The worried child : recognizing anxiety in children and helping them heal

Title:

The worried child : recognizing anxiety in children and helping them heal

Author:

Foxman, Paul.

ISBN:

9780897934206

Edition:

1st ed.

Publication Information:

Alameda, CA : Hunter House, c2004.

Available:*

Material Type	Library	Call Number	Suggested Age	Status
Book	Searching... Cabell County Public Library	155.41246 F	Adult	Searching... Unknown

Anxiety in children diminishes their intellectual, emotional and social development, as well as physical health. Author Paul Foxman believes there are three interacting ingredients that contribute to anxiety in children -- biological sensitivity, personality, and stress overload.

The Worried Child shows that anxiety is preventable - or can at least be minimized - by raising children's self confidence, increasing social and self-control skills, and teaching them how to play, relax, and communicate their feelings and needs. Written for parents and teachers and anyone dealing with children, the guide covers the importance of adequate rest, sleep, and exercise and provides detailed lists, skill exercises, sample dialogues, and case studies. It also presents extensive information on the various types and symptoms of anxiety disorders. Advice for educators, health care professionals, childcare workers and psychotherapists is included along with a chapter and tutorial written specifically for children.

The Worried Child is a highly accessible self-help guide for anyone dealing with a child who is or may become anxious.

Author Notes

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

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Psychologist Foxman (Dancing with Fear) has penned a caring yet straightforward book about helping kids deal with feelings of angst. Noting that one in five children suffers from a mental health problem, Foxman says some experts call today's children the "shell-shocked" generation. Divorce, crime, violence, failing schools, the threat of terrorism and drug abuse are a few of the contemporary issues often magnified for kids by vivid media coverage, and they've contributed to the rise of stress and anxiety among children, says Foxman. The author, who suffered from anxiety as a child and as an adult, melds personal and professional experience as he differentiates between normal and abnormal worrying (the latter involves a degree and frequency that interferes with daily routines). According to Foxman, three factors coincide to create an anxious child: biological sensitivity, personality and stress. Children who are perfectionists, who are overly sensitive to criticism and have difficulty with assertiveness, among other traits, are prone to anxiety, though many of the worried child's personality traits, such as intelligence and a strong sense of responsibility, are positive. In addition to global issues such as war, terrorism and violence, Foxman delves into how personal crises (e.g., divorce, sexual abuse and school-related stress) can affect children, and suggests how parents can help and when they should seek therapy for their child. He rounds out this informative guide with a chapter for children that speaks directly to young readers. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Library Journal Review

Psychologist Foxman (director, Ctr. for Anxiety Disorders, Burlington, VT; Dancing with Fear) addresses a problem in which he specializes: anxiety in children. Parents will find an indispensable chapter on the components of childhood anxiety and the personality profile that suggests a predisposition toward it. Drawing on case studies, Foxman describes various types of childhood anxiety disorders in addition to chronicling danger signs which may indicate that a child needs professional help. Moreover, the author devotes a substantial portion of this book to sources of anxiety in children. Biology, family dynamics, sociocultural factors, school, and the media can generate anxiety, which can be counteracted by the biochemical and psychotherapeutic treatment approaches set forth in Part 3. Best of all, Foxman includes a helpful chapter written for anxious young people in language easily accessible to them. This superb book belongs on the shelves of public libraries alongside Katharina Manassis's Keys to Parenting Your Anxious Child and Elizabeth DuPont Spencer's The Anxiety Cure for Kids: A Guide for Parents.-Lynne F. Maxwell, Villanova Univ. Sch. of Law Lib., PA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Foreword	p. x
Acknowledgments	p. xii
Introduction	p. 1
How This Book Can Help	p. 4
My Experience with Anxiety	p. 5
Part I Anxiety in Children: When Is It Normal, When Is It a Disorder?	p. 7
Chapter 1 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
Chapter 2 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
Chapter 3 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
Part II Sources of Anxiety in Children and How You Can Help to Counteract Them	p. 53
Chapter 4 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
Chapter 5 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
Chapter 6 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
Chapter 7 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
Chapter 8 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
Chapter 9 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
Part III Treating Anxiety in Children	p. 177
Chapter 10 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
Chapter 11 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
Chapter 12 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
Chapter 13 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
Appendix 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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Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Library Journal Review

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