1. The Anxiety Monster
Tania Stolfa LPC

2. Normal Anxiety Responding to a threatening situation
Defense or escape from something undesirable
Experience of a fight, flight or freeze response
Body Experiences:
Increased Heart rate
Increased blood pressure
Increased breathing
Increased muscle tension
Increased sweating
Possible stomachache or bathroom issues
Possible nausea

3. Abnormal Anxiety
Persistent symptoms that impede functioning in everyday tasks such as school, work, social functioning, and family life
Anxiety that is blown out of proportion to the given situation
Symptoms that create anxiety disorders and cause needs for medications

6. Adjustment Disorders Multiple Kinds
Adjustment Disorder with Anxiety
Adjustment Disorder with Depression and Anxiety
Adjustment Disorder with Mixed Emotions
Adjustment Disorder with Mixed Emotions and Conduct
Adjustment Disorders are given surrounding situational life situations

7. Generalized Anxiety Disorder GAD
Characterized by the following:
Excessive, uncontrolled, irrational, worry
Worry is often over everyday things such as: health, being late, homework, relationships, death, peers, family, etc.
GAD may also be given when a period of adjustment to situational stressors such as divorce, grief, parental illness, child illness, etc. lasts longer than 6 months.

8. Specific Phobia Fearful, anxious, or avoidant of objects or situations
There is no extended cognitive ideation with phobias
Phobias only occur when the fear object or situation occurs
Fear and anxiety is often out of proportion than the actual risk posed

9. Social Anxiety Disorder
Fear or avoidance of social situations
Fear of being scrutinized
Fear of meeting new people
Fear of performing in from in front of others
The cognitive thought that is formed is one of being negatively evaluated by others, being embarrassed, rejected, or offending others.

10. Separation Anxiety
Fearful or anxious about separation from attachment figures that is not developmentally appropriate
Expressed fear that harm may come to attachment figures
Fear that attachment figures may not come back for them
Can be accompanied bey somatic symptoms and nightmares

11. What Can We Do?

12. Things You Should Say When Your Child Is Anxious
“I’m here for you; you’re safe.”
“Tell me about.”
“How big is your worry.”
“What do you want to tell your worry?”
“Can you draw it?”
“Let’s change the ending.”
“What other things do you know about (fill in the blank)”
“Which calming strategy would you like to use?”
“I’m going to take a deep breath.”

13. Continued…. “I can’t wait to hear about it…”
“What do you need from me?”
“This feeling will pass”
“It’s scary AND…”
“I can’t wait to hear about…”

14. What Not to Say to Anxious Children
“That’s silly”
“Don’t worry”
“It’s not real”
“There’s nothing to worry about”
“It will be ok”
“Nothing is going to happen”
“Stop it you’re fine”
“You’re too old for this”

16. Worry Monsters
Take a empty Kleenex box (square or rectangle is fine), cover with colored paper, decorate, teeth are optional, egg carton eyes with googly eye centers. Have child write worries and feed it to their monster, empty monster at night when they are asleep. The premise is the monster eats all their worries away. Different variations can be found on Pinterest.

17. Worry Eaters
These have the same idea as the worry monster however can be purchased on Amazon. These all have individualized names and vary in price based on size. The child feels them their worries and the you empty them at night when the child is asleep.

18. Worry Stones
These are any type of smooth stones that can be kept in a child’s pocket, backpack, etc.
A child fidgets or rubs the stone when they feel anxious or worried about things
By having something in their hand that can keep themselves present in their current situation.
These can be stones you buy at the store or simply stones you find outside!

19. Worry Dolls
Materials Needed: Old Fashioned Close pins, thin yarn, pipe cleaners, markers. Wrap one color yarn around both bottom pieces separately for pants, pick as second color yarn for shirt-work in pipe cleaners for arms, then makes face and hair. These can also be purchased on Amazon as well if it is not desired to make them.

20. Interactive Worry Plaque-sold on Amazon

21. Other Resources Deep breathing Bubble breathing Stress balls Art
Swimming
Fidgets
Distractions

23. Questions