1. Anxiety Disorder EVERY TOMORROW HAS TWO HANDLES. WE CAN TAKE HOLD OF IT WITH THE HANDLE OF ANXIETY OR THE HANDLE OF FAITH. HENRY WARD BEECHER

3. Agenda  What is anxiety?  Causes of anxiety  Prevalence of Anxiety in society  Symptoms & Red Flags  Helpful Hints  Prevention and strategies when treating anxiety  Medications  Relaxation techniques  Case study’s  Video clip

4. Question Stigma  How many of you would feel comfortable talking about a health condition such as diabetes with your colleagues?  How many of you would feel comfortable talking about a mental illness? Or your child’s mental illness?

5. Definition of Anxiety  “Anxiety disorders are among the most debilitating psychological conditions experienced today. “  “Millions of people worldwide struggle valiantly everyday to control worry, panic, fear, or dread but often the more they try to escape anxiety and it’s triggers, the worse it gets- and the narrower their lives become” (Clark & Beck, 2012)  Anxiety is a general term for several disorders that cause nervousness, fear, apprehension, and worrying. These disorders affect how we feel and behave, and they can manifest real physical symptoms. Mild anxiety is vague and unsettling, while severe anxiety can be extremely debilitating, having serious impact on daily life. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVvTEzvAtHo

6. Generalized Anxiety Disorder Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Social Anxiety Disorder Separation Anxiety Disorder Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Phobias Selective Mutism Panic Disorder TYPES OF CHILDHOOD ANXIETY :

7. Causes of Anxiety Anxiety is believed to result from a combination of factors, including changes in the brain and environmental stress.  Problems in the brain’s ‘wiring’ process that regulate fear and other emotions  Genetic influences- children of anxious parents are 7 times more likely to develop anxiety disorder  Environmental factors- trauma or significant event- severe life stress

8. How Anxiety Works  Children can experience anxiety in three ways Physical Feelings e.g Tummy ache, headache, heart racing Thoughts e.g "What if mom doesn't come home" Behaviours e.g. Finding mom, staying home from school

9. Prevalence of Anxiety Disorder  Most prevalent mental illness affecting Canadians  1 in 4 Canadians will have at least one anxiety disorder in a lifetime  6% of children and youth require treatment  3.4% of Canadians experience serious and chronic levels of anxiety disorder  Women are twice as likely to be affected

10. Children and Anxiety Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health problem facing children today, significantly interfering with a child's ability to handle a wide variety of everyday activities including: interpersonal relationships social competence peer relations school adjustment If left untreated, childhood anxiety may become a chronic problem with the potential to lead to severe adolescent and adult depression. It is therefore crucial that children and their families have access to effective preventative strategies to deal with anxiety and stress early in life.’ (www.friendsrt.com)

12. Common Red Flags ► Demonstrating excessive distress out of proportion to the situation: crying, physical symptoms, sadness, anger, frustration, hopelessness, embarrassment ► Easily distressed, or agitated when in a stressful situation ► Repetitive reassurance questions, "what if" concerns, inconsolable, won't respond to logical arguments Headaches, stomach aches, regularly too sick to go to school ► Anticipatory anxiety, worrying hours, days, weeks ahead ► Disruptions of sleep with difficulty falling asleep, frequent nightmares, difficulty sleeping alone ► Perfectionism, self-critical, very high standards that make nothing good enough  Overly-responsible, people pleasing, excessive concern that others are upset with him or her, unnecessary apologizing  Demonstrating excessive avoidance, refuses to participate in expected activities, refusal to attend school  Disruption of child or family functioning, difficulty with going to school, friend's houses, religious activities, family gatherings, errands, vacations  Excessive time spent consoling child about distress with ordinary situations, excessive time coaxing child to do normal activities- homework, hygiene, meals

13. Symptoms  Feeling of panic  Problems sleeping  Cold or sweaty hands and or feet  Shortness of breath  Heart palpitations  An inability to keep still and calm  Dry mouth  Numbness  Muscle tension  Dizziness

14. Helpful Hints  Listen! Make sure you take the time to listen to your child’s thoughts and feelings. Simply being heard cam be helpful to your child.  Normalize! It is important to let your child know that he/she Is not alone. Lots of children have problems with anxiety.  Educate! Let your child know that anxiety is normal, harmless, and temporary  Model it! Model facing fears and provide support and encouragement. Motivate your child through supportive coaching. However, be careful not to push your child too far too fast. Let your child work at his of her own pace.  Avoid giving Excessive Reassurance! Avoid giving excessive reassurance, instead encourage your child to use his or her coping strategies (for example calm breathing or challenging scary thoughts)  Praise! Don’t forget to praise your child for his or her efforts! Remember that facing your fears is not easy.

15. Common Medications Only a Doctor can prescribe and advise you on child anxiety medicine. Here are some of the common anxiety medications prescribed:  Prozac  Zoloft  Paxil  Luvox  Celexa  Lexapro

16. Acronym FRIENDS  F = Feeling s  R = Remember to relax. Have quiet time  I = I can do it! I can try my best! (inner helpful thoughts)  E = Explore solutions and Coping step plans  N = Now reward yourself! You’ve done your best!  D = Don’t forget to practice!  S = Smile! Stay calm inside

17. Classroom Strategies  Be mindful that reassurance alone may not be enough to resolve the anxiety.  Encourage- down to earth expectations, physical exercise and relaxation.  Check in with the student at the beginning of the day.  Create a “things to do” checklist and a study schedule.  Provide brief, clear, explicit, directions.  Create a “coping” book.  Do not force the student to speak in front of the class.  Pair the student up with “friendly” classmates.  Help the student identify symptom onset.  Allow the student to leave the classroom if a panic attack occurs: set a time for return (5-10 minutes).

18. Show a little Love

20. Now Relax https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5OcA_0VZq8

21. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26nr03IG488