My 6 year old has anxiety

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anxiety is a normal and helpful feeling, like stress, that one should not attempt to get rid of. Work instead on the reaction to those feelings. Indeed, they can be performance enhancers.

Like a lot of people who never had to deal with serious mental illness themselves or with a family member, you have no idea what you are talking about.

Anxiety is not a serious mental illness. It is a normal emotion. Like happiness, sadness, contentment, doubt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anxiety is a normal and helpful feeling, like stress, that one should not attempt to get rid of. Work instead on the reaction to those feelings. Indeed, they can be performance enhancers.

Like a lot of people who never had to deal with serious mental illness themselves or with a family member, you have no idea what you are talking about.

Anxiety is not a serious mental illness. It is a normal emotion. Like happiness, sadness, contentment, doubt.

If any inner turmoil is too unpleasant, seek help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anxiety is a normal and helpful feeling, like stress, that one should not attempt to get rid of. Work instead on the reaction to those feelings. Indeed, they can be performance enhancers.

Like a lot of people who never had to deal with serious mental illness themselves or with a family member, you have no idea what you are talking about.

Anxiety is not a serious mental illness. It is a normal emotion. Like happiness, sadness, contentment, doubt.

The feeling of anxiety is healthy. Anxiety that negatively impacts life over time is a disorder that can be treated, and should be. A little anxiety ups performance - a lot shirts you down so much you can’t leave the house.

OP, my son did a few months of CBT with a clinical social worker and it helped tremendously. We used The Collaborative Counseling Center, if you are near Columbia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anxiety is a normal and helpful feeling, like stress, that one should not attempt to get rid of. Work instead on the reaction to those feelings. Indeed, they can be performance enhancers.

Like a lot of people who never had to deal with serious mental illness themselves or with a family member, you have no idea what you are talking about.

Anxiety is not a serious mental illness. It is a normal emotion. Like happiness, sadness, contentment, doubt.

Extremes of emotion over extended periods enough to interefere with normal functioning are mental illness. Again, obviously not something you've ever had to deal with, so you have no idea how bad it can get, or what horrible outcomes happen to people who take your advice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anxiety is a normal and helpful feeling, like stress, that one should not attempt to get rid of. Work instead on the reaction to those feelings. Indeed, they can be performance enhancers.

Like a lot of people who never had to deal with serious mental illness themselves or with a family member, you have no idea what you are talking about.

Anxiety is not a serious mental illness. It is a normal emotion. Like happiness, sadness, contentment, doubt.

Go back to the general parenting board where you belong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anxiety is a normal and helpful feeling, like stress, that one should not attempt to get rid of. Work instead on the reaction to those feelings. Indeed, they can be performance enhancers.

Like a lot of people who never had to deal with serious mental illness themselves or with a family member, you have no idea what you are talking about.

Anxiety is not a serious mental illness. It is a normal emotion. Like happiness, sadness, contentment, doubt.

You have NO idea what you're talking about.

OP, my kid is anxious too, and comes by it naturally (I have crippling GAD when not medicated). He's gotten MUCH better with age - is only 7 but is like a different kid than he was at 4 and 5. For him, the more he knows the better - it's uncertainty that throws him off. So once we answer questions that he needs to know answers to to feel comfortable, he's generally ok. Therapy has not been helpful for us though admittedly he has improved immensely on his own.

[Anonymous]

Well, the intervention mafia is out so I'll back off. Good luck with your cases.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, the intervention mafia is out so I'll back off. Good luck with your cases.

The intervention mafia? You do realize you are on the SN board. What do you think we actually deal with wach and every day?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, the intervention mafia is out so I'll back off. Good luck with your cases.

The intervention mafia? You do realize you are on the SN board. What do you think we actually deal with wach and every day?

^deal with and watch

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While medication has its place -- my child is on anti-anxiety medication -- it's not the first thing to try. So I would start with a psychologist/therapist instead of a psychiatrist. I really like the therapists at the Sibley Group (https://thesibleygroupdc.com) although I don't know if they work with kids as young as 6.

This. We just took my 7 year old to a therapist who specializes in anxiety in kids. She taught him all sorts of coping methods and how to identify when something was anxiety. He was in therapy for about 8 months, weekly, then every other week, then monthly. He is doing great now and we have stopped therapy for now. You don’t need to run to a psychiatrist immediately.

can you name the therapist?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anxiety is a normal and helpful feeling, like stress, that one should not attempt to get rid of. Work instead on the reaction to those feelings. Indeed, they can be performance enhancers.

Like a lot of people who never had to deal with serious mental illness themselves or with a family member, you have no idea what you are talking about.

No kidding. And also: wtf does PP think CBT is? learning to react differently to emotions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, the intervention mafia is out so I'll back off. Good luck with your cases.

^^ parent in denial about their child's needs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While medication has its place -- my child is on anti-anxiety medication -- it's not the first thing to try. So I would start with a psychologist/therapist instead of a psychiatrist. I really like the therapists at the Sibley Group (https://thesibleygroupdc.com) although I don't know if they work with kids as young as 6.

This. We just took my 7 year old to a therapist who specializes in anxiety in kids. She taught him all sorts of coping methods and how to identify when something was anxiety. He was in therapy for about 8 months, weekly, then every other week, then monthly. He is doing great now and we have stopped therapy for now. You don’t need to run to a psychiatrist immediately.

+1. CBT has really given by kid the tools to manage her anxiety without meds.

[Anonymous]

I'd start with a therapist evaluation - Alison Gardner in McLean is great - so is family compass in reston if either are convenient for you

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all the helpful info! We have an evaluation scheduled for the Ross Center. Anyone familiar with their 2 part evaluation process?

- OP