Anxiety has no zip code
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
January 30, 2018
*Names have been changed to protect identities
The realities of teens in Paterson may seem like a world away from those of teens in Glen Rock, but they are more similar than one may think.
When people think of Glen Rock, they generally think of a town filled with wealthy, affluent, and advantaged residents. On the other hand, Paterson is a town known for crime and underprivileged residents with a poverty-stricken lifestyle. Even though Glen Rock and Paterson are divided by demographics, they are united through the common theme of anxiety.
âItâs not necessarily an easy recipe,â Student Assistant Counselor Danielle Helder said regarding the causes of teen anxiety in towns like Paterson and Glen Rock.
Although teens in both towns are linked through their shared anxieties, they experience it in different ways.
âIn this district, a lot of the anxiety is because of the expectations and the demands placed on them [students], and the amount of stress they experience, and the need to be perfect,â Helder said.
Helder thinks that kids in Glen Rock are overscheduled due to schoolwork, extracurriculars, etc., and donât have enough time to decompress.
“Thereâs a lot of substance abuse, and I think a lot of that is escapism, and having to destress, itâs a way to destress from whatâs going on.”
Thereâs a lot of substance abuse, and I think a lot of that is escapism, and having to destress, itâs a way to destress from whatâs going on.”
— Student Assistant Counselor Danielle Helder
But on the flipside, in towns like Paterson, the causes of teen anxiety are much different. According to Helder, Paterson students feel anxiety about situations going on in their homes.
âI think the biggest thing that gave me anxiety was me not knowing if I would fit in,â said Evelyn Mills, a black teen from Paterson. âOne common joke that I heard was, âYouâre an Oreo,â meaning I was black on the outside, and in the inside, it wasnât the same.â
Mills was called an Oreo because her peers saw her as black on the outside but behaved in what they deemed to be a âwhiteâ way.
Although Mills isnât bothered by the joke now, but it would get under her skin at the time.
Mills said, âAt that time, it was kind of like âNo, no, I donât wanna be that, I need you to see me as a black girl just like you are,â and being that I wasnât that, it was hard for me.â
Millsâ self acceptance issues could also be due to the fact she was receiving mixed messages from teens. At the hospital where her mom works, girls would call her âghetto,â whereas in school she would be called âwhiteâ by her peers.
Another reason for anxiety stemmed from studying. According to Mills, many kids in Paterson donât care about school and being a conscientious student made her feel more out of place.
âI was said to be stuck up if I even said, âI got this grade on my test,â to a friend who got a lower grade,â Mills said. In fear of their reaction to the fact that she got a good grade Mills would even lie and say she did badly.
Mills got through her anxiety by praying but for kids like Joshua Smith, a white teen from Glen Rock, self-reflection and change helped more in overcoming his anxieties.
Neither praying nor medication helped Smith. Instead, the best form of treatment for him wasnât medication or therapy, but instead, a change in personality.
âThose [medication and therapy] I didnât notice any difference with,â Smith said. âAs the year has went on, I have just changed drastically as a person.â
Mills believes the differences in anxieties are caused by the environment.
âThe areas we live in are completely different,â Mills said. âItâs anxiety of the environment and the things that children in our area get lost to, whether it be drugs, violence, or things of that nature.â
Mills also said there are parents who face anxiety in Paterson too.
â[Thereâs] anxiety of the parents of losing their child to the environment, and being stuck in the position of other people that they see growing up that arenât really great role models for their children,â she said.
Parents in Glen Rock have anxiety as well, but for different reasons than parents in Paterson. The vicious cycle, according to Helder, occurs like this: the thought of âthis is what colleges are looking for,â lingers in the minds of parents, and their anxiety fuels the anxiety of teachers, which then falls back onto the kid.
Whereas parents in Paterson worry for their childrenâs safety, parents in Glen Rock worry about their childrenâs grades. However, both live up to the harsh realities of the world: survival and success.
Although having lived in an environment different to that of Glen Rock, Mills has a message that teens living anywhere can relate to.
âEvery teen has a reputation to live up to that is either set by either peers or family members,â she said. âYou are a product of your environment, so people expect nothing more and nothing less of you than to act the way people that you have been raised around act.â

Chloe Siohan is a senior at Glen Rock High School. This is her third and final year writing for The Glen Echo. Her favorite subject in school this year...
Different towns, different worries, but in the end, young people will suffer due to long-term effects of chronic anxiety. It’s starting too soon. Let kids be kids a bit longer.