Search

Home > Portable Practical Pediatrics > Help For Anxious Kids (Pedcast)
Podcast: Portable Practical Pediatrics
Episode:

Help For Anxious Kids (Pedcast)
Category: Kids & family
Duration: 00:00:00
Publish Date: 2017-06-11 22:00:58
Description: Introduction: As I have said before, anxiety has replaced infectious diseases as one of the most frequent disorders pediatricians see regularly. Not all anxious feelings are destructive however. Being anxious about grades motivates kids to do their homework and study for tests. Or, being anxious about their parents being mad, motivates teens not to stay out too late or call home to let their parents know where they are. But sometimes anxiety and worry, tip a child into an unhealthy state where their worry is destructive to their health. Here's a Doc Smo pearl for you to ponder- Anxiety that doesn't lead to an action and ultimate resolution is destructive. I see this cycle almost everyday so I thought it might be useful to talk about what measures parents can take to help their children, should they be anxious and need help. Let's explore anxiety in today's edition of Portable Practical Pediatrics. Music intro: What are the common presenting symptoms of anxiety in a child? There are lot of different presentations of anxiety and worry in children. In today's world, pediatricians have become experts at recognizing the physical symptoms of worry that manifest in children. We were actually trained at detecting meningitis, pneumonia, and diabetes but we have morphed into experts in psychosomatic illness. Here is a list of the most common physical symptoms that I see in my patients that are often rooted in anxiety: The child with recurrent headaches or stomachaches, The child who starts having sleep problems such as difficulty separating from their parents, frequent nightmares, or bedwetting that returns after it had disappeared. The child who complains of being chronically tired when no physical cause can be found. The child who complains of shortness of breath without the child having a cough or exercise intolerance. This is by no means a complete list but these are the presentations I see most commonly in very anxious children. If your child exhibits some of these symptoms, consider anxiety as a possible root cause. Now for some of the behavioral manifestations that might signal excessive worry in your kids: If your child lacks the confidence to try new things or seem unable to face simple, everyday challenges If your child chronically finds it hard to concentrate If your child has excessive emotion about food and eating If your older child is prone to angry outbursts that happen too frequently If your child is stuck on negative feelings or is repeatedly thinking that bad things are going to happen If your child is developing unnecessary rituals to keep bad things from happening If your child is beginning to avoid everyday activities, such as seeing friends, going out in public or attending school because of some excessive worry If your child is acting much younger than their actual age. In other words, their behavior has not progressed or even has regressed compared to children of their age. I think all of these symptoms require action on the part of parents so let's talk a little more about what you, the parent, can do to help should you have a anxious child. Once you have determined that your child suffers from anxiety, what do you do next? Start with an assessment of what is wrong, what is causing your child to be anxious?  A lot of parents forget this step and it can be the most important.  Make sure you consider all aspects of your child's life when doing this evaluation including recent unsettling events, changes in your child's family situation, any serious mood problems among family members, any recent traumatic events in your child's life, or the possibility that your child is being bullied. Additionally, consider if your child is getting too much media consumption, or has academic problems at school.   Doc Smo's advise to parents of an anxious child. Talk, talk, talk and this is probably the most important step -especially when your child is open to this...
Total Play: 0