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Specific Disorder within the Anxiety Disorder: Social Anxiety Disorder

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Specific Disorder within the Anxiety Disorder: Social Anxiety Disorder

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https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/social-anxiety-disorder-more-than-just-shyness

https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/anxiety-disorders/what-are-anxiety-disorders

https://www.nextstep.doctor/how-to-tell-if-you-have-a-social-anxiety-disorder/

http://www.worrywisekids.org/node/29

https://www.anxiety.org/social-anxiety-disorder-sad

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https://childmind.org/guide/teachers-guide-to-ocd-in-the-classroom/

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2017-03-obsessive-compulsive-disorder.html

https://www.ocdkidsmovie.com/

https://www.stlukeshealth.org/resources/5-common-types-ocd

https://www.nextstep.doctor/category/ocd/

http://www.worrywisekids.org/node/25

https://childmind.org/topics/ocd-related-disorders/

https://childmind.org/guide/teachers-guide-to-ocd-in-the-classroom/

https://www.anxiety.org/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd

https://www.anxiety.org/identifying-and-treating-children-with-obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd

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Lo sentimos, la página que usted busca no se ha podido encontrar. Puede intentar su búsqueda de nuevo o visitar la lista de temas populares.

Children who have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are plagued with unwanted thoughts, images or impulses that are difficult to suppress, causing them great stress and worry. These are called obsessions. To alleviate the anxiety caused by their obsessive thoughts, they perform repetitive, ritualized actions called compulsions. A child with OCD might need to line things up, touch things in a certain order when leaving the room or wash his hands repeatedly.

Obsessions Common in Kids With OCD

Contamination: Kids with this obsession are sometimes called "germaphobes." In schools, this plays out with kids worrying about other kids sneezing and coughing, touching things that might be dirty or getting sick in many different ways. This is the most common obsession seen in children.

Magical thinking: This is a kind of superstition, like "step on a crack, break your mother's back," taken to extremes. For example, kids might worry that their thoughts can cause someone to get hurt, or get sick. A child might think, "Unless my things are lined up in a certain way, mom will get in a car accident."

Catastrophizing: Some kids easily jump to the conclusion that something terrible has happened. For example, if her parents are five minutes late picking her up, a girl who is catastrophizing might tell herself that they've decided to abandon her.

Scrupulosity: This is when kids have obsessive worries about offending God or being blasphemous in some way.

What ifs: Kids may be plagued by a lot of different kinds of thoughts about bad things they could do. "What if I hurt someone? What if I stab someone? What if I kill someone?"

The "just right feeling": When OCD first develops, from about 6 to 9 years of age, kids may not know why they are doing something, but just that they need to do it until they get what we call the "just right feeling." So: "I'll line these things up until it just kind of feels right, and then I'll stop." And then over time - in the 9- to 12-year-old range - it evolves into magical thinking and becomes more superstitious in nature.

Behaviors You Might See in Students With OCD

Frequent requests to go to the bathroom: This could be to wash hands, if someone near the child was coughing or sneezing, or if she touched something that she perceives as contaminated. She could be washing items-pens, pencils, backpacks, books. It could also be an excuse to get out the classroom and just be away from everyone, and have some respite.

Constant reassurance-seeking: This takes the form of repetitive questions. "Are you sure that's the answer? Could you tell me again? Did you hear what I said?" Checking doors, windows, lockers, desks. Over and over and over again.

Getting stuck on tasks: Sometimes kids with OCD will need to finish something to completion, or understand it to completion, before they're able to move on. So if a child is working out what he did wrong on a math test, and the teacher says, "Now let's open the textbook and start a new chapter," he's not going to be able to shift gears.

Retracing: If a child leaves the classroom and worries that she left a pencil behind, she'll go back into the classroom and go to her desk and check. If she had a bad thought as she went through the doorway, she might have to "fix it" by going back through the doorway again saying a good word. If she had a bad thought when she went down a flight of stairs on the way to class, she might need to go back up that same stairway at the end of the period, even if it means being late to her next class.

Obsessive erasing: A child could be erasing a lot because the letters have to look perfect. Or he could have used a word that disturbs him. For example, if he has a fear of vomiting and he's written the word vomit, he might not be able to stand seeing that word, so he erases it. Kids start having erasers worn down to the metal. Teachers start to see holes in the paper. Words will be drawn over on the back of the page. A lot of different areas of writing become problematic.

Behaviors Often Confused With Another Disorder

Some behaviors associated with OCD are easy to confuse with ADHD, learning problems or being oppositional.

Distraction: If a child is busy thinking that if she doesn't turn the pen cap and count to four the right way then her mom is going to get sick, she's not going to be paying attention in class. And if her teacher calls on her to answer a question, her distraction might look like ADHD, but it isn't.

Slowness on exams, papers and tasks: Sometimes when kids take a long time, they're struggling with the perfectionism of needing to do things the right way. This could look like learning problems, or inattention, but it isn't.

Avoidance: Teachers might see a child who doesn't want to sit on the floor, or pick things up that touched the floor, or get his hands dirty in art class. He may avoid a lot of playground activities - kids with germ fears will view the playground the way some adults view the subway: it's gross. Why touch anything there?

Tapping and touching symmetrically: If a child sits down at her desk and she accidentally kicks the chair of the kid next to her with her right foot, she's going to have to then kick it with her left foot. That might look like somebody who's being oppositional, or somebody who's got too much energy, but actually it's OCD.

Complaints of anxiety and fatigue: There's one interesting theory that kids with OCD are smarter than other kids. And if you consider how much thinking they're doing, they're really using their brain more frequently than a lot of other kids are. But when that's coupled with a lot of anxiety, you can have a lot of fatigue. So it's common for kids with OCD to want to come home and take a nap after school.

How to Help Students With OCD

For children struggling with OCD, functioning in school can be complicated and very difficult. Here are some things you can do to help them, and the class as a whole, focus on learning:

Seating arrangement: If the school has noisy hallways, you might not want to have a child with OCD sit by the door. You might have her sit in the front, where she's less able to hear the noise and can stay more focused on her work. On the other hand, a child who has very observable symptoms, and doesn't want other kids to see her fidgeting with her hands, rocking or getting up a lot, might be better off closer to the door, toward the back of the room.

Extended time for tests and papers: If writing is a problem for a child who needs to find the perfect way to say something, he's going to need more time to finish those essay questions or papers.

Laptops for writing: If writing and rewriting/erasing is really problematic for a child, consider letting her use a laptop for taking notes, and having all assignments be typed instead of handwritten.

Private testing rooms: Research is quite clear that kids with OCD do better, are less overwhelmed and are more in control of their thoughts and their reactions if they're in a quiet place away from the other kids.

Skip reading out loud: Kids who feel they need to read perfectly may have to go back and reread sentences or whole paragraphs over and over to make sure they've got them right. So reading becomes a very laborious task, and reading in front of the class can become a nightmare. So if we know doing this is a problem for children, we can spare them.

Books on tape: If kids get so hung up reading that it takes forever, listening to the books can be a solution.

Break homework into chunks: If looking at a whole page of math makes kids feel overwhelmed and anxious - think of the potential for mistakes! - the problems can be broken up over four pages. It helps kids stay focused on doing the problems instead of worrying.

How to Minimize Behavioral Problems

Plan an escape route: Try working out a communication system so that if the student feels symptoms coming on, she can signal to you and leave the classroom, or go to a protected place in the classroom, without interrupting the class. It can prevent an embarrassing and disruptive blowup of symptoms in the classroom, and the other kids picking on or bullying her about it.

Be aware of triggering events: It's very important for teachers to know what kind of things might trigger the symptoms. Fatigue is a huge piece of OCD, and it can be exacerbated by medication. So it's important to know that if a child is drowsy in class, and maybe he's putting his head down, it's not because he's being oppositional or disrespectful, but because he's overwhelmed with fatigue.

Advance notice: Irritability and frustration are two of the longer-lasting things that kids with OCD are feeling on a daily basis. Changes in schedule can be very disruptive for a child with OCD, so it can be helpful for teachers to give advance notice of things. Kids who know what to expect are less likely to be thrown by the change.

Children with OCD are often teased and bullied because of their symptoms. Kids feel very uncomfortable about their rituals, knowing that they're being watched. It can be helpful to educate the whole class about what's going on, especially if a child is going to be in the same school for a number of years, and it can inspire a surprising amount of support from other children.

Peer understanding program: A peer understanding program includes a presentation in the classroom that explains (with the child participating) what OCD is. The child might say, "Listen, I have OCD. It's an anxiety disorder. It makes me think that my hands are dirty and I have to wash my hands a lot, so if you see me getting up and going to the sink to wash my hands, that's why." Psychologists can role-play with the teacher and child ahead of time, to anticipate questions his classmates might ask, and how to answer them.

A buddy system: A buddy is like a peer coach who sits next to the child and prompts him to keep up with note taking and staying on task. It can be great for the buddy, to foster a sense of confidence and pride and to be able to help someone in need, and great for fostering friendship.

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Lo sentimos, la página que usted busca no se ha podido encontrar. Puede intentar su búsqueda de nuevo o visitar la lista de temas populares. Children who have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are plagued with unwanted thoughts, images or impulses that are difficult to suppress, causing them great stress and worry.

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Specific Disorder within OCD: Hoarding Disorder

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Specific Disorder within OCD: Hoarding Disorder

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https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/hoarding-disorder/what-is-hoarding-disorder

https://www.apa.org/monitor/2020/04/ce-corner-hoarding

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4432907/

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https://dese.mo.gov/media/pdf/guid-respon-serv-referral-process-guide

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Next Step 2 Mental Health. (2021). Understanding the OCD cycle. https://www.nextstep.doctor/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Social-Anxiety-Symptoms-1-2048x2048.png

Next Step 2 Mental Health. (2021). Social anxiety symptoms. https://www.nextstep.doctor/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Social-Anxiety-Symptoms-1536x1536.png

Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators. (2015). School counselor referral process guide:

A school counselor’s guide to

the referral process. Retrieved from https://dese.mo.gov/media/pdf/guid-respon-serv-referral-process-guide

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Worrywise Kids: http://www.worrywisekids.org/

http://www.worrywisekids.org/node/48

https://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/depression.html

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/any-anxiety-disorder

https://www.counseling.org/knowledge-center/practice-briefs/articles/youth-anxiety

https://www.counseling.org/knowledge-center/mental-health-resources/anxiety

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2017/03/29/anxiety-and-depression-are-primary-concerns-students-seeking-counseling-services

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2946114/

https://childmind.org/topics/anxiety/

https://childmind.org/guide/teachers-guide-to-anxiety-in-the-classroom/

https://www.schoolcounselor.org/Magazines/July-August-2021/Anxiety-Overload?sso=83f10437-d97e-4716-bedc-bb58271b3aa1

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From Dr. Tamar Chansky Creator of Worrywisekids.org

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https://tea.texas.gov/about-tea/other-services/mental-health/grief-informed-trauma-informed-practices

https://tea.texas.gov/sites/default/files/Pub_2018_Texas-Model_5th-Edition.pdf

https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/44f30280-ffe8-4b41-9ad8-f15909c3d164/EthicalStandards.pdf

https://www.counseling.org/resources/aca-code-of-ethics.pdf

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Pursuant to TEC §38.351 Section (b) and Sub-section (c-5) each school district may select programs related to this area of mental health promotion and intervention, substance abuse prevention and intervention, and suicide prevention for appropriate implementation in the district. Schools serve as a critical system of support for children and adolescents who have experienced adverse childhood experiences, grief and trauma. Schools can create grief and trauma-informed environments that mitigate against the impacts of trauma and grief, and nurture resilience. Resources related to this component of school mental health can foster grief and trauma-informed competencies, help reduce the effects of trauma and grief on children by recognizing trauma responses, inform accommodating and responding to traumatized students with evidence-based strategies within the classroom, educate and inform parents and families, and equip school student support teams to connect students and their families to mental health professionals when necessary.

To view resources on this component of school mental health you can visit the new Texas School Mental Health Website for the Mental and Behavioral Health Recommended Evidence-Based Programs and Research-Based Practices Repository.  This repository is updated as resources are reviewed and approved.

Return to Mental and Behavioral Health home page.

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Grief Informed & Trauma Informed Practices

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Pursuant to TEC §38.351 Section (b) and Sub-section (c-5) each school district may select programs related to this area of mental health promotion and intervention, substance abuse prevention and intervention, and suicide prevention for appropriate implementation in the district. Schools serve as a critical system of support for children and adolescents who have experienced adverse childhood experiences, grief and trauma.

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Referral Processes and Procedures outside referrals

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https://adaa.org/tips

https://www.anxiety.org/prevention-and-coping-with-an-anxiety-disorder

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272735815301409?via%3Dihub

https://iocdf.org/about-ocd/ocd-treatment/erp/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6343408/

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All human beings experience anxiety. In many cases, anxiety can have some beneficial and adaptive qualities such as pushing one to study for an upcoming difficult exam or propelling a person to flee from danger. Although experiencing some anxiety with life stressors and worries is normal, sometimes it can be difficult to manage and can feel overwhelming. Below we provide a list of tips and strategies to help individuals prevent anxiety from reaching a diagnosable level. Even though not everyone will struggle with a diagnosable anxiety disorder, learning strategies to aid in relief from anxiety and to manage the "normal" anxiety experienced in everyday life can help you live the life you desire.

Learning Relaxation Strategies

Relaxation strategies, such as deep diaphragmatic breathing, have been shown to lower blood pressure, slow heart rate, and reduce tension that is commonly associated with stress. Engaging in relaxation strategies regularly can equip you to reduce anxiety when it occurs, by allowing your body to switch from its anxious state to a more relaxed and calm state in response to stressors.

Guided imagery is another relaxation strategy that can help reduce or prevent overwhelming anxiety. Guided imagery involves directed mental visualization to evoke relaxation. This could involve imagining your favorite beach or a peaceful garden that can distract you from your anxious state and allow your mind and body to focus on the positive thoughts and sensations of the imagery exercise.

Learning to utilize relaxation strategies as a coping strategy for anxiety can boost your confidence that you will be able to cope with anxiety during distressful situations. Relaxation strategies are a great tool for anxiety prevention because they are free, simple, and can provide instant results.

Mindfulness, Meditation, and Yoga

A simple definition of mindfulness includes the practice of being aware, without judgment, in the present moment. When feeling anxious, often times you might feel that you don't have control over your mind or your body's reaction to stress. You also might feel that anxiety causes you to focus and dwell on past mistakes or future fears.

Mindfulness practice, meditation, and mindfulness yoga can increase one's awareness of the world around you and increase your control over how you experience situations and how you respond. Loss of feelings of control is often a symptom of anxiety when a person is feeling overwhelmed and stressed. Practicing these strategies can help you live life in the present moment and enjoy the present things in your life that bring you joy.

Exercise, Healthy Diet, and Rest

Another important prevention strategy for anxiety is to incorporate exercise into your daily activities. Exercise has been shown to decrease stress hormones that influence anxiety and also improve overall mood. Exercise can also help you disengage from worry and stress and focus on the current task of exercising. Exercises such as light jogging or brisk walking that can be incorporated into your daily activities can help reduce the impact of anxiety when it occurs.

A healthy diet is also important to reduce and prevent anxiety. It seems counterintuitive that you can "eat your way to calm" but sustaining a healthy diet can really help you to feel more at ease on a regular basis, despite stressors. Some foods that are particularly helpful for reducing anxiety include foods with omega 3 fatty acids (i.e., salmon, walnuts, and flaxseed) and probiotics. Avoid greasy, sugary, high-fat, and processed foods. Additionally, avoiding caffeine when feeling anxious as well as unhealthy substances (i.e., alcohol) could be beneficial. Drinking alcohol might seem like a good way to calm down, but it can lead to sustained anxious symptoms. Incorporating a healthy diet into your lifestyle is fundamental to preventing and reducing anxiety.

Not getting enough restful sleep can trigger anxiety. Stress and anxiety can also interfere with sleep and cause you to stay awake at night. It can be a frustrating cycle when the stressors of the day and future worries cause you stay up at night. Take some time to wind down before bed such as utilizing some of the above relaxation and meditation strategies. Also, instead of letting your mind continuously race at night, try putting your thoughts, worries, and plans for the next day on paper before bed. This will ease your anxiety about forgetting something you need to accomplish in the future and allow you to relax and rest.

Awareness and Identifying Triggers

A key component to the prevention of anxiety is awareness. Learning to recognize your anxious thinking patterns when they arise can help you manage and reduce them quickly. Awareness of anxiety begins with trying to identify the cause and/or trigger of anxiety and gaining an understanding of how it affects your mood and behaviors. Is it that your boss recently gave you negative feedback at work and you are worried each day that you are not doing well enough for their standards? Is it that you waited until the last minute to study for a test and are feeling anxious that you will not perform well? Awareness of the source of your anxiety is the first step to finding out the best way to relieve it.

Sometimes there are things in your life that you already know trigger anxiety. It could be a big test, having to give a speech or perform in front of an audience, and/or the stress and anxiety related to parenting. Once you identify your triggers, you can start to practice coping strategies that can help calm your anxiety before and as it occurs.

For example, if you know you often procrastinate when it comes to studying for a test and get significant test anxiety, try out study strategies that prompt you to start studying earlier and set realistic study schedules.

If you can identify that after a long day of parenting you often feel exhausted and overcome with anxiety by all of the things you need to do, you can work to schedule in "me time" where you can make sure that you have time to relax, exercise or engage in an enjoyable activity that you know helps to reduce your anxiety. Taking care of yourself is important to be able to take care of others.

It could be helpful to have a journal that you use to track your stressors, mood, thoughts, and behaviors that are impacted by anxiety. This will further help you identify the cause of your anxiety and notice when you may be engaging in unhelpful thoughts that only increase your anxiety.

Supportive Friendships & Family/ Contact a Therapist

Some research shows that people who have close and supportive friendships have a greater ability to fight mental and physical diseases than people who are isolated. The mind can be our worst enemy when feeling anxious and having a supportive network that you can discuss and decompress your deepest worries to could help prevent anxiety from consuming your life. Find trusted friends during times of anxiety that you can open up to and know that they will provide a listening ear and supportive feedback about your experiences.

It should be noted that finding the right strategy that works for you to control your anxiety is important. Maybe you feel that you do not have the time to schedule "me time" with your busy schedule or kids, and you need to find another way to reduce your anxiety. A friend or therapist could be a great resource to turn to if you believe you need help with finding the right strategies to reduce your anxiety.

Therapy services such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) have also been shown to help with the prevention of anxiety symptoms from reaching a diagnosable disorder. Even if you do not have a diagnosed anxiety disorder, attending therapy could be a wonderful resource to aid in gaining strategies to reduce your stress and anxiety.

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Prevention And Coping With An Anxiety Disorder

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All human beings experience anxiety. In many cases, anxiety can have some beneficial and adaptive qualities such as pushing one to study for an upcoming difficult exam or propelling a person to flee from danger. Although experiencing some anxiety with life stressors and worries is normal, sometimes it can be difficult to manage and can feel overwhelming.