are pushing some people into higher levels of anxiety.

Kaitlyn Patterson, Assistant Clinical Director at the Chrysalis Center for Counseling & Eating Disorder Treatment in Wilmington, said there has been an increase in teenagers and young adults experiencing different types of anxiety over the past year. Worries about life, trauma, and obsessive compulsive behaviors are triggering the increase.

She says they’re also seeing an overall increase in patients seeking counseling.

“The fact that we all are going through a pandemic together, our bodies were not meant to be in stress for so long, and I think that’s probably something that most people are experiencing in different ways is that their stress has increased and that can put our system completely out of whack,” said Kaitlyn Patterson.

Patterson advises people to analyze things in their lives that cause stress and then work toward reducing or eliminating them. She also advises anyone struggling to not be afraid to ask for help.