How To Deal With Your Child Anxiety Problem

Does your child get anxiety attacks during the exams? Is he/she afraid to speak in public? Or does your child get nervous every time he and she communicate with visitors at home? Do you think your child is constantly concerned about every little issue in his / her life? Look out; even children can have chronic anxiety, according to psychologists.

Anxiety is usually a disturbing apprehension of the future,'' says Srishti Saha, clinical psychologist consultant at Fortis Hospital, Kolkata. Overall, anxiety occurs in response to the expectation of a threat or possible misfortune.' For example, your child may be persistently concerned about losing his or her pet, even though there is no immediate threat to the pet's health. Before such an anxious thought goes beyond control, help your child manage any debilitating worry that may affect his or her overall well-being.

Here are some expert-backed simple anxiety treatment measures that you can follow:

Do you have issues with anxiety?

Ask yourself, are you a constant fighter? Be careful; your persistent thoughts of doom and gloom may affect your child as well. Set an example to your child-show him/her that even though you feel worried, you are taking efforts to control negative thoughts and stop panicking.

It's OK to Worry Tell your kids not to worry about being anxious-it's okay to worry about it sometimes. Counsellors say that it's a kind of protection mechanism for us-by amplifying perceived threats, our brain sometimes alerts us to the dangers ahead, and that helps us do something about tough situations. So, show the positive side of the issue. So, highlight the positive side of worrying. But, of course, too much worrying is not okay.

Let them face fears Of course, that doesn't mean you're supposed to put your children in risky situations. Only allow them to open up to what makes them nervous about a particular situation. If your child is worried about, say, going to any test, help him/her take mock exams first. If he/she's afraid he/she will struggle, tell your child that it's okay to miss the mark sometimes-we need a soldier on and do better next time. Whatever the case may be, tell your child not to avoid the things he or she is anxious about.

Mindfulness Exercises Chalk out a strategy to help your child deal with anxiety. Help your child exercise regularly, for example, to make him/her feel energized and ready to take on the world. Even little things can help - for instance, when your child starts feeling anxious, ask him/her to focus on deep breathing for a while. In other words, mindfulness exercises are highly recommended.

Seek An Expert

If all such efforts fail, seek a counsellor's help. Do not wait for a chronic condition to disappear by itself. A few sessions with a counsellor or a child psychologist can help in mitigating your child's anxiety attacks. Maybe there are some festering psychological issues underneath, and you need to tackle them on a war footing.