As a child, I was what some might call, “anal.” I was a perfectionist at home. I hated any disorder around me, anything I could not control. I obsessed over chipped paint in my bedroom or unplanned time. I refused to leave my house with out-of-place hair or a wrinkled shirt. My family nicknamed me…
One in five children will suffer from depression before their 18th birthday. Suicide rates are unacceptably high amongst our youth today, the saddest part being the motives behind these suicides, and the reasons that drive these severe onsets of depression. Anxiety is not a ‘small issue.’ If your child is an excessive worrier, suffering from the…
Children are highly influenced by their friends and peers. Children who socialize with aggressive and disruptive children may find themselves acting out in the same way. While many studies have looked at how aggressive behavior among children affects the entire group, not many studies have looked at how depressive and anxious behaviors are contagious. In…
Nearly all children have anxiety at some point in their lives. But when does a little anxiety become an anxiety disorder? When does it shift from a temporary phase of worry or fear to something more serious and chronic? Answering this question is very important for the well-being of your child. First some facts: • Anxiety…
Good news for the estimated 15 million people suffering from social anxiety. A new study led by MIT researchers suggests that brain scans can help predict whether people with social anxiety disorder will benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy. People with social anxiety experience extreme fear of interactions with or scrutiny by others that interferes with…
If your child suffers from anxiety it may be due to one or more thinking distortions. Thinking distortions are just that, distortions in our thoughts that are not an accurate view of reality. These errors in thought tend to cause unnecessary worry, fear and panic in children. The first step in overcoming them is the…
According to a study at the Centre for Emotional Health at Macquarie University, mothers who are anxious increase their child’s chance of developing anxiety. In the study, 202 children were recruited and assessed at 3-4 years of age and then assessed again five years later. About half of the children were behaviorally inhibited, or shy, withdrawn and…
According to a study of mice at Tufts University and published in Biological Psychiatry, women with anxiety may have their fathers to blame. When men are exposed to social instability as children, their sperm cells change and this gives rise to anxious and stressed behavior in their future daughters. This phenomenon is called epigenetics or the science…
Does your child toss and turn at night? Does your child regularly wake up tired and unrefreshed? According to research, a small percentage of children who have sleep problems may be at risk of more serious emotional disorders, including anxiety and depression. The study, authored by Flavia Giannotti, M.D., of Center of Pediatric Sleep Disorders…
It is no revelation to hear that television plays a significant role in a child’s development. How much of a role and what effect it has depends on the amount of television children watch and which programs they watch. And because of the violent and frightening nature of many TV shows, how good children are…