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It’s natural to want to know what to do for anxiety in children if you see them struggling with it. We may think the anxiety will go away on its own. However, if the symptoms of anxiety are interfering with the child’s (or family’s) day-to-day life, it is important to seek treatment. When anxiety in children is left untreated, the anxiety tends to get worse, not better, over time. This is because when children work to avoid anxiety or fear triggers those fears often only grow more powerful.
If you’re wondering what to do for anxiety in children, and/or if anxiety is affecting the life of your family, then it may be a great time to speak with your doctor and call us at True North Counseling. Whether your child is already diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, or you are wondering what to do with a child who is experiencing the symptoms of anxiety, speaking with an anxiety counseling may be very beneficial.
When talking about anxiety, it is important to first note that experiencing the symptoms of anxiety from time-to-time is normal, even for children. Many children feel anxious, nervous, or unsettled at different points in their life. These are common reactions to new events or difficult times in life. For example, many children may report feeling anxious, nervous, or worried before a big test in school, when participating in a new activity or sporting event, or while experiencing a transition in life. Anxiety counseling becomes increasingly helpful and important if those feelings of anxiety do not subside even once the temporary stressor is removed. Your doctor will be able to work with you and your family to identify symptoms, answer your questions regarding potential courses of treatment, and help you and your family get started with a treatment plan that works best for you.
Please contact your doctor and reach out to us at True North Counseling if you answer yes to one or more of the following questions:
Do your children worry excessively and/or on a regular basis?
Children who benefit greatly from anxiety counseling are not often able to alleviate their anxious feelings on their own. Counseling is a really useful form of treatment that helps a child identify and manage the factors that contribute to his or her symptoms.
Do your children experience feelings of restlessness or have a difficult time sitting still?
A child suffering from anxiety might experience the symptoms of that anxiety in his or her body or through his or her ability to complete daily tasks. You may want to speak with your doctor if your child experiences symptoms of anxiety that interfere with his or her ability to cope with daily tasks and activities.
Has night time become a source of distress for you and your family? Do your children have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up?
If you answered “yes” to one or more of these questions, or if the symptoms in your household are impacting day-to-day tasks and activities, then it may be time to speak with your doctor. Anxiety counseling may be the right form of treatment when wondering what to do for anxiety in children.
Anxiety counseling is a form of anxiety treatment that helps identify, manage, and alleviate anxiety symptoms. Counselors are trained to recognize the signs of anxiety and provide proper course of treatment, including effective ways to manage the factors that contribute to anxiety symptoms. Such courses of treatments include cognitive behavioral therapy, individual counseling, or family counseling. When thinking about what to do for anxiety in children, it is important to work with your doctor to find the treatment plan that works best for your family.
As you consider your treatment options, we encourage you to reach out to us at True North Counseling. You can contact us today at (614) 310-4940 or feel free to send us an email through our website. In addition to offering anxiety counseling for children, we also offer family counseling. If you’re worried about whether or not you’re “doing things right” when it comes to parenting, then this may be a great option for you. Our counselor, Dr. Slater, works together with you and your children to get you to a place where you feel even more comfortable in a parenting role. Dr. Slater focuses on resiliency, patient strengths, and respect for diversity. Her treatment approach incorporates interpersonal, cognitive-behavioral, and mindfulness techniques. She specializes in life transitions, such as divorce and transition to college, anxiety, grief and trauma, relationship issues, depression, ADHD, and behavior problems in children. We look forward to hearing from you and answering any questions you might have!
References
Anxiety Disorders. (March 2016). In National Institute of Mental Health. Retrieved from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety–disorders/index.shtml
Behavioral Treatment for Kids with Anxiety. In Child Mind Institute. Retrieved from https://childmind.org/article/behavioral–treatment–kids–anxiety/.