Anxiety attacks’ symptoms differ from one person to another, but they are an experience that one is not likely to forget. In many cases they mimic heart attacks, which is why many panic attack sufferers are rushed to the emergency rooms of the hospitals. In order to reduce the frequency to their occurrences and their severity, apart from consulting a medical professional and acting on his or her recommendations, there is a lot that one can do on his or her own in order to alleviate stress and lessen your worries.

Choosing a healthy and balanced diet is a step in the right direction. When you eat the right food and take care of yourself your body will perform at its best. There are many different foods that you can incorporate into your diet that will help with dealing with anxiety. There are also certain foods and drinks you should try to avoid.

1. Very important is the daily consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. Eating plenty of these high nutrient foods will not only make you feel better mentally, but it will also be good for your physical health as well.

2. Eat complex carbohydrates, such as potatoes, whole-wheat bread and pasta. In order to keep your blood sugar level under control it is important to eat at least three meals per day and two snacks in between meals.  Studies have shown that when a person’s blood sugar drops this can actually cause them to feel anxious. One should also never miss breakfast – most dieticians recommend having your meal within one hour of getting out of bed.

3. Drink enough water – the quantity depends on the person’s weight and his physical activities, but as a rule one should drink at least eight glasses of water every day. Even mild dehydration will affect one’s mood.

4. Many people are sensitive to certain types of food, food ingredients or spices, the most common being dairy products, nuts, shellfish, and wheat. If you notice that certain type of food alters your mood then try your best to avoid it.

5. It also very beneficial for a person that is dealing with anxiety to take multi-vitamin supplements! The vitamin that many medical practitioners recommend to the anxiety sufferers is the B vitamin; you can increase its intake either by purchasing supplements, or increase the percentage of B vitamin rich food in your diet.

6. If you are a coffee lover you should consider switching to tea or decaffeinated coffee. The caffeine is a well known stimulant and when taken in large quantities can actually induce anxiety attacks. You should also be aware of the fact that teas and certain sodas contain caffeine as well- make sure that you read the labels before buying your next bottle of fuzzy drink.

7. Avoid drinking alcohol or if you are a social drinker stick to a glass of wine; even though the link between alcohol and illegal substance abuse has not been fully understood, it has been proven that about 20% of the anxiety and depression sufferers in the US also suffer from alcohol or other substance abuse disorder.

By following some of the dieting recommendations in this article you will not only live a healthier life holistically, but you will also be treating your anxiety in a very productive way. Of course, in case of severe and frequent anxiety attacks you should always consult a doctor, seek therapy or medicine treatment, but in conjunction you should also change your diet, exercise, and apply some basic self-management techniques which will help you live a normal life with less stress and worries.

The fear of an anxiety attack by itself can trigger an attack. This is true as reported by many anxiety disorder patients and after resolving the “meta” fear, most reported an immediate cessation of anxiety attacks. Learn how to get rid of the fear of anxiety attacks, and you will be able stop your problem naturally and effectively.

Natural anxiety treatments are good alternatives to medication and therapies, or can be used in conjunction with them, and in most cases have soothing and relaxing effect. Before you try any of the herbs, or start taking any vitamins in order to keep your stress levels down, you should consult your doctor.

Amongst the most widely used natural anxiety treatments are the following herbs.

St John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) leaves and flowers are used as a natural anxiety treatment for severe depression and chronicle anxiety. Clinical trials have proven that the herb is beneficial for patients who suffer from these disorders and about as effective as other widely-used antidepressants. It is suggested that the St John’s wort is only taken for a short period and never in conjunction with anti-anxiety medication. Possible side effects include abdominal ache, sleeping trouble, vivid dreams, headache, etc.

Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) is a herbal remedy for anxiety, stress, and insomnia. Its effects show after a few weeks, but it is advised not to be taken for more than three months or together with other medication. When taken in normal doses the Valerian is safe, when taken in excess might cause abdominal ache, allergic reactions, or headaches.

Kava (Piper methysticum) is effective for treating anxiety and sleeping disorders, and has been used as a folk remedy for thousands of years. Medical studies have proved the positive (although small) effect that the kava root has on the anxiety sufferers. In 2002 the FDA has issued a warning to consumer since in rare cases it has been linked to adverse liver reactions.

Passionflower (Passiflora incarnate) is probably the best known of all natural anxiety treatments and is successfully used for treating patients who suffer from generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). The effects have been proven by various clinical trials, mostly carried out in EU countries, and the herb has been officially approved by a German health Commission as being effective against anxiety and insomnia. The herb is considered to be safe, in some cases mild side effects can are experienced such as palpitations, vomiting and nausea.

Vitamin B-1 has calming effect and helps reduce fatigue, anxiety and irritability. It is advisable that Vitamin B-1 be taken as a complex supplement since some doctors recommend Vitamin B-6 and B-12 to anxiety sufferers.

Natural anxiety treatments aren’t limited to herbs and supplements though. Your diet is important as well and here are a few things that you should do:

1. Reduce the intake of caffeine. Clinical studies have proven that excessive intakes of caffeine lead to sleeping troubles, twitching, trembling, racing heart, nausea and restlessness – all symptoms that can be associated with anxiety.
2. Reduce the intake of alcohol. Alcohol depresses the nervous system and alcohol and illegal substances abuse have been linked to anxiety disorders. Social drinkers should consume a glass of wine on occasion and avoid white spirits and hard liquor.
3. Eat balanced, healthy diet. This will improve your general health, and will help you better manage your anxiety.

Other natural anxiety treatments recommended by many medical practitioners are exercise,meditation, yoga, and hypnosis and they all help reducing the stress level. Exercise is extremely important and very helpful for people that suffer from insomnia as well – long and fast walk will help you sleep better at night.

Take frequent brakes – do not work for hours straight without taking a break. If you work in a office or behind a computer all day long, take a short 10 minute break for every 45 minutes work. Get out of your chair, stretch, walk around and do some breathing exercises.

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Psychologists have confirmed that most anxiety attacks stem from fear. When a fearful thought creeps into the person’s mind, this will trigger an attack. Even the fear of an anxiety attack by itself, is a trigger and it is proven that this “meta” fear can be undone. Once this “meta” fear is resolved, the trigger is no longer there and anxiety attacks will cease to happen.

To learn how to get rid of this “meta” fear, click here and review how others have succesfully done it. ]]> http://www.anxietyattack.org/natural-anxiety-treatments/feed/ 0 http://www.anxietyattack.org/anxiety-treatments-for-children-medication/ http://www.anxietyattack.org/anxiety-treatments-for-children-medication/#comments Mon, 17 Aug 2009 10:55:02 +0000 admin http://www.anxietyattack.org/?p=95

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental conditions that affect children and adolescents and some studies suggest that almost one in five kids might have a diagnosable disorder. Anxiety treatments for children can include the intake of medications and therapies, and sometimes different treatments are even combined for greater effect. And even though the anxiety disorders are so widely spread, they are often mistaken for normal conduct, which in turn leads to late diagnosis and treatment. These anxiety disorders can affect the child’s ability to lead normal life, perform well in school, and have a fulfilling adulthood as well.

Common symptoms of anxiety disorders might be physical signs like headaches, muscle tension, abdominal aches, etc. as well as your child being obsessed with worries about normal, everyday activities such as attending school, participating in a sport game, or irrational fears (phobias); frequent and severe panic attacks are also an indication of panic disorder.

The proper diagnosis is usually given after careful evaluation and talking to the child, the parents, and even the teachers. Once your child have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, then you should take some measures to help him or her cope with it – your options include taking your child to a therapist (after you have consulted your child’s doctor), taking a few steps yourself to reduce your child’s stress levels and anxieties, and finally medication. Most children respond well to therapies, with the most popular being cognitive-behavior therapy and medication is only prescribed for kids and adolescents with mild to severe anxiety disorders.

The most often asked question is what anxiety treatments for children and medications can be used to treat their disorders.

The most psychiatric medications used today seem to be the Serotonin-specific reuptake inhibitor (SSRIs) – they are prescribed to adults and children alike and are used to treat various conditions such as depression, insomnia, personality disorder, and anxiety disorders. These drugs are usually prescribed to kids that have not responded well to therapies and have severe signs of anxiety disorders. Studies have shown in most cases SSRIs are really effective for treating childhood panic disorders and depression, but you should be aware that there are some side effects as well: these can show us abdominal pain, nausea, headache and in very rare cases the SSRIs can lead to suicidal thoughts. In all cases though it is advisable to monitor the changes in the behavior and the mood of the child, and some medical practitioners advise on regular EKG and blood tests too.

The SSRIs are usually taken for a year and in the first few weeks to a month the signs of improvement should be visible. The largest trial so far used fluvoxamine and almost 80% of the children that participated in the trial showed signs of improvement as opposed to 25% of the kids that were given placebo. The side effects were mild, the most common being stomach ache, and have been experienced by more than half of the children that took the drug; the test also showed increased levels of activities among these kids and adolescents, something that is usually not seen in adults taking SSRIs.

Benzodiazepines are also used in rare cases, but they are mostly used for very short-term effect and to suppress child’s irrational fear like fear of flying for example.

Make sure that you pay attention to your child’s needs and worries – if he or she is obsessed with them, then this might be a sign of anxiety. You first step in the right direction should be showing the kid practical ways of coping with his or her worries and fears, but if the symptoms persist, then you should consult a specialist. If medications are prescribed, some benchmarks should be established by the medical practitioner, and periodical evaluation should be made as well, in order to establish that they are actually helping your child battle the anxiety.

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The fear of an anxiety attack by itself can trigger an attack. This is true as reported by many anxiety disorder patients and after resolving the “meta” fear, most reported an immediate cessation of anxiety attacks. Learn how to get rid of the fear of anxiety attacks, and your child will be able to cope much better.

Stress, depression and anxiety disorders are psychological challenges faced by many people. Most psychological problems can be averted if you know how to properly manage your mind and not letting it get out of order. Managing your mind is like tending to a garden. If you do not tend to it in a disciplined manner, unwanted weeds and undergrowth will overwhelm it. On the other hand, if you manage your garden with tender loving care and plant it with good seeds, then you will reap a good harvest.

In other words, if you consistently bombard your mind with worrisome thoughts, anxiety and stress will set in until it gets out of control. Seeding your mind with good and resourceful thoughts will ward off a breakdown and will keep your mind in tip top levels.

Do you know that the fear of anxiety attacks by itself is the main trigger to cause anxiety attacks? Just by learning how to conquer that fear has helped thousands of sufferers stop these problems in it’s tracks.

This should be the first step, among others, and listed below are the top 21 stress & anxiety management techniques that you can do on your own. All of them are proven to work well and will lessen your worries and should be part of your overall self-management strategy. Remember, manage your mind well using these psychological and physiological tips and you will live a positive and fulfilling life, free from stress and anxiety attacks.

1. Change your diet. Following a balanced diet is not only good for your weight and general health, but is a proven stress & anxiety management technique. You should never starve yourself and always eat breakfast – skipping breakfast results in low sugar levels, which in turn might bring up anxiety-like symptoms. Eating food rich in calcium, phosphorus and magnesium helps reducing stress and so does avoiding refined sugar.

2. Reduce the intake of caffeine – limit your caffeinated beverages to one per day or switch to decaf. The large amounts of caffeine will induce anxiety symptoms and might lead to sleeping troubles as well.

3. Vitamin B will help you in your battle with anxiety disorders and stress. Most doctors will advise you to increase the intake of foods, rich on B vitamin, or take it as a supplement. Click here for resources on Vitamin B and its calming effects.

4. Exercising is an excellent stress & anxiety management technique – it eases the symptoms of anxiety and stress. During exercise endorphin is released and that helps in boosting your mood. Medical practitioners recommend at least 45 minutes daily exercise from up to five days per week and this can be aerobic, walking, or cardio.

5. Massages help in decreasing stress and anxiety levels. If you start feeling anxious at work or don’t have the time to visit a professional masseur you can give a quick and discrete neck and hands self-massage right there in your office.

6. Analyze and face your problems and fears. If you are suffering from phobia you should never try to face your fears “head-on”, but gradually, with the help of a professional, learn to accept situations that you find terrifying. Take proactive approach to your problems, do not leave your chores and tasks for the last minute, this only increases your stress levels.

7. Think positive. Replace negative thoughts with positive ones. You might have heard of this already, but this is in fact a simple, yet powerful stress & anxiety management technique. If you start having negative thoughts and excessive worries you can force yourself to think about something pleasant and enjoyable. Immediately you will start feeling better and calmer.

Suppress negative thoughts – do not underestimate the power of your own mind. You are in control and you can decide to push your negative thoughts away and replace them with happy ones. A simple technique is to imagine that you are in a better place – close your eyes and “see” yourself sitting on the beach, listening to the splash of the ocean waves – this will calm you down and help you reduce your stress levels.

8. Take action. If you have been diagnosed with anxiety disorder, take action – this will give you a sense of control and in turn reduce your stress and anxiety. Start seeing a mental health professional, join an anxiety support group, join the gym, start exercising, take any action and you are already a winner.

9. Manage your “worry time”. Many people worry about events that are far ahead in the future. Why worry now if you can worry later? If you can take practical steps to solve a problem, by all means take them, but there is no need to worry excessively as this will only increase your anxiety.

10. Write down your worries and fears. Once you put it all down on paper, you might find out that you worry about events that you have no control over (they will either happen or they won’t) are small and insignificant matters. In that case simply stop worrying about them – keep your strength for the big challenges in your life.

11. Don’t worry what other people think or say about you. This is very helpful for people who suffer from social anxiety disorders. You don’t need other people’s approval in order to lead fulfilling and exciting life, and the sooner you realize this simple truth, the less stressed out you will feel.

12. Sex is one of the most wonderful and pleasant stress & anxiety management techniques. Large amount of endorphin, which is a feel-good hormone, is released during sex and this explains why all people are happy after having sex. Studies have proven that sex and orgasms boost mood and reduce stress levels. Even though most of us lead busy lives, you can always find time for sex.

13. Practice deep breathing – many health professionals will be able to show you breathing exercises, which you should keep practicing. Once you sense some physical or mental signs of anxiety or even panic attack, start breathing deeply – this is a simple technique where you deliberately slow down your breathing and use your diaphragm. This will slow your heartbeat, relax your muscles and reduce anxiety.

14. Smile! Smiling realeases our body’s natural drugs: Serotonin and Endorphins. These hormones are natural pain killers and are also labeled as natural “feel-good” drugs. It will wash away all the tensions in your body, relaxes your muscles and take away pain. It will also instantly change the negative state that you are in into a positive one and this will in turn put you into a good mood. Smiling is also contagious and will boost your immune system.

15. Use the power of affirmations – using positive affirmations throughout the day will help you fight anxiety – if you suspect that you might be having another panic attack, you can keep repeating to yourself “I can handle this,” and “I will calm down.” Even though this might seem odd at first, it will help you feel much better. Your mind will move you towards things that you are focusing on. If you keep on saying “I will calm down”, etc, it will take immediate command of calming you down and this has instant effect.

16. Don’t be a victim – fight back! If you and your family are in good health, if you live in a peaceful country and there’s no major weather disaster coming your way, then you don’t have much to worry about. You must be a fighter and tackle your everyday tasks with ease and simply see them as minor challenges, not as something that you should excessively worry about.

17. Don’t overload yourself. If you work 12-14 hours every day and take no time off, your stress levels will inevitably rise. Know your limitations, take practical steps to reduce your workload, take time to relax and you will better manage your anxiety and stress.

18. Aromatherapy is a great way to relax – many oils like lavender, geranium, marjoram and others can help you relax and in fact have been used to help people with sleeping disorders. They are believed to relieve anxiety and stress symptoms as well.

19. Acupressure is an ancient Chinese technique that is believed to reduce stress, tension, and anxiety. Studies have shown that it has positive effect, similar or better than the traditional full-body massage.

20. Focus on doing something that you like. If you have been putting off an interest, now is the time to take up the hobby. It may be keeping a pet, painting or anything that will occupy your mind. In so doing, your mind will now have new thoughts and that leaves it with no room for negative ones. Just by flushing out the unresourceful thoughts which create anxieties and replacing it with a new focus will work wonders.

21. Listen, read or watch motivational materials. Simply search Youtube.com for videos tagged with keywords “motivational” or “inspirational” and spend some time going through highly rated videos. This will almost instantly change your perspective and downplay your worries. You can also read inspirational books or talk to people who can inspire you.

Do you like the list above? Remember, the first step to conquering panic anxiety attacks is to conquer the fear of having one! Click here to listen to others who have solved their issues, just by conquering this fear.

What are the most common anxiety treatments without medication though?

Most mental health professional would recommend psychotherapy and the most widely-used one is the Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). CBT us actually a group of therapies, based on the presumption that the therapy can help the anxiety sufferer to change the way he or she thinks and thus change his feelings and behavior, without having to change his or her surroundings. CBT is usually short-term therapy and lasts up to six months, while psychotherapy can last for years. The anxiety sufferer has to be willing to put all that he learns during the Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy into practice and this is crucial for its success; the Cognitive model is directive – during every session the patient has to learn new ways on how to behave and think in order to achieve their goals.

Psychoanalytic therapy is one of the most popular anxiety treatments without medication and is arguably the most beneficial one in the long run. It aims at bringing on the surface the unconscious thoughts that according to this therapy’s supporters determine our behavior and thoughts. This therapy is a long and intense process that can last for years.

Relaxation techniques can help the anxiety sufferers lessen its effect and symptoms and in general help lower the stress levels. Some of the most beneficial techniques are muscle relaxation, meditation, and breathing retraining (widely used for treating panic disorder).

The Gestalt Therapy is also widely used and it helps the anxiety sufferer face the situations and surroundings that they fear. The main emphasis on this therapy is on the self-regulating and personal responsibility.

Some other anxiety treatments without medication are the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), the Short-Term Dynamic Therapy (STDT), as well as some non-traditional medicine therapies.

Self-management is one of the best ways to reduce your stress levels, depression, and anxiety and is something that you can easily do on your own, especially when you have your friend’s and family support. This translates to following a few simple rules that will help you lessen your worries. Some of these steps include writing down all your excessive worries and fears, which will help you separate the irrational ones from the ones that most people your age have. You should also avoid doing your work and chores in the last moment – this can put a lot of stress on you and taking action is the far better approach. Talking about your worries with a medical professional, or your friends and family, is also a step in the right direction, and so is avoiding worrying about what other people think or say about you. If you suffer from panic attacks you can rest assured that no matter how frightening they are, they cannot do you any harm – this will help you have all the “in between panic attacks” worries that many anxiety suffers have.

When dealing with anxiety you should always talk to your doctor, who in turn might refer you to a mental health professional. Then he or she should advise you on the best course of action and in most cases this is adopting one of the above-mentioned anxiety treatments without medication.

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Psychologists have confirmed that most anxiety attacks stem from fear. When a fearful thought creeps into the person’s mind, this will trigger an attack. Even the fear of an anxiety attack by itself, is a trigger and it is proven that this “meta” fear can be undone. Once this “meta” fear is resolved, the trigger is no longer there and anxiety attacks will cease to happen.

To learn how to get rid of this “meta” fear, click here and review how others have succesfully done it.

]]> http://www.anxietyattack.org/anxiety-treatments-without-medication/feed/ 0 http://www.anxietyattack.org/anxiety-medicine/ http://www.anxietyattack.org/anxiety-medicine/#comments Fri, 14 Aug 2009 07:30:00 +0000 admin http://www.anxietyattack.org/?p=65

If you are suffering from generalized anxiety disorder and feel depressed all the time, then you should talk to your doctor about the possibility of taking anxiety medicine. There are many ways to treat and manage anxiety and the most popular ones are the use of anxiety medicine and the various therapies such as the Cognitive-Behavioral therapy (CBT), the Exposure therapy, and the Psychoanalytic therapy. If you get a recommendation by a health professional, you should take part in such therapies since most of them are beneficial for the anxiety disorder sufferers. The main goal of such therapies is to replace your negative thoughts with realistic thoughts, lessen your worries and thus reduce your stress levels.

However, in some cases the effects can be relatively short-term and you might consider other options in order to manage your worries and fears. One such option is the anxiety medicine treatment. You should never take these medications on your own – always consult with a medical professional and once you both agreed on the use of medicaments, follow his instructions to the letter.

What kind of anxiety medications is available and how can they help you if you are a sufferer?

The medications can be divided into four major groups:

Tricyclic anti-depressants are mostly prescribed to people that suffer from panic disorder. You might be suffering from anxiety (panic) disorder if you experience frequent and intense panic attacks. These have symptoms, similar to a heart attack, and can be quite frightening. Once you have consulted with your physician and have been diagnosed with panic disorder, then you might talk to him about the possibility of managing your condition with tricyclic anti-depressants. Different types of this group of drugs are also used for treating depression and obsessive compulsive disorder, but even though they are some of the most often prescribed in some cases their side effects might outweigh their benefits.

Benzodiazepines (called “benzo” for short) is actually the most prescribed drugs to anxiety sufferers and are also given to people that suffer from seizures, insomnia, alcohol withdrawal, and other conditions. They in turn can be divided into short, medium and longer-acting and the latter are used for treating anxiety disorders. The effect of the drug is that they lower the GABA (Gamma-Amino Butyric Acid) levels and thus inhibit and thus reduces excitability.

Serotonin-specific reuptake inhibitor (SSRIs) is a class of medications, used for treating personality disorders, depressions, insomnia, as well as anxiety disorders since the 1980s. The different anxiety disorders that they are used to manage are the panic disorders, OCD, social anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and others. They work by increasing the serotonin levels, which in turn heightens the sending of nerve impulses.

Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) are mainly prescribed to patients that suffer from severe depression, mood disorders, and various other disorders like anxiety disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), OCD, and others. They work by increasing the norepinephrine and serotonin levels, which are two of the main neurotransmitters that influence the mood. The SNRIs are more widely used than the SSRIs, even though they have been introduced after them, and are believed to have stronger antidepressant effect.

When treating your anxiety you should always talk to a medical professional, you might want to try a few therapies first and learn a few ways to manage your anxiety levels on your own. However, if you determine that none of these measures is effective, then you should ask your doctor about the available medication and take them the prescribed way. As with almost all other medications, you must be aware that there are side effects that might harm your health – take that into consideration too.

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The fear of an anxiety attack by itself can trigger an attack. This is true as reported by many anxiety disorder patients and after resolving the “meta” fear, most reported an immediate cessation of anxiety attacks. Learn how to get rid of the “meta” fear, and you will be able to naturally prevent anxiety attacks.

What is the most effective anxiety treatments for children?

First of all you should learn what the symptoms of anxiety disorders are since in many cases they fail to get recognized by the parents and thus the treatment is postponed and started way too late. If your child shows excessive worries and unjustified fears, or physical sings of anxiety such as headaches, stomach aches, muscle tension then he or she might suffer from anxiety disorders. In some cases this results in panic attacks as well. If these symptoms persist for at least six months or longer periods, then you should seek professional help.

Finding the best mental health specialist for your child might take some time and research, but you should talk to friends and family, your child’s doctor, and finally check his or her background and “success rate.” This is actually crucial since you are putting your child’s health and future in his hands. Once that professional has diagnosed your child with anxiety disorder, he or she would advise you on the best course of action.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

On almost all cases a therapy is the best anxiety treatment for children and the most common one is the Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). This therapy is actually the general terms of various similar therapies, but what all of them have in common is that they are based on the idea that we can control our thoughts and they, in turn, determine our behavior and feelings. Thus, the CBT is an anxiety treatment for children that try to change the way the kid or adolescent feels even though he or she remains in the same situation. The Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy has shown great success in managing anxiety in kids of the age seven to eight years or older, but the most crucial part is the will of the child to take part and learn the new ways of thinking. Parents are involved as well since they have to encourage their children to practice the new skills and help them every step on the way.

Psychoanalytic therapy is an anxiety treatment that is much longer compared to the CBT, it can go on for years and can best be described as “talk therapy” that helps the children and teens manage their anxiety.

Behavioral Therapies are used to help children get over their irrational fears and manage their anxiety reactions.

Self-management – this where the parent plays crucial role. You should consult a mental health professional that would explain you the best way to support your child. This can be an extremely effective anxiety treatment for children and is quite often overlooked. If your child only experiences mild anxiety then showing him a practical and easy way to lessen his or her worries can help enormously. Keep in mind that this takes time and don’t expect to see immediate results, but as long as some progress is made in a six month or longer period, then you are on the right track. If your child suffers from phobias do not force them to face their fears “head-on,” but rather take the prolonged exposure approach – this means letting your child gradually confront the situations that they are scared of.

Medications – these are usually prescribed to children who do not respond well to the previously mentioned treatments and after careful evaluation. The most widely used medications are Serotonin-specific reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and although they can help you cure your child’s anxiety disorder, you should keep in mind that they come with side effects. These side effects are usually mild, but careful monitoring by a medical practitioner is recommended.

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The fear of an anxiety attack by itself can trigger an attack. This is true as reported by many anxiety disorder patients and after resolving the “meta” fear, most reported an immediate cessation of anxiety attacks. Learn how to get rid of the fear of anxiety attacks, and your child will be able to cope much better.

How can parents help their anxious children? Here are a few simple things a parent should do:

Prepare your children for the changes in their lives.

Many of the child’s fears are associated with moving to a new area or city, moving to a new school, divorce, leaving a friend behind, among others. In most cases these changes are known to the parents in advance, and they can make reasonable efforts to “cushion” the child’s stress. Explain to them why you have to make the change or what caused that change (in a case of a death of a relative for example) and address the child concerns. In case you are moving your child to a new school or city, you might want to take a trip there with your child, and slowly introduce him or her to the new environment.

Many of the kids experience anxiety due to “modeling” their parents’ behavior.

You don’t have to put up a brave face every time you are up against danger or major change, but positive attitude towards change and calculated risk-taking should serve as a good example. Studies show that children, whose parents are suffering from anxiety, are up to seven times more likely to become anxiety sufferers as well. Many doctors believe that in such cases prevention is far better than treatment.

Handle your child’s fears with care and understanding.

You first step should be to make the child express and share his or her fears with you, after that you must try to teach your child some strategies and ways to cope with these fears – if they feel like they have control over the situation, they might get over their irrational fears faster. Make sure that you give your children enough time to overcome their fears, in some cases this might take months, even years. A very good way to give a reasonable explanation and ways of understanding your child’s excessive fears is using children’s books.

Talk and listen to your child

Talking and listening to your child will make you aware of his or her concerns and worries, but in some cases you can observe the anxiety symptoms in the child’s behavior and they can be expressed as aggression, defiance, temper tantrums, destructive behavior, poor eye contact, crying, etc. These, of course, might be a simple indicator of overload, or in rare cases if serious mental illness. Nevertheless, addressing them on time is vital for the child’s health and future development.

Make sure that your child is adequately protected

Children that feel that their home is a safe heaven are less likely to develop anxiety disorders. Remember that sexual or physical abuse can scar your child for life! Also, remember that children can be abused not only by adults, but by their peers as well, and today many children are subjected to verbal and physical abuse at school. Watch out for worrisome symptoms and act immediately – do not try unnecessarily overprotecting your children, but make sure that they are safe at all times.

Your child’s anxiety can be effectively treated with the help of various therapies (especially when the family is involved in them), but late diagnosis and treatment can lead to under-performance at school, depression, and even alcohol and substance abuse.