Help for Worried Kids : How Your Child Can Conquer Anxiety and Fear

if Your Son Begs To Stay Home From School To Avoid Speaking In Front Of The Class, Should You Be Worried? If Your Daughter Insists On Crossing The Street Whenever She Sees A Dog, What Should You Do? A Simple Evaluation Devised By Renowned Psychologist Dr. Cynthia G. Last Can Help You Determine If You Have Reason To Be Concerned. If So, You Can Use Dr. Last’s Checklists And Examples To Figure Out The Type And Severity Of Your Child’s Anxiety, Identify Contributing Factors, And Tackle The Problem Head On. Strategies Tailored For Different Kinds Of Anxiety Will Guide You In Preventing New Episodes, Calming Your Child When A Problem Arises, And Keeping Anxieties In Check As Your Son Or Daughter Matures. Dr. Last Delivers Powerful Advice And Insightful Information Gleaned From 25 Years Of Experience Working With Worried Kids And Their Families, Including Coping And Relaxation Skills Your Child Can Use To Reduce Stress And Worry, And Tips For Encouraging Kids To Approach--not Avoid--their Fears. Whether Your Son Or Daughter Can’t Go On Sleepovers, Gets Nervous Around Peers, Or Just Plain Worries About “everything,” This Reassuring And Compassionate Book Will Teach You How To Soothe Your Child’s Immediate Fears And Instill Lasting Confidence. publishers Weekly mixing Case Histories With Clinical Research, Last Shows Parents How To Tell The Difference Between Common Childhood Fears (e.g., Monsters Under The Bed) And More Serious Psychological Problems (e.g., Separation Anxiety Or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). The Author, A Clinical Psychologist And Expert On Anxiety Disorders, Relies Heavily On Anecdotes From Children Suffering From Anxiety Disorders To Illustrate The Afflictions And How To Handle Them (in Addition To The Disorders Mentioned Earlier, Last Also Covers Social Anxiety Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder And Specific Phobias). While The Sketches Are Well Drawn, They Are Somewhat Repetitive. The Book Is At Its Best When It Offers Parents Hands-on Information, Such As The Chart Outlining Ages When Common Childhood Fears Begin And Another On The Differences Between Children With Anxiety Disorders And Children With Adhd. There Is Also Valuable Material On The Connection Between Anxiety And Physical Symptoms Such As Headaches And Stomach Problems; The Effects Caffeine, Sugar And Environmental Toxins Can Have On Children; And The Roles Medical Problems Like Allergies, Asthma, Hypothyroidism And Diabetes Can Play In Causing Anxiety Or Making It Worse. Concerned Parents Will Find Plenty Of Useful Advice Here For Quelling Their Children's Fears. (jan. 23) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information. Most childhood fears are nothing to worry about. But panic attacks, phobias, and persistent anxiety can darken a child's horizons and lead to disrupted sleep, lower grades, and missed opportunities to make friends and explore the world. Dr. Cynthia G. Last helps parents determine when a child's apprehension is cause for concern. Drawing on 25 years of clinical practice and research, she vividly illustrates the different forms that childhood anxiety can take and offers practical solutions specific to each. For example, Dr. Last shows how to schedule 'worry time' to ease generalized anxiety, and explains why reassurance is often counterproductive for kids with obsessive-compulsive disorder. The book emphasizes strategies for preventing episodes before they begin, demonstrates how to intervene when one is in progress, and offers tips on how to keep anxiety from worsening as a child matures. Readers will learn to be consistent and encouraging as their child develops the confidence needed to face and conquer worries of every kind Preliminaries......Page 1 About the Author......Page 0 1 Do You Have an Anxious Child?......Page 15 3 Nature or Nurture?......Page 65 4 “Will You Still Be There Tomorrow?”......Page 93 5 “But Mom, What If . . . ?!”......Page 126 7 Self-Conscious to a Fault......Page 187 Evaluations devised to help parents determine if their children have anxiety problems and if so, what type and severity. It then provides strategies for helping the child cope with and prevent further episodes