Dr. First talks about kids dealing with anxiety
Parents have been quite anxious to ask me what to do for their child or teen's feelings of anxiety. Well let me see if I can relax everyone with some information on this topic.
Anxiety is usually a normal reaction to the stresses of life. It is a form of stress that can show up in a child emotionally or can appear physically in someone through sensations like dizziness, a rapid heartbeat, difficult breathing or shaky or sweaty hands and feet.
Everyone experiences feelings of anxiety at one time or another which can range from a sense of unease to full-blown panic. We may feel it at work and kids can too when facing an important test or project or even switching schools.
Some anxiety can be normal, and help us stay alert, focused and ready to do our best, but if it becomes too strong or frequent, then it can detract from our ability to be happy and enjoy life.
How can you tell when normal worry in your child is developing into more severe signs of anxiety or what we call an anxiety disorder? Well when your child seems to worry almost daily about one thing or another, has trouble sleeping at night, is irritable and has trouble concentrating -- while this can be due to other things, it is certainly worth sharing your concerns about these symptoms with your child's doctor.
Treatment will often involve counseling and ways to teach your child coping skills and relaxation techniques. Occasionally medication may be prescribed but only after counseling has been tried.
The best way to help your child from becoming too anxious about something is to show you care by being understanding, supportive and nonjudgmental and to talk openly about what may be bothering your child and then helping them find new ways to cope.
Encouraging your child to exercise, eat healthy and get adequate sleep can also be useful. It may also help to talk to your child about how you deal with your own stress-relief.
Hopefully tips like this will allow you and your child to breathe easier when it comes to recognizing and knowing what to do if you suspect your child is becoming too anxious.