Occasional anxiety is a normal part of life. It helps keep us safe! You might feel anxious when faced with a problem at work, before taking a test, or making an important decision. For a person with an anxiety disorder, the anxiety does not go away and can get worse over time. The feelings can interfere with daily activities such as job performance, school work, and relationships.
Untreated Childhood anxiety leads to adult depression.
Untreated Childhood anxiety leads to adult depression.
(National Institute of Mental Health, 2016).
www.gozen.com is the best resource I have found to help students/families with worry/anxiety. This is what we use @ TCS to help students referred for worry/anxiety.
Check out the link above to see a video that can provide more information! If you would like to view the program fully, please contact me for login info.
You can also check out their blog @ www.gozen.com/blog for a ton of helpful parenting tips for more than just worry/anxiety.
How can I help my child if their worry is taking over?
The information below could help parents handle their child's anxiety more effectively:
#1 Avoid Enabling Avoidance – Many children with anxiety naturally want to avoid the people, places, and things which cause them to worry. As parents, we don’t want to see our children suffer. Sometimes allowing them to avoid their worry situations seems like it will provide everyone relief. Unfortunately, in the long-term enabling avoidance can consequently:
- Make your child more dependent on you.
- Provides your child a false sense of security.
- Reinforces the anxiety.
#2 Curb your Anger – If you yourself have not suffered from anxiety (or even if you have), watching your child exhibit the same anxious behavior day after day can be extremely frustrating. It’s understandable that once in a while, you may lose your temper. However, from the big picture perspective, getting mad at a worried child does not help them overcome their anxiety. In fact, getting mad results in kids feeling frightened, guilty, and disconnected from their parents.
#3 Reduce Excessive Reassurance – Reassuring frightened, nervous, and worried children comes naturally to most parents. There is absolutely nothing wrong with expressing your love and reassuring your child. What you do want to avoid is excessively reassuring them as a means to counter their anxiety. Excessive reassurance can reward anxious behavior. As a consequence, kids may express their worries more frequently and profusely. More importantly, excessive reassurance will only temporarily alleviate anxiety; it’s not a long-term solution.
For more information on how to help your child if you feel their anxiety is affecting their academic/personal success, please contact me at the school. I love to help students/parents understand how to conquer their anxiety and would be happy to chat. 569-2050 mtetreault@govwentworth.k12.nh.us 👍
