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How Can I Help My Daughter With Her Anxiety

Try To Keep The Anticipatory Period Short

How can I help my daughter overcome her stage fright?

When were afraid of something, the hardest time is really before we do it. So another rule of thumb for parents is to really try to eliminate or reduce the anticipatory period. If a child is nervous about going to a doctors appointment, you dont want to launch into a discussion about it two hours before you go thats likely to get your child more keyed up. So just try to shorten that period to a minimum.

Deal With Your Anxiety Issues

The best way to help your daughter overcome her anxiety is to deal with your anxiety. You can do this by learning as much as you can about anxiety disorder using self-help materials, such as those in the Recovery Support area of our website.

Then, work with an experienced anxiety disorder therapist to help you discover and successfully address the underlying factors that are causing issues with your anxiety.

Most often, children learn their anxious behaviors from their parents, either from one or both. When parents address their anxious behaviors, they can help their children address theirs, too.

Since children often are greatly influenced by their parents behavior, they are more eager to make healthy change when they see their parents exhibit healthy behavior. Children also learn faster when parents model healthy behavior.

What Is Social Anxiety Disorder In Teens

Social anxiety disorder, or social phobia for short, is a disorder which can be described as an excessive fear of social and performance situations, lasting longer than six months and causing distress in functioning. The typical onset age is 13, but the first onset of the disorder can also found in kids as young as 8, and in teenagers as old as 15. The predictors for developing the disorder include a history of childhood shyness and inhibition, trauma, and bullying.

Also Check: How To Treat Severe Anxiety And Panic Attacks

Where To Start With My Daughter

The first thing you can do is talk to your child about why she is feeling anxious and challenge her thoughts. Often, anxiety is caused by a traumatic event, such as being in a car accident. Other triggers for this type of anxiety include experiencing sexual abuse or violent crime, and even losing a loved one. For a child to overcome this level of anxiety, a parent must provide the tools that help her daughter overcome her fears.

In addition to talking to her parents, your daughter should see a psychologist if shes struggling with anxiety. Your childs age and type of anxiety should determine the type of treatment. Some children may benefit from talking therapies that help them understand why theyre feeling the way they do. A trained therapist will ask your child some questions that will help you get the most from your appointment. If your child doesnt speak English, you can make her listen to someone who does.

While there are many causes of anxiety, there are a few common traits that characterize all girls with a tendency toward anxiety. While some girls seem to be more outgoing than others, its important to remember that they have a hard time controlling their emotions. Anxiety is a normal part of growing up, and you can help them cope with it by offering them positive, healthy ways to deal with it.

The Spiritual Battle For Your Marriage

8 Anxiety Strategies Every Parent with an Anxious Child Should Teach ...

God designed marriage to reflect His love to the world and because of this, the enemy wants to destroy Gods beautiful design. Based on his book, Defending Your Marriage, Dr. Tim and Noreen Muehlhoff share about the reality of spiritual warfare against marriages, and how to combat the enemys lies with the truth of God. Couples will be encouraged that theyre not alone in the fight for a godly marriage and better equipped to be a shining example for the world around them.

Also Check: Is There A Cure For Anxiety

My Teenage Daughter Has Anxiety: This Is How It Looks And Feels

Teen angst. A great phrase onomatopoeia.

But as much as I like how it sounds, I hate the reality. With all those raging hormones, every teenager is bound to lose it at one time or another.

But add anxiety to that mix,and its a whole different beast. Sometimes it manifests in a meltdown of epic proportions, sometimes its silent, hidden demons. But those who suffer learn to put a smile on their face, to grin and bear it.

Sometimes Parents Just Need To Let Their Kids Vent

Its hard to hear your child say they dont like life they dont want to grow up and they are just over it all. Its harder stillat least for meto listen and not utter a word or try to convince her otherwise. But thats what works for her. Sometimes thats all it takes to chase the angst away. We invited it in, but didnt let it to stay for dinner .

And when our dinner was ready, I helped her up, turned her around 3 timesits our little thing we do to shake off the bad and and held hands as we went up to eat. We had tamed the beast for the moment.

And when dinner was over, we all curled up on the couch and started reading Watership Down.

Because sometimes its ok to not adult.

Sometimes its ok to just be taken care of. Sometimes if you snuggle the teen, you can smother the Angst. At least for today.

Related:

Also Check: Can Anxiety Cause Sharp Chest Pain

What Are The Symptoms

If youre in doubt whether you have a daughter with social anxiety disorder, be on the lookout for signs and behaviors such as: not participating in various activities, skipping school, falling behind academically, and being overly worried about others looking at them or judging them or their performance negatively.

Changing Your Anxious Childs Inner Thoughts

What Makes Anxiety in Children Worse! Part 5

The truth is

Kids are constantly being told they arent good enough, not smart enough, not calm enough, just plain and simple

not enough.

What would happen if instead of telling kids they are not enough, we changed the way we saw our children and we changed their inner language?

My new book, The Superkids Activity Guide, is aimed to empower ALL kids to speak up, share their superpowers and learn why they do the things they do so they can advocate for themselves!!

The book has a manifesto that I stand behind 100%. I believe all children should believe these things about themselves and often wish I had believed these things to be true as a child myself.

This is a small excerpt:

Go ahead and say it, so you believe it: I am a SUPERKID.

There, didnt that feel good? Go ahead and say it one more time, just to make sure it sinks in: I am a SUPERKID.

Before you start to think of all the reasons you cant possibly be a superkid, I want to stop you. You see, even the most famous rock stars have doubt and dont believe in themselves every day. This doesnt mean they are any less super. And even superheroes have struggles and pitfalls. That doesnt make them any less super, either. The truth is, despite your struggles, your mistakes, or your bad daysYOU ARE A SUPERKID. The Superkids Manifesto is yours. I want you to own it.

You are unique.You are fierce.

You are a SUPERKID.

You are going to conquer the world and I am going to help you every step of the way

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How Can I Help My 20 Year Old Daughter With Anxiety

Complete Question

My 20-year-old daughter is having lots of problems with anxiety. She can no longer work or go to school. My wife and I have asked her to get help but she thinks her anxiety is caused by external reasons, which isnt helping. I came across your website and would like to know what I can do to help her?

Answer

Thank you for your email. Im sorry to hear your daughter is struggling with anxiety disorder and its symptoms.

Because of her age and her mindset about anxiety, the most effective way to help your daughter is to encourage her to seek professional therapy. Working with an experienced anxiety disorder therapist is the most effective way to overcome issues with anxiety.

If she is reluctant, you could also encourage her to become a member of our Recovery Support area so that she can get a more realistic understanding of what shes dealing with. Often, its misconceptions about anxiety that prevent sufferers from getting meaningful help. Having a better understanding of anxiety could change this and motivate her to get the help she needs.

Many of our recommended therapists work with teenagers and young adults, including Grace Lian, Christie Meinema, Jacqueline Nadworny, Larry Rohrick, , and Sheri Vincent.

Unfortunately, doing nothing is not going to help, as anxiety doesnt clear up on its own and has a tendency to become more complicated over time. Addressing anxiety early is the best approach.

For more information:

Dont Avoid Things Just Because They Make A Child Anxious

Helping children avoid the things they are afraid of will make them feel better in the short term, but it reinforces the anxiety over the long run. Lets say a child in an uncomfortable situation gets upset and starts to cry not to be manipulative, but just because thats how they feel. If their parents whisk them out of there, or remove the thing theyre afraid of, the child has learned that coping mechanism. And that cycle has the potential to repeat itself.

Read Also: How To Get Prescribed Anxiety Medication

Four Ways You Can Help Your Daughter With Social Anxiety Disorder

Besides professional help, some of the ways you can help your daughter struggling with social anxiety disorder, include:

  • Relaxation strategies: Teach your daughter techniques like deep breathing, guided imagery, and deep muscle relaxation which help calm the anxious response.
  • Cognitive reframing: Teach your daughter how to replace negative thoughts such as assuming the worst case scenario with positive ones.
  • Problem-solving skills: If, for example, your daughter has trouble with public speaking, you can help her out by showing her she can practice in front of a mirror, or taping her speak, then watching it together later.
  • Improving Social Skills: With role-playing and modeling, help your daughter learn social skills like greetings, conversation starters, and listening and responding. Although you cant make friends for her, these skills will make her feel at ease when around other kids.

Asheville Academy can helpAsheville Academy is a therapeutic boarding school for girls, ages 10-14. Our students commonly struggle with anxiety, depression, ADHD, learning differences, and other behavioral or emotional challenges.With the help of our licensed therapists, experienced teachers, caring staff, and expertly designed program, our students grow closer to a healthier life. We use the best tactics and therapeutic methods in order to help our students move forward at Asheville Academy.

For more information about getting help at Asheville Academy, call 800-264-8709 today.

Its Hard Watching Our Kids Grow Up When Theyd Prefer Not To

13 Powerful Phrases Proven to Help an Anxious Child Calm Down

Its gut wrenching watching them having to grow up when theyd rather not. To see them battling depression or feeling anxious because so much is hanging over their heads. To watch as they literally climb in bed, fully clothed and pull the blankets over them as their way to cope. They would rather not do homework for hours theyd rather not tackle the college application process. Theyd rather not face whats coming. Theyd rather not Adult.

As a mom, Id rather not face that angst or the teen when shes feeling the angst. But thats not an option, obviously. Yesterday everything was going along fine as it usually does. Until it doesnt. Being asked by her dad to swap out the laundry and start another load was kind of a bummer. But add walking the dog, and suddenly Kylie careened off an edge that I was unaware she was standing on.

To her credit, she did the laundry and took Brodie outin fact, she even brought him home and took herself for a walk. Sensible choices and a good option for calming the beast. I was proud of her for trying that actually. Seeing her use her different coping skills is hearteningespecially when they work.

It didnt. The door slammed, feet stomped, muttering was heard. Clearly she was back and had brought the beast with her. My instinct was to immediately bring her a snack. She hadnt had much to eat after the morning stack of pancakes.

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Worried Your Child May Have An Anxiety Disorder

Take our 2-minute anxiety quiz to see if he or she may benefit from further diagnosis and treatment.

Dont worry.

You cant will away your childs anxiety by telling him not to worry. Hes already worried. This statement implies that the worries are unreasonable or unacceptable. A better approach is: Can you tell me more about your worries?

Its no big deal.

Anxious children know that their worries are a big deal. Their worries can negatively affect peer relationships, family relationships, school performance, and other areas of functioning. Thats a big deal. Try this, instead: I can see that youre feeling very anxious about this. Lets do some deep breathing together.

Youll be fine.

Anyone who has ever experienced excessive anxiety or a panic attack knows that fine is not something that resonates with an anxious mind. When a childs anxious mind is racing, he doesnt feel anything close to fine. Reassure your child with this phrase: I am here to help you.

Theres nothing to be afraid of.

Anxious kids have plenty to fear: Judgment, peer rejection, failure, and the list goes on. You cant stamp out anxiety with a quick phrase. You can help ease the fears by opening the door to a conversation: Lets talk about that together.

You just need to sleep more!

Ill do it.

Its all in your head.

Hurry up!

Read Also: How To Cope With Medical Anxiety

Connect With A Pediatric Professional

You don’t necessarily need to be concerned if your kid experiences some passing feelings of anxiety, especially in response to a specific trigger, like a major sports event or final exam.

But if your child continues to feel anxious long after the stressful situation has resolved, or their worries get worse over time, they could have an anxiety disorder.

Other signs of an anxiety disorder, according to Mannis, include:

  • Behavioral changes, such as moodiness, anger outbursts, clinginess, or crying
  • Consistent negative thoughts or worrying
  • Withdrawing from family or friends
  • Avoiding things they used to enjoy
  • Frequent complaints of stomach or head pain
  • Sleep problems, such as waking up in the middle of the night or having nightmares

Keep a log of your child’s symptoms and the specific environments where these behaviors happen, Mannis says. You can then use this log to bring up your concerns with a healthcare professional.

Etkin says it may be time to connect with a therapist if your child feels anxious most days and their emotions begin to get in the way of playing, going to school, or the rest of their daily routine.

To find a mental health professional who works with children, you can:

Recommended Reading: How Do I Get Tested For Social Anxiety

Keep The Pediatrician Informed

As if my often ridiculous questions aren’t a giveaway, I’m honest with my children’s pediatricians about my own anxiety disorder as well as any concerns I have for the emotional health of my children. Just like I would speak to him about a recurrent cough, I would bring up any worrisome emotional issues. This helps the doctor to treat the whole patient as well as tailor his advice for me.

I have learned to be patient with myself as I navigate parenting. I will make mistakes, I will ask for forgiveness, and I will do my best to manage my own anxiety so I do not burden my children with it. And if any of my children develop an anxiety disorder, I will do the best I can to help them manage it.

Teen Depression Help And Resources

How can I help with my child’s emotional wellness?

If your teen suffers from depression and anxiety and you seek to develop these skills and learn how to apply them to your family, I encourage you to watch my webinar: Teens, Anxiety, and Depression: Active Strategies to Move Teens Forward. Because I am unable to see the families in my clinical practice that reach out for help, it was critical for me to find a way to share these strategies to a broader audience. This webinar is appropriate for both professionals who work with teens or family members who live with them.

What is often hear parents say is Just tell me what to do.

Ive also cowritten a guide for tweens and teens to manage anxiety, narrated by a teen named Casey, called Playing with Anxiety.

Recommended Reading: Can You Get A Medical Card For Anxiety In Florida

School Anxiety What Its Not

If I could write this across the sky, I would:

Anyone who is tempted to tutt, judge, or suggest a toughening up of parents or children, dont. Hush and hold it in. The assumptions on which youve built your high ground are leading you astray. Its likely, anyway, that parents dealing with school anxiety have already tried the tough love thing, even if only out of desperation. Its understandable that they would. Theyd try anything parents are pretty amazing like that.

They are great parents, with great kids. If only being tougher was all it took they all would have done it yesterday and wed be talking about something easier, like how to catch a unicorn or something.

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