Authors: Aureen Pinto Wagner Ph.D., Ph. D. Wagner
ISBN-13: 9780967734798, ISBN-10: 0967734797
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Lighthouse Press, Incorporated NY
Date Published: October 2005
Edition: (Non-applicable)
About 13% or over 6.5 million children and adolescents in the US suffer from serious anxiety, making it the most common emotional problem in youngsters. Anxiety in youngsters is commonly misdiagnosed as attention-deficit disorder (ADD). The good news is that anxiety is the most treatable emotional problem. Success rates with early recognition and proper treatment are excellent! Countless parents, schools and healthcare professionals have come to rely on Worried No More to help youngsters with anxiety reclaim the joys of childhood. In her landmark and highly acclaimed book, Dr. Aureen Wagner brings scientifically proven and time tested cognitive-behavioral strategies into the everyday lives of children and families. Her creative, warm and user-friendly approach appeals to children and adults alike. She identifies the red flags and early warning signs of anxiety, and how to tell normal from problem anxiety. Worried No More is packed with information and valuable step-by-step guidance to help children cope with worry, school refusal, separation anxiety, excessive shyness, panic, disasters and tragedies, phobias, obsessions and compulsions.
These two books build on each other. Written by a clinical psychologist specializing in cognitive-behavioral treatment for anxiety disorders, Help for Worried Kids introduces the topic of childhood anxiety disorders. The text opens with a discussion of the causes of childhood anxiety, its many "faces," and how to identify an anxious child. The second part is dedicated to the disorders themselves, with each chapter offering an in-depth examination that includes prevention, diagnosis, personal narratives, and advice on helping children gain control over fear and anxiety. A good selection of resources, check lists, and worksheets rounds out the text. This book is geared to concerned parents looking for help in determining whether their child's uneasiness is reason for concern. In contrast, Worried No More is geared not only to parents but also to school and healthcare professionals; it reads like a training guide for those with a daily need to understand and help children experiencing serious anxiety. Clinical child psychologist Wagner has a unique approach to making cognitive-behavioral therapy applicable to youngsters. As in the first edition, she begins by identifying normal fears and anxieties and considering when they become problematic. She then addresses the most common anxiety problems and disorders, discussing causes, therapies, and medications and what parents can do to help. Finally, she expands the strategies beyond the family to what schools can do. This book considers challenges and strategies in detail, carefully addressing how a parent can develop a systematic and goal-directed approach with the school to implement an effective action plan for the child there. Though both books are recommended for public libraries, Wagner offers far more tools, practical and well researched, for effectively helping anxious children and is recommended for academic libraries as well.-Kari Ramstrom, MLIS, Plymouth, MN Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
Chapter 1 | Children in the shadow | 11 |
Chapter 2 | The many faces of anxiety | 14 |
Chapter 3 | Anxiety: Normal and necessary | 16 |
Normal fears and anxieties in children and adolescents | 17 | |
Normal rituals and superstitions | 20 | |
Age differences in expression of anxiety | 20 | |
When does anxiety become a problem? | 21 | |
When does anxiety become a disorder? | 22 | |
Chapter 4 | Anxiety problems and disorders in children and adolescents | 24 |
Separation Anxiety Disorder | 24 | |
Generalized Anxiety Disorder | 25 | |
Specific Phobias | 26 | |
Social Anxiety/Excessive shyness | 27 | |
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder | 27 | |
Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptoccocal Infections (PANDAS) | 29 | |
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder | 30 | |
Panic Disorder | 32 | |
"School Phobia" | 32 | |
Which anxiety disorder is this? | 34 | |
Chapter 5 | Disorders associated with anxiety | 35 |
Depression | 35 | |
Tourette Syndrome | 35 | |
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder | 36 | |
Autism and Asperger's Syndrome | 37 | |
Trichotillomania | 38 | |
Body Dysmorphic Disorder | 39 | |
Delusions, hallucinations and psychosis | 40 | |
Chapter 6 | The far-reaching effects of anxiety | 41 |
Chapter 7 | Warning signs and signals | 44 |
Chapter 8 | What causes anxiety disorders in children? | 47 |
The Fuel for Anxiety | 48 | |
The Anxiety Triad | 48 | |
The Vicious Cycle of Avoidance | 49 | |
Reactions and responses of parents | 50 | |
Stress | 51 | |
Chapter 9 | Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for anxiety | 53 |
Cognitive elements | 54 | |
Behavioral elements | 60 | |
Physical elements | 68 | |
Can young children participate in CBT? | 69 | |
Social Skills Training | 71 | |
Chapter 10 | Medications for anxiety in children | 74 |
Chapter 11 | What parents can do to help | 77 |
The 3 P's: Proactive, positive and preventive | 78 | |
The 3 S's: Security, structure and stability | 80 | |
Self-reliance | 82 | |
Communication | 83 | |
Appropriate attending | 84 | |
Corrective Learning Experiences | 86 | |
Setting a positive example | 91 | |
Unhelpful reactions and responses | 92 | |
Chapter 12 | What school personnel can do to help | 93 |
Education and training | 94 | |
Early detection | 94 | |
Establishment of helping partnerships | 95 | |
Assessment | 97 | |
Consultation and appropriate referral | 98 | |
Provision of a physically and emotionally safe environment | 99 | |
Management of anxiety in school | 100 | |
Preventive strategies | 103 | |
Chapter 13 | Helping anxious children in school: An action plan | 105 |
Identify specific concerns | 105 | |
Develop helping partnerships | 105 | |
Conduct systematic assessment | 106 | |
Consult and/or refer | 108 | |
Define and prioritize target behaviors and goals | 108 | |
Design problem-focused interventions | 110 | |
Cultivate the child's treatment-readiness | 111 | |
Apply interventions | 112 | |
Evaluate and modify | 112 | |
An action plan for School refusal/Separation anxiety | 113 | |
Chapter 14 | Finding the right community partners | 124 |
Barriers to effective partnerships | 126 | |
Working through the obstacles | 129 | |
Engaging reluctant children | 130 | |
Chapter 15 | Specific strategies for anxiety-related problems | 134 |
Normal anxiety | 134 | |
Back to school anxiety | 135 | |
Coping with trauma, tragedy, war and violence | 136 | |
Separation anxiety | 138 | |
School refusal/Tardiness | 138 | |
Reassurance seeking | 139 | |
Perfectionism | 140 | |
Obsessions and compulsions | 140 | |
Writing and reading difficulties | 141 | |
Inability to complete assignments and homework | 142 | |
Social anxiety/Excessive shyness | 142 | |
Panic | 143 | |
Difficulty shifting gears | 143 | |
Refusal to speak in school | 144 | |
Performance/Test anxiety | 144 | |
Tics | 144 | |
Meltdowns and explosiveness | 145 | |
References | 147 | |
Resources | 149 | |
Support Organizations | 151 | |
Forms and tools | 153 | |
Form 1 | Corrective Learning Experiences Worksheet | 155 |
Form 2 | Parent-Teacher Log | 157 |
Form 3 | Home Behavior Observations | 159 |
Form 4 | School Behavior Observations | 161 |
Form 5 | My Thoughts and Feelings | 163 |
Form 6 | The Feeling Thermometer | 165 |
Form 7 | My Fear Ladder | 167 |
Form 8 | Exposure Progress Record | 169 |
Form 9 | RIDE Up and Down the Worry Hill Memory Card | 171 |
Form 10 | Facing My Fears | 173 |
Index | 175 |