If they don’t develop coping skills at an early age or think for themselves and learn to problem-solve challenging situations in childhood, they’re not going to pick up such skills as adults. We want to protect our children, but we also want them to face some adversity. In severe cases, untreated anxiety in childhood can lead to increased risk of depression, substance use, and even suicidal behavior. Their 12-year-old peers have developed age-appropriate social skills and the child with untreated anxiety is working with the toolkit of an eight-year-old. This becomes more problematic as kids get older. If a child has managed to avoid challenging situations, then he has missed valuable opportunities to learn how to get along with other kids. When you give in to the child’s anxiety - she’s afraid of doing a book report, has a tantrum, and is excused from doing it - her escape behavior is rewarded.Ĭhildhood is the time for developing social skills and managing different situations. It’s important to keep in mind that anxiety will persist if kids avoid what they fear. The Effects of Untreated Childhood Anxiety He may then practice with a teacher, and then a friend, before finally speaking to the class. Similarly, a child who fears speaking in front of his class may start by reading a few sentences to a therapist and working up to longer and more difficult presentations. Over time, the separation may increase (Mom walks to the curb, then down the block, and so on). For a child with separation anxiety, a parent may start exposure therapy by going into another room for two minutes every day for a week. By facing a feared situation in a gradual fashion, children see that the dreaded outcomes didn’t happen. The key ingredient in CBT is behavioral exposure. Over time, these worries lessen in frequency and intensity and no longer interfere with life. CBT aims to help children see that the situations they fear are unlikely to happen and that “anxiety is just making me think this way.” CBT teaches us to differentiate real from excessive worries, and it teaches skills for tolerating worries without having to act on them.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |