It’s Children’s Mental Health Week, so we want to highlight how some ways you can help your child’s mental health.
Check out our booklet on Children’s Phobias and Anxieties.
What should you look out for? To start with a persistent avoidance of certain situations or people. Signs of sudden laboured or fast breathing in reaction to a situation or circumstance. Nervous shaking or dizziness. These are just some of the symptoms or reactions you can have from having an anxiety disorder or an anxious reaction to a situation. Now some anxiety is normal but frequent anxiety is not. But do keep in mind it is the anxiety that is and isn’t normal not the child. You can read more about anxiety symptoms anxiety symptoms here. If your child is showing anxiety symptoms talk to them about it and find out how they feel and think about them.
So what can you do to get help if you see that your child needs it? First of all get advice, you can get advice from our youth helpline on 0330 606 1174. You can also get advice by emailing us on membership@nopanic.org.uk or by going to our Facebook Page and messaging us.
The next things you can do is to work on basic coping strategies like a muscle relaxation technique and a breathing exercise. Then you may want to consider whether cognitive behavioural therapy would be necessary or wanted by your child and if it would work with them. We can help with that too.
If you would like to know more about our youth services you can visit our youth section of the shop or you can phone our youth helpline on 0330 606 1174.
