Back to School Anxiety

Going to school can be a stressful for some kids. Recognizing your child’s fear and responding with early intervention can prevent the situation from becoming a real problem.

Kids usually have some amount of fear over what they do not know. First time students and those who are changing schools can have a lot of anxiety about their new school.

So What can you do?

• Give your kid the opportunity to visit the school before the school year starts. This will help them with questions like where’s my class, is my teacher nice, etc….
• Get into a routine weeks before school starts. Students should have a fixed bedtime and wake-up schedule that they are exposed to prior to the start of school.
• Try to put a positive spin on the school experience, try to talk it up for weeks prior to the start of the new year. Make it an exciting thing. Students get excited about the new clothes, backpacks and school supplies, so make sure you bring them into the process of getting ready for the start of school.
• If your child thinks that you are nervous or apprehensive they will assume those same attitudes. Don’t let your own fears pass on to your child. Don’t let them know that you are sad or worried about them starting school.
• Discuss your child’s fears with them, a little bit of talking can go a long way in helping your child to feel at ease with their new environment.

Books that can help the Situation:

• I Don’t Want to Go to School:: Helping Children Cope with Separation Anxiety (Let’s Talk)
• Helping Your Child Overcome Separation Anxiety or School Refusal: A Step-by-Step Guide For Parents
• Helping Students Overcome Depression and Anxiety, Second Edition: A Practical Guide (Practical Interventions in the Schools)
• School Phobia, Panic Attacks, and Anxiety in Children
• The Big Day at School

Childhood Fears that lead to Anxiety

Does your child love roller coasters and scary stories? If not a new study suggests that they may be more prone to anxiety later on in life.

If you have noticed that your child seems to get frightened easily, it may be a good time to try to help them with their fears before they turn into anxiety problems later on in life.

These findings surfaced when Queenland’s University of Technology (QUT) asked children if they enjoyed scary activities, and whether parents considered their children excessively fearful.

The earlier you can identify anxiety in kids the easier it is to help them cope later on in life. For parents who think their child could have a problem with excessive anxiety, experts say that gradual and consistent desensitization is the best way to help them overcome their fears.

Teaching you kids coping and relaxation strategies to deal with their fears will do a lot to ensure that they don’t have problems later on in life.  Experts say you can gradually expose your kids to the things they fear if you do so in a manner that makes it fun and exciting.

For example, if your child is scared of the dark, try to make it fun for them. Slowly expose them to doing fun things in a dark environment. Make a fort, plan a sleepover in their room or backyard, make the whole thing into a real exciting event. Try to explain to them throughout the night how much fun the dark can be. If you can change the way your child views the situation you can slowly help then overcome their fears.

4 Anxiety Self Help Books that will help you

If you feel like anxiety has taken your life away, these 4 Books can help you start to put your life back together. If you have to choose just one, the most effective book I have ever seen is the Hope and Help for Your Nerves by Claire Weekes

1. The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook, Fourth Edition
   This book emphasizes adopting lifestyle changes to promote a more relaxed, and healthy approach to life.
2. Hope and Help for Your Nerves (Signet)by Claire Weekes
   This is probably one of the best anxiety books ever written. It is the basis for pretty much every modern anxiety program out on the market. If you can get past the older style of writing, this book is a must have.
3. Pass Through Panic: Freeing Yourself from Anxiety and Fear
   Another Excellent Anxiety  book by Claire Weekes.
4. From Panic to Power: Proven Techniques to Calm Your Anxieties, Conquer Your Fears, and Put You in Control of Your Life
   A book by Lucinda Bassett, founder of the Midwest center for Anxiety. Lucinda was once a person who suffered from anxiety and panic. She shares some of her struggles and techniques for overcoming anxiety

What is Social Anxiety?

Social anxiety is the most common type of anxiety that people suffer from. In fact, it is estimated that somewhere around 10 million people in America suffer from social anxiety problems. Social anxiety is defined as an intense fear of being in social situations.

People with Social Anxiety may Fear or have trouble with

• Starting and maintaining conversations
• speaking in public places
• being in meetings or group conversations
• worrying what others are thinking about them
• dating

Physical Symptoms can include:

• Sweating
• cold hands and feet
• blushing
• palpitations
• trembling
• and other anxious feelings

Yes it’s a symptom of Anxiety

First, I want to start out by saying everyone should get a full physical from there doctor to make sure that there symptoms are anxiety related. That being said RELAX! If your doctor has told you you are healthy, then You are Healthy!

From weird skin sensations to made up illnesses people with anxiety can get some pretty wierd feelings. They often rushing from doctor to doctor or emergeny room to emergency room wondering exactly what is wrong now.

Related Topics:

• Common Anxiety Symptoms
• Accepting your anxiety symptoms
• Common Fears