The Childhood Anxiety Epidemic, What Can We Do?

It’s no surprise that children today are suffering more stress than a generation ago. As connectivity grows, so does the amount of stressors kids face daily.

Some blame the increase in anxiety disorders in children and teens to the post 911 era, with terrorism threats prevalent on television, and the increase of negative news pushed from the media.

Add to that increased parental and societal pressures and overloaded schedules, and you have a recipe for chaos in the fragile and already confusing developmental stage that is childhood and teenage years.

Anxiety underlies most behavioral issues and struggles in children and teens. This leads to the obvious answer- decrease anxiety in the child and increase good behavior.

Anxiety is not something to be taken lightly. Left unaddressed, it can lead to serious lifelong health problems such as chronic anxiety and heart disease. 25% of 13 to 18 year olds have mild to moderate anxiety, 6% suffer severe anxiety. Girls are more likely to be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, but this is probably due to the fact females are more likely to seek medical attention than males. The average age of being diagnosed with anxiety is 11 years old, and it often is accompanies with depression.

Growing and finding yourself is already a difficult journey for kids. Lets help them focus more on what’s important by helping them learn to ease their anxiety.

Physical Symptoms

Constant worry
muscle tension
physical weakness
upset stomach
lashing out
bad behavior
poor memory
sweaty hands
confusion
shortness of breath
heart palpations
poor concentration
too much or too little sleep

What You Can Do
As parents and teachers, it is our job to nurture and raise healthy children.

Understand
By understanding anxiety ourselves, we can recognize it in our kids and help. Stress is a normal part of life we all face to varying degrees every day, and the body's natural response to threats or danger.

Learning about the cognitive, physical, emotional, and behavioral symptoms of anxiety– such as the inability to concentrate, rapid heartbeat, short-temper, eating too much or not enough, nausea, a sense of loneliness – will make it easier for students to recognize the signs in themselves. This will empower them to seek support or advice and remain in control of their reality- which is a big thing for kids as so much is out of their control.

Let them know a bit of stress can be motivating by encouraging them to turn the energy into something positive and productive. Show them how to set realistic goals in their lives to help ease timely stress.

When a child sees that they can master things they thought was out of their control, even something as simple as setting a schedule for their day, it boosts their confidence. And alleviates stress.

Know The Facts and Kill the Stigma

Teaching the science behind mental health will diminish the stigma by showing the student that what they are experiencing is normal.

The brain goes through many changes during childhood and adolescence. Puberty is triggered by the release of kisspeptin into the body. This affects the amygdala which is the emotional center of the brain. This is what makes our feelings more intense, and why there's a sharp increase in emotional and impulsive actions during the teenage years.

Armed with the knowledge of the science behind this helps teens get past the negative reactions so they can start making responsible decisions with their prefrontal cortex.

Encourage Mistakes
The brain develops when we make and think about a mistake. It is an important part of the growing and learning process, but many kids are terrified of messing up. Let them know we all make mistakes, and it's ok.

Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness has numerous benefits for both adults and children.

There is a school in America which replaced detention with mindful meditation. It has showed an increase in good attendance and behavior.

Most importantly, be the change you wish to see.

We tend to put our children first first but in this fast paced world this can leave room to forget our own well-being. The best way we can teach our kids how to manage stress and anxiety is to show them by modelling positive behavior. They are always looking to us, even when you think they aren't.