The Worried Child Recognizing Anxiety in Children and Helping Them Heal

by Foxman, Paul

• ISBN13: 9780897934206
• ISBN10: 0897934202
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-01-16
• Publisher: Hunter House

Summary

Drawing on over thirty years of practice and on personal anxiety experiences that go back to his own childhood, Dr. Paul Foxman has written a clear, well-documented, and deeply-felt book for adults who want to help. Part I discusses normal anxiety, anxiety disorders, and the personality traits of anxious children. Part II addresses the role of parents, schools, and society in contributing to children's anxiety. Additional chapters discuss the impact of terrorism, war, and the media. Part III gives sources of help: psychotherapy, medication, and alternative and complementary therapies. This book has the answers to your questions. Throughout, there are concrete suggestions and guidance for parents. An appendix provides ideas for teachers and school administrators, and a special chapter for young people discusses how they can help themselves. Book jacket.

Author Biography

Paul Foxman, Ph.D., is a psychologist and Director of the Center for Anxiety Disorders in Vermont. In 1985 he cofounded the Lake Champlain Waldorf School in Shelburne, Vermont

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. x
Acknowledgments	p. xii
Introduction	p. 1
How This Book Can Help	p. 4
My Experience with Anxiety	p. 5
Anxiety in Children: When Is It Normal, When Is It a Disorder?	p. 7
What Is Anxiety?	p. 8
What Is Anxiety and Why Is It So Prevalent Today?	p. 9
Threats That Lead to Anxiety in Children	p. 11
The Role of Stress in Children's Anxiety	p. 12
Emotions and Anxiety	p. 16
Cognitive Patterns and Anxiety	p. 17
Three Ingredients in Anxiety	p. 17
Childhood Anxiety Disorders	p. 21
Children's Normal Fears	p. 21
Anxiety Disorders in Children	p. 23
Mixed Anxiety Disorders	p. 37
Secondary Depression	p. 37
Other Disorders Associated with Anxiety	p. 38
Anxiety Disorders at Different Ages	p. 38
Personality Traits in Anxious Children	p. 41
The "Anxiety Personality Style"	p. 41
Cognitive Patterns of the Anxious Child	p. 43
Assets and Liabilities of the Anxiety Personality Style	p. 44
Identifying Anxious Children in School and Day Care	p. 44
What Parents Can Do	p. 45
Sources of Anxiety in Children and How You Can Help to Counteract Them	p. 53
Before and Beyond Birth: Developmental Stages and the Roots of Anxiety	p. 54
Bonding	p. 54
Brain Development and Anxiety	p. 62
Early Child Development and Anxiety	p. 65
What Parents Can Do	p. 68
The Family and Anxiety in Children	p. 70
Divorce	p. 71
Child Abuse	p. 81
Performance Pressure	p. 83
Families and Feelings	p. 85
Other Family Patterns and Styles	p. 87
Sexuality	p. 88
Drug and Alcohol Abuse	p. 90
Religion and Spirituality	p. 91
Discipline	p. 95
Parents' Own Anxiety	p. 99
Stress in Parents	p. 103
Other Things Parents Can Do	p. 107
Society and Anxiety	p. 110
Dangers in the Environment	p. 111
Natural Disasters	p. 112
Lack of Health Care for Children	p. 114
Sexual Abuse	p. 116
Violations of Trust and Power	p. 123
Children as Exploited Consumers	p. 125
Drug and Alcohol Issues	p. 127
Obesity and Related Health Problems	p. 128
Terrorism, War, and Child Anxiety	p. 131
My Anxiety about War	p. 131
Terrorism	p. 134
Government Responses to Terrorism	p. 136
What Parents Can Do	p. 139
Anxiety in School	p. 144
Grading Our Schools	p. 144
How Schools Create Stress and Anxiety in Children	p. 145
Learning Styles	p. 146
Multiple Intelligences	p. 147
Emotional Intelligence	p. 149
Personality Integration	p. 150
Social Stress and Anxiety	p. 152
Bullying, Teasing, and Violence in Schools	p. 153
Theft in Schools	p. 154
Academic Sources of Anxiety	p. 155
Homework Stress and Anxiety	p. 155
When Does College Begin?	p. 156
What Parents Can Do	p. 159
The Media and Child Anxiety	p. 162
Television and Movies	p. 162
Music	p. 168
Video Games	p. 170
Inadequate Rating Systems	p. 172
Internet Surfing	p. 172
What Parents Can Do	p. 173
Treating Anxiety in Children	p. 177
Biochemistry, Medication, and Nature's Remedies	p. 178
Help Often Begins with the Family Doctor	p. 178
Biochemical Approach to Treating Anxiety	p. 180
Brief History of Drug Treatment for Anxiety	p. 181
Pros and Cons of Medication for Children's Anxiety	p. 181
Alternative-Medicine Approaches	p. 184
Psychotherapy for Anxious Children	p. 192
When to Seek Therapy	p. 192
How to Choose a Therapist for Your Anxious Child	p. 193
How Therapists Evaluate Anxious Children	p. 194
Types of Therapy for Anxious Children	p. 195
Components of Therapy for Anxious Children	p. 199
Treatment Progress	p. 212
Health-Insurance and Managed-Care Issues	p. 213
A Chapter for Young People: What You Can Do to Help Treat Your Own Anxiety	p. 216
What's Good about Anxiety?	p. 216
What You Should Know about Anxiety	p. 217
How to Relax and Why	p. 220
How to Control Stress	p. 222
Are You Having Fun Yet?	p. 224
Are You "Too Sensitive"?	p. 225
Are You a Perfectionist?	p. 226
Do You Worry a Lot?	p. 227
How to Stop Unwanted Thoughts or Behavior	p. 228
How to Speak Up for Yourself	p. 229
Are Your Parents Divorced?	p. 230
Does School Make You Anxious or Stressed?	p. 231
Bad Things That Can Happen and What You Can Do	p. 233
How Do You Feel?	p. 234
The Good and Bad News about Television, Movies, Video Games, and Music	p. 235
Good Foods and Bad Foods for Anxiety	p. 238
Should You Get Professional Help?	p. 240
Medicine for Anxiety	p. 241
Case Examples	p. 243
Social Anxiety	p. 243
Generalized Anxiety	p. 244
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder	p. 246
Group Therapy for Adolescent Social Anxiety	p. 248
Panic Disorder and Separation Anxiety	p. 252
Divorce, Separation Anxiety, and Emetophobia	p. 256
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and Anxiety Associated with a Medical Condition	p. 257
Quick Cure for Generalized Anxiety Disorder	p. 259
PTSD with Mixed Anxiety Disorder	p. 260
In Closing	p. 263
What Schools Can Do to Reduce Anxiety	p. 264
Alternatives to Tests and Numerical Grades	p. 264
Group Learning and Multi-Age Classes	p. 266
Safety and Violence	p. 269
Relationship Between School and Family	p. 270
Curriculum Considerations	p. 272
Use of Technology	p. 273
Honor Code	p. 273
Resources	p. 275
Bibliography	p. 279
Index	p. 283
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