My 7 year old has developed increasing anxiety symptoms over the past few months, to the point that he is fighting off panic most parts of the day. We are heartbroken and concerned for our boy and just want to help him find relief.
The good news: you can help him find that relief. The not so good news: you cannot do it for him. One of my greatest lessons as a therapist is learning how to let the children
She has a very strong bond with me. She hates me going out for any length of time and always asks when I’ll be back.
Your child wants to feel safe. She feels safest when she is in close proximity to you. Because familiarity breeds comfort – that’s how her brain is wired. When she wa
I don’t know if I should be taking him to the doctors to get referred to some kind of therapy, or if there are things I can do and say at home that might help him.
The very first thing you can do at home, is spend one-on-one time with your child. Allow him to choose an activity and let him direct your time together. If it’s LEGO, then so be
I almost was wishing she had a medical issue because then she would have a “reason” to have anxiety.
Does it frustrate you that you cannot blame something or someone for your child’s struggle? I bet it does. Now, how do you think this struggle is for your daughter? Probably the
I feel so isolated as a mother and like everything is up to me. Cooking, schooling, raising my kids the right way. It’s too overwhelming and I just can’t do it all.
You were never supposed to feel the weight of the world on your shoulders like this. Navigating being a parent is not supposed to be this hard. You were never meant to be solely re
She gets so upset that she throws up when she is anxious about something. There was a daddy-daughter dance at her school and just before we left she threw up because she was nervous about dancing with her daddy.
Sometimes fears and worries can get so overwhelming, that the body has a physical response to emotional stress. Digestive issues and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) has been linked
She moved schools last September and the first few weeks were fine, then in mid-October, it started. Tears, not sleeping, not being able to get out of the car, etc.
Your child’s amygdala, and overly safe-keeping part of their brain has kicked into overdrive. It’s acting like an overprotective adult that believes they are doing the best
Sometimes he is more scared and afraid, and then other times he is so angry I can’t even talk to him. I just don’t know what to do with him.
Your child has entered the ‘fight’ mode of a fear response. It’s fight, flight or freeze and your brave soldier is choosing to fight his way through this. The amygdala has
Constant nightmares… is that normal for a 6y old?
Bad dreams can wreak havoc in any family home, especially when it involves your child ending up in your bed instead of their own. I can imagine how incredibly difficult it must be
I hear deep breathing works but my child hates it. What can I do – anything?
Sometimes breathing does make anxiety worse. And here is why: you are telling the amygdala “no – I’m not going to run. I am going to take a few deep breaths.” So the tr
