Youth anxiety: helping kids to face and deal with their fears

BY PAUL JUNOR

Anxiety in youth is an issue that has repercussions and effects in their lived realities. It comes in many forms and expressions and it can have a profound impact on the lives of youth.

According to Anxiety Canada, “Anxiety is our body’s normal reaction to perceived danger or important events. Anxiety is like an internal system. It alerts us to danger and helps our body prepare to deal with it. Anxiety comes in many forms making it challenging, interesting and difficult to deal with. Anxiety is normal and expected response to a threat. It’s what helps you notice a danger and keeps you safe until a threat passes.”

It is important to understand the connection between stress and anxiety. According to the International Dyslexia Association, “Stress is the reaction of the body and brain to situations that puts us in harms ways. The stressor may be a physical threat, or a psychological threat. Stress, or more specifically the stress response, is our body’s attempt to keep us safe from harm. It’s a biological and psychological response (http://www.interdys.org). Furthermore, anxiety is a state of worry about what might be –as compared to stress, which is a reaction to what is.”                                                    

The same chemical reactions are involved in the brain, when stress and anxiety are triggered. Worrying frequently about something negative occurring will lead to a state of chronic stress.  According to Toronto District School Board’s 2017 Student and Parent Census Data (released on Tuesday, November 13^th, 2018) involved more than 222,000 students and parents. There was an overall 10% decline in the emotional well being of students in Grade 7 to 12 compared to the last census. Emotional well being included: how they see themselves, the future and if they often feel sad, lonely and anxious.

According to John Malloy, Director of the TDSB, “This information offers important insights into what student’s lives are like outside of the classroom, and what supports we need to offer inside the classroom to respond. When we, as educators, know who our students are, when we listen closely to their needs, we then can provide services that meet those needs.”

It has been estimated that the total number of 12 to 19 years old who are experiencing depression is increasing and anxiety is the biggest symptom of this overarching stress.  (Canadian Mental Institute).  There are different types of anxiety that youth experience and the symptoms that manifest depend on the type. These symptoms may include: feelings of fear, uneasiness or panic, problems failing asleep, sweaty hands or feet, breathing difficulty, shortness of breath, and an inability to be calm, (WebMD). There are other symptoms such as: dizziness, muscle tension, nausea and tingling or numbness in the feet or hand.

Anxiety often manifests itself in different types of anxiety disorders. WebMD defined it as “A mental illness that produces fear, worry and a constant feeling of being overwhelmed.” Common anxiety disorders include social anxiety, specific phobias (severe anxiety or fears) and generalized anxiety. It is unconfirmed what causes anxiety disorder, although certain risk factors such as: personality, family history, stresses and brain illness have been implicated. Generalized anxiety is, “A kind of free-floating sense of worrying or impending trouble that doesn’t seem to be specific to one trigger event” (hhtp:/www.interdys.org).

It is important that trained professionals be consulted to provide expert advice to help youth. The DE-STRESS (Define, Educate, Speculate, Teach, Reduce the Threat, Exercise, Success and Strategize) model has been recommended as a step-by-step guide for helping kids deal with anxiety.