BY: LIZ HARDIE
A child with an anxiety disorder has a persistent fear, worry or dreadful feelings about present or future plans
They lack control of worry or fear, causing sleep problems or inability to concentrate, irritability or on edge
Obsessive thinking or compulsive behavior, procrastination, avoidance of situations that cause them anxiety,
Or need excessive reassurance, find difficulty completing tasks, or panic attacks with shortness of breath
A child that is dealing with anxiety and worry is extremely hard for a parent to watch
When the child is also dealing with depression or any other intellectual or mental issues we feel helpless
We feel stuck between a rock and a hard place, we don’t want to push yet we can’t just ignore
Watching them day to day struggle with a range of emotions, happy, angry, sad, lonely, hurt, they are endless
The worst part is they do not know how to control them like an adult would, most adults can’t control them
Children just live with these emotions hoping they just magically disappear as quickly as they came
Life is not like this though, there is a reason they have these feelings and they have to deal, to be worked out
Parents should be aware to this suffering, work with them, for these feelings they should have no shame
A child may be embarrassed to speak of their anxiety and worry, which is why many parents do not know
Or a parent may not believe that a child could have anxiety or have any worry, as they are just a child
Yet anyone can suffer from an anxiety disorder, so parents should never disregard their childrens emotions
Life is tough, as adults we know this, there could be many reasons for their emotions, don’t them suffer or hide
Children often reflect the emotions of their parents, we need to remain positive and encourage them
We should always keep the lines of communication open, so our children feel they can talk to us when ready
Deep breathing or meditation can be helpful, teaching children that they have the power to calm themselves
Helping a child stay healthy in mind, body and soul is most important, we should never disregard therapy
Parents may feel a certain way about anxiety disorders, therapy, being stigmatized or feeling like you are not doing enough
Yet we are brave if we admit that we can not solve all their problems, that we do need someone to help out
Not all children want to speak of their issues or speak to their parents about their feelings, this is common
Therapy sessions should be private, yet we do need to ask them about their therapist and if they have doubts
Not all therapists are a good fit, so we need to stay proactive, asking how our child feels about their current one
Children should be able to tell you what they want in a therapist, if they trust them, their true thoughts on them
All other information shared in a session is up to them, we can not pressure them into telling us what was said
Remain open, tell our children how proud we are of them, being empathetic and encouraging, never condemn
Clear our own minds, be sure to recognize any physical or emotional differences we may see in our children
Maybe our child just needs a little extra encouragement or love, a few extra hugs, a feeling of being close
When anxiety disorder is treated, relationships, productivity, and general well-being can all be enhanced
Anxiety can be controlled as long we remember this, as parents we must support our child through all highs and lows