If you’re noticing signs of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) in your child or if they’ve recently been diagnosed with OCD, it can be difficult to know what to do.
This mental illness is often misunderstood because of its representation in the media. It’s often described as simply liking a clean room or keeping things a certain way. Clinical OCD is much more intense than this. It often needs professional intervention for the person to be able to live a normal life.
So, what are the signs and symptoms of OCD in children? How can you help after a diagnosis of childhood OCD? It’s all outlined here.
Navigating Social Anxiety with Selective Mutism: Using a CBT Approach
A diagnosis of social anxiety with selective mutism (SM) can be hard to navigate.
Especially if you’re an extrovert or you just enjoy social interactions, it can be hard to put yourself in the shoes of a child that feels intense anxiety in those same circumstances. Or your child may not be able to articulate their feelings and tell you exactly what’s wrong when you go out in public.
This article will not only give you a better idea of how to spot this disorder but also the best methods for treating it.
Let’s dive into it.
Read moreWhat Is Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia? Recognizing the Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments
Most of us really enjoy being at home. It's a place with all our favorite things. It contains familiar faces and special memories. It houses our family members and pets that we love. It’s a safe and comfortable place to be.
This love of familiarity is often felt by our children as well. They like having their own space, a reprieve from an often demanding outside world.
Sometimes, however, it's more than that. What if your child never wants to leave? What if leaving their home or safe space causes them to spiral out of control, having panic attacks or uncontrollable irrational fears? It may seem like something more than average anxiety. It may be panic disorder with agoraphobia.(1)
Read moreMore Than Childhood Fear: How to Identify and Address a Specific Phobia
Many children hang on their mother’s leg with apprehension on the first day of kindergarten. Other children struggle to sleep some nights because of the monsters they think are under the bed. Or maybe the trip to the dentist each year is a source of anxiety for your child.
These are all normal childhood fears. They are specific to one experience, and they can be worked through, and the child quickly moves on from them.
When a child’s fears become disproportionate to the actual situation and are long-standing, bleeding into many areas of the child’s life, there may be more going on, such as a Specific Phobia.
A Specific Phobia centers on one particular activity, object, animal, or situation. The fear that the child feels drives them to avoid that trigger at all costs. An inability to avoid the trigger causes intense distress.
Read moreUnderstanding Generalized Anxiety Disorder: What It Is, Why It Happens, and How to Help Your Child
“What if everyone stands up and leaves when it’s my turn to sing on stage?”
“What if I trip on the playground and no one ever wants to be my friend again?”
“What if all the walls of my bedroom fall in on me?”
These may sound like normal childhood fears; every child experiences fears at some point. However, it is important to be able to spot when normal childhood fear has become overwhelming anxiety.
Generalized anxiety disorder sounds like a scary term, but breaking it down and understanding it will give you insight into how to cope with your child’s fears. So what is generalized anxiety disorder, what triggers it, and how is it treated? Let’s dive in.
Read more3 Things to Do if You're Raising an Anxious Child
The past couple of years have been hard on all of us. But if you’re a parent, you’re a real hero. Working and parenting from home—all while tackling crippling pandemic anxiety—has become the new norm for many people.
And your children are likely feeling anxious too. They may not use the exact phrase “I’m anxious,” but the pandemic hasn’t been easy on anyone. And they probably don’t even have the words to describe exactly what they’re feeling.
So it’s up to you to notice and tackle the issue head on.
Is the question, “Mom, what if…?” followed by the disaster of the day on repeat in your household?
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