How to help my Anxious Child
Anxiety is the system all people have to alert them to danger, help them to avoid it, and when necessary, take steps to escape from it.
Anxiety is a necessary emotion.
Anxiety disorders exist when a child experiences exaggerated anxiety relating to things or situations that do not actually pose real danger. For some children, the anxiety system is triggered internally by worry, obsessive thoughts, or panic attacks, even when there are no external triggers for it. The anxiety may impact the child's body, thoughts, and feelings. To children this anxiety feels very very real.
Anxiety is not something to be warded off it is a natural and necessary biological response.
How you respond to your child’s anxiety can either exacerbate the systems or can help teach your child how to manage feelings of anxiety so that it does not interfere with your child’s functioning.
It is hardwired in the brain for a child to seek you out when they are feeling worried, anxious, scared
It is also hardwired in the brain of a parent to notice when our child is being anxious and we want to respond by helping them until they are calm again
So how can you communicate with your anxious child and what are things you can say to them when noticing their anxiety?
Explain what anxiety is in age appropriate manner, it is important for parents to help their child understand what anxiety is
Talk about the benefits of anxiety (motivates us to, prepares us)
Use language that acknowledges and validates your child’s anxiety + instills that you have confidence in their ability to cope
Talk about coping strategies that they can use to manage anxiety (support people, deep breathing, coloring the size of the worries)
If you notice that the level of your child’s anxiety is beginning to interfere in their abilities to attend school, interrupting their daily activities such as family activities, activities with peers, sleep, etc seeking out support from a professional may be beneficial. At Child Therapy Solutions, we utilize SPACE treatment which stands for Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions and is a parent-based treatment program for children and adolescents with anxiety, OCD, and related problems. I’m one of only a handful of approved SPACE providers in Charlotte, North Carolina. Reach out today or set up a consultation to begin you and your child’s healing !