Dr Amina Al-Yassin I’m Dr Amina  Al-Yassin and in this video,   we’re going to be talking about top tips  for supporting children and adolescents   with anxiety disorders. We’re going to  talk about tips for parents and carers,   for Teachers and educators, for Social and  Youth Workers, and for friends and peers. If you are a parent or a carer of a child  with anxiety, there’s a lot that you can   do to help. One of the most useful things  is to talk about this, to explain to your   child or young person about anxiety, about the  fact that it can be a normal human reaction,   in fact, one that can be very, very helpful at  times. However, when it gets out of hand and   it starts to affect our normal day-to-day life,  that’s when we need to do something about it. So,   it’s useful to talk to your child about  anxiety, about how to recognise anxiety,   what are the signs of anxiety that you  feel in your bodies? For some people,   their heart can flutter. For other people it  might be that they get a tummy ache or a headache. It may be useful for you to share your own  experience with the child to help them to   recognise the signs of anxiety in themselves.  Encourage your child to try and manage their   anxiety with simple relaxation or breathing  techniques. Doing these together can be helpful,   too, because the more your child or young  person sees you modelling this behaviour,   the more they’re going to be able to do  it themselves. And really encourage them   to ask for help when they need it.  There is no shame in being anxious.   There is no shame in any mental health  disorder and the most important thing   is that we’re able to talk about it with  someone and get the help that we need. Another useful thing, especially when dealing  with children or young people who are anxious,   is to try and have a regular routine. Young  people can often find routines very reassuring,   very secure, and so, try to stick to regular  daily routines, where possible. And if there’s   going to be a big change in the routine, or if,  in fact, there’s going to be a big change in life   coming up, such as moving house, a holiday or  a change in the family structure, then try to   speak to your young person about it as early  as possible to try and help them to prepare.  If your child or young person is anxious as a  result of a particular event, such as a death in   the family or a separation, then you may find that  there are lots of books or movies that deal with   this issue. And sometimes, reading these together  or watching these together can be a really helpful   way to open up the conversation and to start to  talk about what is troubling your young person. A technique which I find particularly helpful  with younger children is that of the ’worry box’.   Ask your child to draw or write their worries  and to post them into a box, and once a week,   or at any interval that is suitable for you,   you can sit down together and work your way  through them. It’s a really good opportunity,   also, to try and encourage your young person  to think about different ways that the problems   could be solved. And the more we empower  them to think of solutions themselves,   the more helpful it’ll be, because it will build  up their sense of self-esteem and self-efficacy,   that sense that I can do this, I have done  this before, and I’ll be able to do it again. One of my – one of the things that I’ve found  most useful in understanding about anxiety is   that anxiety can sometimes be a cycle. And  so, if there is something that makes a child   or young person anxious, avoiding it will help  them to calm down, but only for a very short   period of time. Afterwards, that avoidance  actually makes the fear increase. And so,   what’s im – so, for example, let’s say  your young person is afraid of dogs,   and every time you pass by a dog, they  want to turn – they want to cross the road,   onto the other side. Crossing the road, onto  the other side, may make them feel better for a   few moments. However, it’ll also reinforce that  feeling or that thought that dogs are dangerous   and that I must avoid them at all costs. And  over time, that fear will actually increase. And so, one of the useful things to do if a  child or young person is feeling anxious, is to   gradually and in a very supported way, expose them  to the things that they are worried about. Slowly,   slowly and in a really managed and safe and  secure way, so that they can slowly build up that,   you know, that belief that the thing that  they are fearing does not warrant the amount   of anxiety or fear that they have ascribed to it. So, for example, if your child is really worried   about going to a sleepover or a party, try and  gently encourage them. See if there’s anything   you can do to make them go and then, afterwards,  very much talk about how they were worried,   but they managed to do it and it  was okay. Encouraging that, sort of,   growth mindset mentality and encouraging that  sense of self-efficacy in them that they are   able to do scary things and that they’re able  to tolerate them and maybe even enjoy them. All families go through stress and all  families and all children and all adults,   go through worries, but how do you know  if this worry is becoming such that you   need to seek help from a professional? If  you feel that your child or young person   is so worried that this is really getting  in their way of their usual activities,   if it means that they’re not really able to attend  or perform at school as well as they usually do,   or if they’re starting to isolate themselves, to  withdraw or to avoid things that they usually like   doing, or if the worries are affecting their  ability to eat or sleep in a healthy way,   that is when you should seek more help. And  often, the school is a good place to first go,   or your GP. Both will be able to get – signpost  you to any further support that you may need. Finally, and very importantly, supporting  a child or a young person with anxiety can   be really exhausting work, and it’s  also common for children with anxiety   to have parents who – or carers who are  anxious themselves, too. So, it’s really,   really important to look after your own health,  for yourself, but also so that you’re able to   look after those that you look after and love. So,  if you feel that you are suffering from anxiety,   do not hesitate to reach out for help or support.  Speak to your GP, your Therapist or your mental   health professional for more advice, and  they will always be happy to support you.