Anxiety is an emotion we have when we think there is danger in front of us. It doesn’t have to actually be dangerous. It is just when overestimating the dangers of a potential situation. For example, being scared to get stuck in an elevator, so every time you are in one, you hold your breath until you make it to the floor you are supposed to get off on and the doors open. It is that thought that once those doors close, they may never open again.
Anxiety is not an easy thing for an adult to have to go through. Can you imagine how badly it affects your children? Your child’s body reacts to harmless situations because they expect that there is a real threat of danger. Their body will sound an alarm that there is danger. Then they experience an adrenaline rush causing them to either fight, run, or just freeze in terror. Let’s discuss some of the signs of anxiety in detail and then how you can help your child get rid of their anxiety.
Signs of Anxiety in Children
Here are some of the general symptoms of anxiety that are present in children. They include: (1) excessive fear and worrying about family and friends, (2) worrying about things before they occur, (3) low confidence and self-esteem (4) physical symptoms like a stomachache, headache, muscle aches, or tension (5) fatigue and restlessness, (6) irritable, (7) changes in appetite, (8) lack of concentration, (9) inability to relax, (10) trouble sleeping or having nightmares, (11) and fear of making mistakes or being embarrassed.
To some adults some of this may not be possible so you don’t recognize it in your children. It is best to know what to look for so that you know what to do to help them. The first step is always recognizing the problem for what it is.
Conventual Treatments
When looking for treatments of anxiety in children, the first thing you hear about is prescription medications such as Prozac, Lexapro, Zoloft, and Paxil. Another conventional treatment is cognitive-behavioral therapy that we know goes along with the medications that we just listed. But in all honesty, how many parents are really okay with putting their children on prescription drugs? Even as a last resort, it is not something that we want to do. The question then lies in, are there alternatives to prescription drugs that can help reduce our children’s anxiety.
Alternative Treatments
There are alternative treatments for you to consider. They are nutritional and diet counseling, mind-body techniques such as yoga, breathing techniques, and supplement recommendations. The society we live in makes a lot of us think that there is no supplement that can help us with anything we have medically or mentally going on with us. However, there are fewer evasive supplements that can help. For instance, did you know that incorporating vitamins into the children’s diet will help them reduce stress? Nutritional and herbal supplements can help in reducing anxiety in young children. These supplements included vitamins, minerals, herbs, and amino acids. For instance, magnesium, omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin B, passionflower, lavender, lemon balm, and chamomile, to name a few. You can find fun and delicious vitamins for your children such as sugar free gummy vitamins that can increase the likelihood of your child wanting to take them.
Conclusion:
When it comes to anxiety and your children, just remember you need to be aware of what to look for. Then therapy always helps. From there, speak with your child’s therapist about the alternatives to prescription drugs before you just go ahead and put your child on prescription drugs. Don’t assume that just because they don’t tell you about vitamin alternatives, that they don’t exist. Also, don’t avoid things because they make your child anxious and don’t reinforce their fears. Respect their feelings, but don’t empower them. And lastly, encourage them to tolerate their anxiety and sit down and think things through with them. The goal isn’t to eliminate their anxiety, but to help them learn how to manage it.
-Nora Price