Anxiety in adults vs anxiety in children
Anxiety seems to be an adult problem. Even if each person deals those issues differently, most adults can empathize with an adult friend who talks about his or her anxiety.
Anxiety in children is quite different in one major aspect: children do not talk about their anxiety. This is not a word that belongs to their world and they generally do not know that they suffer from anxiety.
Normal anxiety in children vs clinical anxiety
Children experience various states of anxiety from the moment they are born, due to lack of experience and lack of communication. Sometimes it is easy to tell if a child is anxious by their crying and clingy behaviors but, generally, a child’s anxiety is hard to recognize and differentiate from a temporary bad mood, pain, personality development or confrontation.
To make things more complicated, a child’s anxiety can be a response to an environmental situation where one, or both, of the parents are anxious themselves and therefore less able to acknowledge their child’s emotional state.
Some children hide their anxiety because it is too difficult for them to express it to others.
The feeling of anxiety is overbearing and frightening, particularly if your parents do not acknowledge it or talk about it. The same major feelings defining anxiety are identical in children and adults:
- constant and unreasoned fear,
- feeling of loneliness,
- sadness,
- feeling of lack of power, and
- associated psychosomatic pains, such as: headache, digestive problems.
Meltdowns and Defiant Behavior
Some, if not most, children turn their anxiety into angry tantrums or defiant behaviors. Parents often respond with disapproval and discipline the child, thus entering into a vicious cycle which makes everyone more and more miserable and adds to the child’s anxiety.
Anxiety is a severe threat for health and research has demonstrated that it worsens with time, if the person is not helped. It is important to look for signs of anxiety in order to be able to help.
The Checklist
The following checklist can help you observe your child and recognize anxiety. If you recognize with certainty at least five of these traits, you need to help your child :
- Pessimism and negative thinking patterns, such as imagining the worst
(E.g. Dad is going to have a car accident; my school peers are going to hurt me) - Constant worry about things that might happen or have happened
- Over-exaggerating the negatives
(E.g. This bad thing ALWAYS happens to me) - Rigidity and inflexibility, self-criticism, guilty thoughts, etc.
(E.g. I will never be able to do that, I will never know how to…) - Anger
- Aggression
(This is sometimes discreet, like quietly pushing a younger sibling or breaking someone’s property on purpose.) - Restlessness, irritability, tantrums
- Opposition and defiance
- Crying
- Physical complaints such as stomachaches, headaches, fatigue, etc.
- Avoidance behaviors, such as avoiding things or places or refusing to do things or go places
- Sleeping difficulties, such as difficulty falling or staying asleep, nightmares, or night terror
- Perfectionism
(E.g. tearing off a drawing to redo it, or scratching out a line or a word till it can’t be seen before rewriting it) - Excessive clinginess and separation anxiety (can look like acting out to force the parent to cancel an appointment to stay home)
- Procrastination
(E.g. will start later, will finish in a moment…) - Poor memory and concentration
- Withdrawal from activities and family interactions
- Eating disturbances
(E.g. hides to eat snacks, shows sudden aversions to some foods…)
Next step?
- If this checklist raised some questions, we recommend you speak with a physician about the issue.
- Sensory Enrichment Therapy has been shown in a 1,002 person study to reduce symptoms related to anxious behaviours significantly. If you would like to try this therapy, we recommend that you first book a free consultation with one of our therapists.
Is anxiety an area of concern for you or your loved one?
Sensory Enrichment Therapy™ is designed to work on the mechanisms of feeling peaceful and resilient by boosting brain plasticity in these areas.
It’s good to know that many children turn their anxiety into defiant behavior, tantrums, and anger. My sister was telling me that her daughter has been throwing a lot of tantrums lately and that she often seems anxious whenever they go to new places. I think it would be smart for her to look into taking her daughter to a professional that can help her before things get worse.
That’s good to know that signs of anxiety could be things like procrastinating and avoiding doing things. My son has been doing that sort of thing for a little while, so I wonder if its because he is dealing with anxiety. I’ll have to look into some different options to help him feel better, like a therapist or something if we decide he needs it.
My son often has stomach problems when thinking about going to places that make him nervous. I think that it’s important to find a way to help him get over these problems. I think that taking him to a medical clinic to see a doctor would be a great idea.
I’m glad you pointed out that kids experience various states of anxiety due to a lack of communication. My sister-in-law has been going through her divorce, neglecting her son. We will recommend her to seek a therapist fro her kid before he experiences a trauma.
Thanks for mentioning that children will experience constant fear, loneliness, sadness, and headaches when they have anxiety, similar to the symptoms that adults experience. My son has been experiencing frequent headaches throughout the day, and I am worried that something at school has caused him to become anxious. It might be a good idea to find a child therapist that can help my son explain how he is feeling.
I like your tip about over-exaggerating the negatives. That seems to make sense considering they can heighten their anxiety by being overly negative. I’ll have to consider helping my kid keep all his problems in proper perspective.
My child has been acting differently these last two weeks. I like that you mention how to identify if your child is hiding their anxiety. Thank you for the advice on talking to a physician about the issue. I’ll contact a therapist and take my child to therapy.
Hi,
Could you pleas provide me the link to the study that you mention in the article?
Thank you!
Sabine
Hello Sabine, I think you must be referring to the 1,002 person study.
Here it is:
– 1,002 person study
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/np/2016/2734915/
Since we’re talking studies here are links to 2 randomized controlled trials that looked at the effectiveness of Sensory Enrichment Therapy for autism.
– First Clinical Study
http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2013/05/autism-treatment.aspx
http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/bne-127-4-487.pdf
– Replication Clinical Study
http://escholarship.org/uc/item/9sw054xg
thank you
Hi,
Could anyone provide me the anxiety scale suitable for the children of age group 6 to 12 years during hospitalization?
Hello Binita, it is normal for children to be anxious at the hospital. I’m afraid there isn’t a checklist that would be useful for this specific situation. It’s in situations where most people feel okay that you can judge more easily if the child’s behavior is extreme.
My son is 15 and we have dealt w a lot of symptoms since he started school. At first it was just he is a strong willed child. Then every label was thrown at us from ADD, Asperger, Autism, emotionally disturbed ect. He passed every test and has never been diagnosed. We did see a Neuro. who did a QEEG and suggest biofeedback to help w emotional regulation. The Biofeed back helped a lot, we went back after a slight concussion 9 months later and did more sessions. He was good until 6th grade he is extremely academic smart and seems to fit in socially on the outside but I see it as a time bomb. He use to have a good attitude towards school and good
Intentions emotionally he could only keep it together for a couple of months. Now we are at a total defiant disruptive stage it has gone from one extreme to other extremes. Outburst to depression to trantrums and now refuses to go to school and seems to manipulate his whole environment. He was athletic to laying around all day and overeating. He can manipulate or just say all the right things to counselors, therapist to the point I don’t know if he even knows when he is lying. I know his heart and he is a great, caring kid that I don’t recognize. Please help!
Hello Shelley, I believe Sensory Enrichment Therapy could be really helpful to your son. He is not feeling good. He is trying to cope. We can help him feel comfortable in his own skin and in the world around him. If the therapy program is too expensive for you, have a look at our free course. It will give you some tools to “enrich” his environment. We specialize in building up his mental and emotional strength at the neurological level, but there are many other things that you can do at home to help him at least relax a bit and recharge his “emotional” batteries.
Hi My son is 5 he just started Grade R and his first 2 week at school he was happy and excited and he enjoyed school then last week wed he started chaging he is very quiet and tearful and school and he asks the teacher what is the time when is home time, he does not want to go play out side he does not interact with other kids keeps to him self and even things he normally enjoys like swiming and a cup cake he does not want at school. please advise we dont understand this behaviour because he was fine and now all of a sudden we feel like we dealing with somehting that we feared we would when he started.is this child anxiety is there anything we can do to help him or do you suggest seeing someone
thank you
regards Concerned mum
Hello Nicole. School can be a pretty stressful place for many children. I would recommend that you inquire further and speak to a medical professional in your area. Feel free to also book a free consultation with one of our therapy coaches to discuss further. Follow the link below to book online: https://mendability.appointlet.com/s/16907
I stumbled across this site looking for some advice. My 6 year old son has become very anxious at bedtime crying uncontrollably , he says he is scared of dark, being on his own, going to sleep on his own and doesn’t want me to die. He had a big meltdown on the way to school when he dropped something in the car which turned into a tantrum and a battle of will between him and his dad. He has been having nightmares waking more frequently in the night and his teacher thinks he needs his hearing checked even though all previous tests have been fine. He usually get 9-10/10 on spellings but has been getting 3 or 4 and stated I keep getting headaches and has been progressively regressive to his siblings over the last year . He has been diagnosed with psoriasis and always been considered abit difficult Should I seek medical advice ? Could he be suffering with anxiety?
Hello Louise,
I would definitely recommend seeking medical advice. It’s always difficult to make recommendations based on a single paragraph of text online, but anxiety is a possibility we should not ignore with your son. Even the psoriasis could be considered a clue.
I’m wondering about my 1.5 year old. I have severe high anxiety (I don’t like leaving the house so all, ever, and I also have attacks that make me vomit.) And it looks like she may have gotten it as well. She has some strange behavior. Mostly frustration issues (she can’t get a something right or she doesn’t understand or we don’t understand and she throws things, hits, and stomped her feet screaming), she has nightmares (she wakes up crying and if she can’t find her binki screams until we comfort her), and she gets over excited easily (she gets too happy or emotional and ends up hurting people because she scratches, hits, or head butts). I have a feeling but I would like a professionals opinion.
Rebecca, seeking professional advice is a good idea. Based on your short description, we would recommend you speak to your family doctor and seek an evaluation. You can also speak to one of our professionals over the phone. Here is a link to book a phone appointment: https://mendability.appointlet.com/s/16907
I am 17 years old and I think I have anxiety but I’m not sure I don’t want my family to think I just want attention. I can’t stay the night at friends houses anymore I always want to be home in my bed I don’t like sleeping anywhere else. I can go to the store with 20$ and buy something for 10$ and still be scared that I wouldn’t have enough I will get sweaty and think about putting it back. I can’t order food at a restaurant my face turns red and I studder and can’t look the waitress in the eyes. I don’t like to get called on in school even if I know the answer because I’m still scared I might studder and everyone will judge me. Or it will be wrong. I can’t run in school because I’m scared people are watching me and judging. If I have to present a project I will stress about it for weeks before it happens. I am currently going into my last year of high school and I am so scared that I won’t be able to find my classes or open my locker or anything even though I went to the same school last year. I’m worried I won’t have friends. I know we will have to swim at some point this year I don’t even know when yet but I think about it everyday because I’m scared to be judged. I get angry really easy and feel bad after I freak out at someone if I don’t have anxiety can you tell me what’s wrong with me and what I can do about it. I want to be normal.
Hello Marie,
Congratulations on taking the courage to share your thoughts here.
I would recommend that you speak to your parents about this. Maybe just have them read what you posted here. This will help them understand you better.
I would recommend that you also seek medical testing as well to make sure. It is generally a good idea to seek professional advice when you are worried that there could be something wrong.
Individuals with similar anxiety have done this program and succeeded in building up the strength in their brain to overcome these irrational fears. We have a FREE program if that helps. You can do it on your own, answering the questionnaires yourself and then doing the recommended protocols yourself once or even twice a day. The exercises shown are typically done with someone else, so if your parents are interested in participating that could be really good.
Feel free to reach out to us at any time.
My son is 3 years old and I think he has anxiety and ocd. He doesnt like change at all one time i rearrange my bedroom and he cried almost all day for me to put it back the way it was. I bought a new recliner for my husband and he will not let him sit there i guess thats not where hes use to his dad sitting there. He doesnt have a very big variety of things he likes to eat just certain thing about a hand full of thing. He cries alot when thing dont go his way. People say im over reacting that hes just being a kid and needs disapline but as his mother i think otherwise. Hes really clean and thing have to be a certain way or he will cry. He loves to vacuum the floor every since he was able to walk when most kids are scared of vacuum cleaners. He will take about 10 bqths a day if i would let him. Well i could go on and on about stuff he does but ill end here. Do yall think im over reacting give me your thought thanks for taking the time and reading my story
A little anxiety is normal. There are a lot of new things for your child to process and it’s not always easy. Having said that, trust your instincts. If they tell you that your child is struggling and needs extra help, there is nothing wrong in looking for ways to provide him that boost.
Hi Mary
I know this comment is from a while back. My now almost 4 year old son is going through pretty much what you’ve describe about your son at 3 years old. It’s been a few years since you left this comment and was wondering how your son is doing now and if he still has any anxiety and ocd. Would love to hear back from you. Thanks in advance!
I am so sad that I am finding myself on this sight. I am worried about my daughter. She just turned 15 and have been noticing changes in her personality for about 1 1/2 years. I first thought it was a puberty stage, but now I know different. Increasingly we are always arguing, she is always upset. Two nights ago she confessed to me that she has a hard time talking to people. She says that she is so busy at school pretending not to look self conscious that she doesn’t even listen to her lectures in class. She says she does not know how to talk to people or how to react in social situations. I am so worried that this has come to this. How can I help??? Is she destined to take medications or there alternative options? Please help!!!
Hello Lauris, it is a good thing that you are able to discuss this with your daughter and that she is able to express her emotions verbally. Social anxiety is definitely an area where parents report progress with Sensory Enrichment. Would you like to try it?
I have a 5 yr old son who just finished pre school.
They had a graduation for them and when they were
On stage singing he started to cry and was ready
To throw up. I think he had an anxiety attack. His
Teacher noticed right away and took him off and brought
Him right to me. But I’ve also noticed before this
Everytime there’s a holiday coming really close
Like Christmas he gets so excited that he gets a fever.
Now it’s to the point I can’t tell him that he has a field trip until
That day. I don’t know if he has anxiety or stage freight , but after what happened at
The graduation I’m a worried about it and what can I do to help him
With this.
Hello Michelle, a little anxiety is normal in a child, but if you feel your child needs extra help there is nothing wrong with looking for ways to give him the boost he needs. Anxiety is definitely an area where parents report good progress when they implement Sensory Enrichment exercises. Consider giving this program a try.
[Update: There is a free course available to learn how this therapy works]
My daughter just turned 6 in March and since then she has completely changed. She has been crying everyday when I drop her off at school and saying she does not want to go to school. I have been working with the teacher and we can not pin point just one thing. They have been talking a lot in Kindergarten about 1st grade and the expectations and I have also been talking about going back to work. A new kid as also come into the class that made her a little nervous because he was loud and it scared her. She has always been shy and reserved but never cried to go to school. She has always had a hard time meeting new people by herself. If her sister is with her, it is much easier. It seems that she has social anxiety and also emotional detach anxiety, but today at the grocery a lady came up to me needing help with food to I offered to buy her food and my daughter just froze. She started crying and started saying that she just wanted to go home and she wanted to go hide behind the meat counter. I started hugging her and told her that everything was okay. I never saw her act like this and I do not know what to do and how to help her.
Lauree, it is good that your daughter is able to express her emotions verbally. Ups and downs are normal with emotions and with anxiety. Start monitoring these episodes, so that if you need to discuss them with a health professional you will be able to provide them with the information they need to assess the situation. Your monitoring sheet may include the date of the episode, the duration of the episode, what happened just before the episode started and how she responded.
My six year old son is experiencing maths anxiety, he’s having trouble with his multiplications and every morning before school he cries and frets about maths and how he doesn’t understand time tables. After having chatted to his teacher she assured me that he was doing fine but my son claims he doesn’t understand her method of teaching maths. This is a new teacher his previous teacher whom taught him from reception onwards has recently left and he cries and says he could understand the old teachers teaching method.
It seems that your son is disheartened by the departure of his teacher and may confuse the emotions to redirect them towards maths, which is a temporary problem.
His attachment to his previous teacher is both wonderful and painful. Sometimes, as adults, we tend to tell children that all is fine, but all is not always fine.
It may help for you to sit with him and talk about the previous teacher, where she moved, looked at images of the city, draw a logic to the situation and allow your son to be sad about it.
Change is not systematically fun or easy for everyone and you are the right person to help him through the transition, you are the mom, you love him and always will. It this is appropriate, you could invite the new teacher for tea and have him learn to appreciate her in a different context that the classroom where she may seem as having taken the spot of someone he wanted there.
From a Sensory Enrichment Therapy perspective, a suggestion we would make is to involve the senses of smell and of touch as you talk to your son about his old teacher and about his new teacher.
Combining the sense of touch with the sense of smell was shown in animal studies to enhance learning. The clinical study done on children with autism, who display a lot of anxiety, confirmed that it helps children too.
There is no such thing as “math anxiety”. Anxiety, however is very real. It just sounds like your child simply does not like/ does not understand math. A child’s natural response to something that is confusing is crying, worrying, or “fretting”. Change is a natural part of life. If this is what troubles your child, it could be useful to lovingly help them through a transition until they are comfortable with it. Although, don’t try to sheild your child from the natural anxieties of life as this can backfire leading your child to not know how to deal with the normal anxieties and pressure of real life. Prepare your child for the road, don’t prepare the road for your child.
Good advice, Aria. Thanks for contributing to the discussion.
I remember feeling like I couldn’t control my emotions as a child. I cried very easily and would fake sickness to avoid going to school starting in 2nd grade. Even at the age of 15, I remember crying, screaming, kicking myself into the floor like a child. I think the tantrum behavior continued for so long because my mom was very distant and emotionally cold. She would hit me when I cried (to try to condition me to equate her “unwanted” behaviors with pain). I think many experiences had really negative effects on me; I remember at the age of 3 pulling my drunk dad off my mom and thinking we were playing, moving around, being bullied at school because I was too skinny, etc.) There were a lot of environmental factors that fueled my anxiety; it also made me develop a weird relationship with food. I can’t eat in front of people. It’s gotten so bad that I can’t even drink in front of people unless it’s specifically out of a straw. I’m 19 now and most people don’t even know I have this past or that I have these problems. The only thing I’ve been able to improve is concealing my problems better. So parents, please be more unconditionally loving to your child and tackle the problem of anxiety early on. Thank you for reading.
So sorry to read this, Tina. Never forget, you are a priceless individual with much to offer. I hope you are finding resolution to your anxiety. You sound like you are very wise for your years, and will do fine because you learn and grow. Hugs!
My daughter is 9 yrs old. Until the last two months or so she has loved school, stayed with friends and has been a normal functioning preteen. About two months ago for a wk or 2 she wold come to me in tears, it was because even though she goes to church she was worried she’d just be nothing when she died. I didnt think about it then bt she had also stopped asking to be dropped off with any family or friends and once flat out refusing to stay for the 50th time with her best friend after begging to do so. She has now begun crying every night, does NOT want to go to school and calls me crying from school begging to be picked up. She says nothing has changed and im gonna set up a meeting with the school. She constantly complains of the above mentioned ailments as well, regardless of if shes having a hard time or not. I dont know what to do. She is breaking my heart everyday as well as frusterating me to no end, I just try to stay firm, but understanding, praying this is early puberty and will pass
Anxiety is definitely an area where parents are reporting a lot of progress when they do Sensory Enrichment Therapy. The best advice I can give you is to see if it would help her feel more serene, more comfortable and more confident.
I know this is late, but for anyone reading this comment from Jessica…Jessica, your daughter sounds very much like me at that age. I would beg to spend the night with a friend, only to have her parents call mine to come get me after I had quiet time with my thoughts. I cried a lot. I would feign illness (even force myself to vomit) in order to get sent home to my mom. What my parents didn’t know is that I was thinking about killing myself daily – I didn’t see any value in myself or reason to be alive and be a burden to everyone around me. I don’t mean to tell you she feels this way, but it’s a possibility. I urge you to get her some help from a psychotherapist. I also appreciate your acknowledging that things aren’t right. They aren’t. My parents never saw me as anything but a pain when it came to my anxiety. I love my parents and they care, but I can tell you that they missed a lot of signs from me and they regret it now. They just saw me as dramatic and they do still tend to tease me about having been a “drama queen”. In reality I was suffering a lot internally. I barely made it to where I am now, which is mostly healthy and mostly happy with a wonderful family and great career.
Whatever you do, do not make your daughter feel as though she is dramatic or acting irrationally. It’s frustrating even at 34 years old to hear my parents refer to me as having been dramatic and an overreactor when they now know that I suffered/suffer from depression and OCD. The fears and anxieties are real, whether they seem rational to anyone else. You sound like a wonderful mother who truly cares, or else you wouldn’t be here commenting.
My little sister has suffered from this since she was about 2 or 3 and at first we thought it was normal because she was young but it only got worse in the next year or two. She has been first diagnosed with ADHD but that just made it worse then it was Autism and finally disruptive mood dysregulation disorder but that didn’t go to far either.
Now that I have read this I think it is anxiety but could someone help me figure out if it is? At least 10 of those symptoms are true in her. Really I just want to help so yea…
My son is 10 years old … Reading the check list I recognize about 7 of those traits. His been this way all his life, It’s a constant struggle to get him to feel confident or comfortable about anything his always thinking about all the bad things that can happen with whatever he does. His struggles a bit in school… There is mental illness on his Dad side of the family (Bipolar Depression) and I am terrified that he might have the same … But after reading your check list it just about everything sound just like him… I don’t know how to help him. Where do I start. PLEASE HELP
Hello Daisy,
Have you spoken to a medical professional about your observations?
What you could do is take that checklist and compile two weeks worth of notes on your son and present the report to the doctor. They will appreciate the objective nature of the report. You may want to include in your notes: dates, times, durations, intensity of the episode and what happened beforehand during the day that may have caused or exacerbated the incident.
We wrote an article that you may find useful:
https://mendability.com/articles/stay-objective-hone-your-observation-skills/
We do offer a therapy program that helps children with anxiety. Sensory Enrichment Therapy strengthens and develops the parts of their brain involved with processing change and coping with stress. You end up with a kid that is visibly more relaxed, comfortable in his own skin and also more confident. It’s two sessions per day of customized sensory-based exercises that you do with your son. Each session takes about 10 minutes, typically. When you sign up you will be assigned to a therapist on our staff that will coach you through the program.
Let me know you if you would be interested in talking more about Sensory Enrichment Therapy.
My son who is 18 and autistic. He has for the last 2 weeks has gotten sick everyday at school, but he is perfectly fine when he gets home. I am working closely with his teacher. Any ideas. Could hormones be part of it?
Hormones could play a role, since hormones they play a role in the quality of the immune system. Stress does wear down on the ability of the brain to regulate Serotonin, in particular, so you could draw a link between stress at school and a compromised immune system. He could be so nervous and anxious that he gets physiologically ill. This is not an uncommon phenomenon. Of course, it’s impossible to draw a practical conclusion without more detailed information but, it would not hurt to help him boost his ability to regulate Serotonin with a generic technique that we use with most of the people who do Sensory Enrichment Therapy. We call it the “Gentle Claw.”
You do this protocol by giving a nice back rub using finger tips rather than the whole hand. You’ll end up with your hand in a “claw” shape. Run your fingertips on his back in a way that he likes. It can be slow or fast, random shapes or up and down, higher up his back or lower down his spine, whatever he will enjoy most. When you do it just right, you will see him relax. He may even sigh. That’s a sign that the effect worked. That will help him “refill” on his ability to feel serene, which will help relieve him from stress.
my child, almost 15, has suffered from anxiety since birth but is currently doing better. I’m worried she may have another downward spiral and I want to prevent this. What can I do?
Sounds like you are doing the right things already if she is doing better. Don’t take that for granted.
One thing that you could do to help is by doing the kind of sensory exercises that promote relaxation. In animals they have shown that gentle touch promotes the regulation of Serotonin. There is a growing body of human research looking at things like massage. With your daughter look for opportunities for her to have short, pleasant tactile experiences a couple of times a day.
With Mendability, we try to also pair sensory stimuli. In animals they see a spike of Norepinephrine in the brain for about an hour when they combine smell and touch in particular. Norepinephrine is connected to brain plasticity.
Have a look at the webinar we have been broadcasting lately. It covers some of this stuff:
https://mendability.com/how-it-works/new-cost-effective-clinically-proven-autism-therapy/
— Kim
My daughter is 10 and has been showing signs of anxiety off and on since she was 4 or 5. It seemed to get a little better but in the last year and a half it has been worsened. We tried med for ADD because she is struggling in school but it almost seemed to worsen the systems so we decided to stop the meds. She will not sleep in her room at night and has been living on our couch for a while. She must be asleep before I go to bed or she will not go to sleep. I have tried laying down and letting her cry it out but it is beyond crying. She worries about the doors being locked or noises she is hearing. We have been to our family doctor who told us to try ac councelor. The counselor made me feel like we didnt need counseling. Any suggestions on where to go from here. This is exausting!
Hi Amy!
My heart goes out to you and your daughter.
I am pretty sure MendAbility® can help her rest her anxieties and fall asleep peacefully.
Right now, what you could try with her is our generic bedtime routine, which we use as a complement to the therapy: Have her listen to relaxing orchestral music for a few minutes after a warm bath and a foot and hand massage. Apply a fragrance to her pillow or pajamas.
If it works, it should work right away.
I read the check list to recognize anxiety in my son. People have been telling me that my son has ADHD. Reading up on anxiety, it seems to fit better. Can someone help me see the differences between the two? ADHD and Anxiety?
ADHD can cause anxiety and anxiety can exacerbate ADHD. We have seen many kids who come to the program wanting to have both go away.
With Mendability® it’s OK if you have one, the other or both. When you come to Mendability® we assume that some aspect of your kid’s brain function is not ideal and we move on with figuring out the best course of action based on your child’s own capacities and pre-dispositions. Sensory Enrichment therapy will help your child’s brain compensate, consolidate or re-build. As your child’s brain gets stronger, anxiety will decrease and so will inattentiveness, hyperactivity, etc.
With Mendability®’s expert system, we find out where your child is ready to improve and we give you the best exercises we know for where he is ready to go. Every two weeks you fill out a progress report that helps us determine the next course of action.
Hi my daughter is 12 years old and I feel she has anxiety problems as she is getting older its getting worse, she has learing problems at school /home. She has been seen by Ed syc, specialist teacher from essex county council. We are waiting for a appointment for her to see someone from mental health team. Myself as her mum ,her anxiety is putting pressure on family life and im trying the best I can to help her cope but its not easy. She is worried if I go out of the door and nor come back. She crying, in the car I can’t leave her if I just go to get car park ticket the list goes on.
You should watch the webinar on how to stop episodes of anxiety that we have been broadcasting. We teach a simple technique you can use to give short term relief to your daughter during an episode. You should be able to use it preventatively as well. When you know you are about to leave her, boost her ability to cope with this technique. Watch the webinar! :-)
You can find it at the bottom of this page: (Scroll down until you see the webinar mentioned)
https://mendability.com/how-it-works/new-cost-effective-clinically-proven-autism-therapy/
My 5 year old bites her nails a lot, has stomach aches everyday and before school she says she wants to throw up. Sometimes tantrums getting in car. Goes to bed some nights saying everybody hates me. She has just started Kindergarten and I don’t know how to get her tested properly. Her brother has a form of Autism and needs an aide to focus but his disability was more obvious to others. my daughters preschool teacher felt that she needed counseling but I want answers to help her more than her talking to someone and have her tell them anything. She is very smart.
It looks like your daughter has anxiety issues. Mendability does not require a formal diagnosis. All we need is to know where your daughter needs help and then we work on helping the brain to overcome these issues.
Anxiety in children is often overlooked because most parents can easily remember phases of their own childhood that were filled with uncomfortable feelings and general awkwardness. Transferring to a new school, going on a first date or falling down in gym class caused butterflies in the stomach and maybe even a few tears.