Anxiety and Self advocacy - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Anxiety and Self advocacy

what can we do?

Slide2

Overview

What is anxiety?

What are common stressors for teens?

Helping teens manage

anxiety

Slide3

Anxiety is

Internal sense of worry, dread or fear

May or mat not have a clear cause

Can be a typical and appropriate response

“Anxiety is anticipation of a future threat” DSM-V

An

excessive level

of arousal that causes

an unreasonable and disproportionate

level

o

f stress on an individual such that their

functioning is impaired

Slide4

Stress Performance Curve

Slide5

Forms of anxiety

General anxiety/worries

Phobias

Panic

Obsessions

Compulsions

Social anxiety

Trauma reactions

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Common symptoms of anxiety

Expressed fears and worries

Crying

Irritability and oppositional behavior

Antsy/fidgety and difficulty concentrating

Self-doubt and excessive self-deprecation

Sleep disturbance

Repetitive behavior, thoughts or questions

Panic

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Physical signs of anxiety

Pounding or racing heartbeat

Excessive sweating

Shakiness

Rapid breathing/hyperventilating

Dizziness

Stomach pain

Headaches

GI issues

Fatigue

Appetite Changes

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Developmental tasks of adolescence

Autonomy from Parents

Building a Social Network

Developing an Identity

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1. Autonomy from parents

Stop treating me like a baby! I can do it myself

It is age appropriate to test limits

Feelings of confusion and ambivalence

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2. Building a social network

Opinion of friends, not parents becomes paramount

Friends give a sense of belonging, acceptance and understanding

Peer pressure (to act out, to conform)

Navigating romantic relationships

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3. Develop an identity

Who am I?

What do I believe?

Why am I unique? What makes me, me?

Fitting in v maintaining individuality

Slide12

What does this look like in real life?

Vignette 1:

Gianna is a 15 year old sophomore. She just found out through Instagram that her two closest friends have been hanging out without her on Sunday nights. Gianna’s parents have imposed a curfew and she is not allows out past 8 on school nights (her fiends do not have a curfew). Gianna is hurt and feels left out. These girls have been friends since first grade. She writes in her journal that she feels she is drifting away from her friends. She snaps at her parents and contemplates sneaking out

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Vignette 2:

John, 15, has always had difficulty with math. His parents have told him that he has to maintain a B average in order to get his permit, but math is his first class of the day and he is often exhausted. He can’t attend tutoring after school as he has swim team practice 5 days a week. The team is incredibly important to him and he is very worried that he will have to quit if he cant get his grades up.

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Stressors of typical adolescent development

School

Feeling misunderstood or unheard by adults

Parent/ teen relationship dynamics

Social media and comparisons

Increased competition

Individual factors and expectations

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Stressors of being a teen in

northfield

/

stapleton

Expectations of success

Academic standards of DPS schools

Surrounded by high achievement

Packed schedules

Potential exposure to peers’ suicide or suicide attempts

Slide16

Social media and stress

“They are in a cauldron of stimulation they can’t get away from, or don’t want to get away from, or don’t know how to get away from.” – Janis Whitlock

“Being a teenager today is a draining full time job that includes schoolwork, managing a social media identity and fretting about career, climate change, sexism, racism – you name it.” -- Susanna

Schrobsdorff

Article

Teen Depression and Anxiety: Why Kids

A

re Not Alright

by

Schrobsdorff

, S, published in Time Health, 10/27/16 – Can be accessed at http://time.com/magazine/us/4547305/November-7th-2016-vol-188-no-19-u-s/

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Social media and stress

Internet use has an effect in social relationships and participation in community life

Comparison

Others are happier

Life is not fair

Social comparison Theory –

L

eon

Festinger

in 1954

- We compare ourselves to others as a way to know how to feel about ourselves

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How can I help my Child?

Communication

Continue to provide support

Support well-rounded development

Time Management

Model

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Communication is key

Try to start a conversation

Pick a time to talk that works for your teen

Conversation starters

Try for specifics

What do you and your friends think would make school less stressful?

What things make you happy lately?

What are you looking forward to this week, month, etc..?

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Tips to keep the

convo

rolling

Listen

Be focused on the moment

Pay attention

Non-verbal Cues

Empathize

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Try to avoid

Timing

“She picked the worst time to talk”

Minimizing

“It’s just high school drama, it doesn’t mean anything”

Judging

“

Shes

too emotional”

“That where she’s wrong”

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Assuming

“He’s just jealous of his sister”

“She’s doing this to spite me”

Shaming

“that’s so dumb”

Knee-Jerk Advice

“What you should do is…”

Swooping in to save

“Why don’t I call his mom and talk about what happened…”

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Continue to provide support

Check in often

Make time to interact casually

Observe honestly

Listen carefully

Ask questions

Trust your intuition

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Support Well-rounded development

Promote happiness

Encourage social connectedness with friends and family

Encourage your teen to participate in pleasurable activities (and join in when you can!)

Foster a culture of gratitude and kindness

Volunteering

Gratitude Jar

Listing 5 positive things at dinner

Help teens find meaning

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Time Management

Help teens develop organizational strategies

Balance time for activities and homework

Break large tasks into manageable chunks

Set time limits for studying

Make time for breaks and down time

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modeling

Actions speak louder than words

Although friends are a huge influence, the family and parents still have a great effect on teens

Think about family culture and how that might support OR add feelings of pressure

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Let them advocate!

Self-advocacy is the ability to speak up for what you need.

Being a good self-advocate can help your child academically and socially.

You can help your child develop the skill of self-advocacy at any age, but it’s good to start early

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Tips for your student

Let her know you’re on her team.

Encourage her to explain her issues to others.

Encourage her to

work, volunteer or get involved.

Make sure your child knows her rights.

Involve your child in decisions about her learning.

 Practice how she can talk to teachers about her issues.

Help your child think about her future.

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What they gain

Find solutions to challenges parents may not be aware of

Build self-confidence in their ability to learn

Create a sense of ownership over their learning

Develop independence

 and self-empowerment

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Key takeaways

Self-advocacy is an important skill that can help your child do better in school and be more independent in the long run.

You can take specific steps to help your child learn self-advocacy.

Self-advocacy isn’t easy, but with practice your child can develop this skill over time.

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resources

Articles:

Teen Depression and Anxiety: Why Kids Are Not Alright

by

Schrobsdorff

, S, published in Time Health, 10/27/16 – Can be accessed at

http://

time.com/magazine/us/4547305/November-7th-2016-vol-188-no-19-u-s/

Online

Social Networking and Mental

Health

by Igor

Pantic

- can be accessed at

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4183915

/

Profiles of Helicopter Parenting, Parental Warmth, and Psychological Control During Emerging

Adulthood

by Laura M. Padilla-Walker – can be accessed at

https://

doi.org/10.1177/2167696818823626

The Importance of Self-Advocacy for Kids Who Learn and Think

Differently

by Andrew M.I. Lee – can

be accessed at

https://

www.understood.org/en/friends-feelings/empowering-your-child/self-advocacy/the-importance-of-self-advocacy