Anxiety in children and young people; how is it diagnosed?
Anxiety can affect anyone, even the very young, but what exactly is it? Anxiety is often misrepresented, as it is more than simply ‘feeling stressed’ or ‘feeling worried’. Anxiety itself is a normal and often a healthy emotion. Feelings of anxiety will often invoke a fight-or-flight response in someone, and scientifically it is a survival response to dangerous or threatening situations, though it can cause some people to react more intensely than is necessary. It is when people experience disproportionate levels of anxiety that it becomes a medical disorder.
Anxiety becomes a problem when anxious feelings don’t go away when a stressful situation has passed, or the ‘stressor’ has been removed; when they’re ongoing and happen without any particular reason or cause. Physical symptoms can develop, such as increased blood pressure and nausea, concentration difficulties, sleep difficulties and restlessness or a feeling of being ‘on edge’ all the time.
In Australia, beyou.edu.au estimates that one in 14 children and young people experience anxiety, which can result from a range of contributing factors including difficult life experiences. Stay tuned over the next few weeks as we consider how anxiety develops in children and young people, what signs we can look out for, and what we can do to help.
The Wishing Well foundation
The Wishing Well was established in 2010 to offer children in out-of-home care, such as foster care and residential care, a range of healing and treatment options usually not accessible as a free therapy in mainstream health.
The Wishing Well raises funds to enable children and young people to access developmentally-appropriate and trauma-informed treatments shown to be highly effective in dealing with severe trauma and neglect. These therapies respond to the unique needs of each child and young person.
The Wishing Well is a not-for-profit incorporated charity organisation, established and managed by people seeking to improve outcomes for children and young people in out-of-home care and their families. The Wishing Well recognises the importance of the act of giving. We recognise the significance of the participation of community members and all donations are most appreciated.
The Wishing Well operates ethically, effectively and empathically with a view to achieving quality outcomes and a satisfying working environment.
Support the Wishing Well
The Wishing Well uses its funds to help children in need access all manners of developmentally-appropriate and trauma-informed treatments. The Wishing Well takes referrals for any child/young person in out-of-home care in NSW. Applications are assessed by qualified personnel and on a case-by-case basis. The decision to fund an application is affected by the following:
- Funding availability
- The support the child/young person has to access the proposed therapies
- The capacity and willingness of the Carer Household to support the child/young person
- Assessment, which recommends and supports the proposed therapy as relevant to meeting the particular needs of the child/young person
The Wishing Well gratefully receives donations, funding and resources through bequests, corporate partnerships, fundraising events, grants, online donations and other fund raising activities. Money donated to The Wishing Well enables traumatised children access to healing therapies. Please see our website for more information:
Supporting positive brain development in adolescence; tips and tactics
You can help support positive brain development in adolescents through considering how young people spend their time, as this is crucial to their brain development. The activities and experiences a young person is exposed to (such as music, sports, study, languages and video games) go a long way in shaping the emerging adult brain. Consider, too, that adolescents often require more time to process information and need instructions repeated in a calm and succinct manner, and it is often better to identify and suggest preferred behaviours rather than tell them what to do or what not to do.
Some tips and tactics for strengthening and supporting positive brain development in adolescents include;
* helping them find creative outlets for their feelings, as a way for them to manage their emotions.
* helping them understand and explore the short and long-term consequences of their actions.
* helping them develop empathy by talking about their emotions and about emotions in general, and how people will have different reactions to events depending on their circumstances.
* helping them develop their problem-solving and decision-making skills by supporting them to develop a process.
* role modelling the behaviour you want to see in them by being a positive role model and talking to them about how you process information and deal with your emotions and challenges.
The Wishing Well foundation
The Wishing Well was established in 2010 to offer children in out-of-home care, such as foster care and residential care, a range of healing and treatment options usually not accessible as a free therapy in mainstream health.
The Wishing Well raises funds to enable children and young people to access developmentally-appropriate and trauma-informed treatments shown to be highly effective in dealing with severe trauma and neglect. These therapies respond to the unique needs of each child and young person.
The Wishing Well is a not-for-profit incorporated charity organisation, established and managed by people seeking to improve outcomes for children and young people in out-of-home care and their families. The Wishing Well recognises the importance of the act of giving. We recognise the significance of the participation of community members and all donations are most appreciated.
The Wishing Well operates ethically, effectively and empathically with a view to achieving quality outcomes and a satisfying working environment.
Support the Wishing Well
The Wishing Well uses its funds to help children in need access all manners of developmentally-appropriate and trauma-informed treatments. The Wishing Well takes referrals for any child/young person in out-of-home care in NSW. Applications are assessed by qualified personnel and on a case-by-case basis. The decision to fund an application is affected by the following:
- Funding availability
- The support the child/young person has to access the proposed therapies
- The capacity and willingness of the Carer Household to support the child/young person
- Assessment, which recommends and supports the proposed therapy as relevant to meeting the particular needs of the child/young person
The Wishing Well gratefully receives donations, funding and resources through bequests, corporate partnerships, fundraising events, grants, online donations and other fund raising activities. Money donated to The Wishing Well enables traumatised children access to healing therapies. Please see our website for more information:
How does an adolescent’s brain develop? A short guide
Brain development in adolescence is significantly different to that of the younger years, though it is also a time of significant brain development. As a child grows to adolescence, unused connections in the thinking and processing part of their brain are discarded and consistently used connections are strengthened. When children reach adolescence, the amygdala (associated with emotions, impulses, aggression and instinctive behaviour) is well developed, but the pre-frontal cortex (responsible for one’s ability to plan and think about the consequences of actions, solve problems and control impulses) doesn’t fully develop until a person is in their mid-20s. Thus, young people tend to rely on their amygdala to make decisions and solve problems.
Adolescents are thus more likely to act on impulse, try new things or relationships, misinterpret social cues and emotions or engage in risky behaviour. Though this explains some of the behaviours of an adolescent mind, it is important to note that these brain differences don’t mean that young people can’t make rational decisions or tell the difference between right and wrong, and it also doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t be held responsible for their actions.
The Wishing Well foundation
The Wishing Well was established in 2010 to offer children in out-of-home care, such as foster care and residential care, a range of healing and treatment options usually not accessible as a free therapy in mainstream health.
The Wishing Well raises funds to enable children and young people to access developmentally-appropriate and trauma-informed treatments shown to be highly effective in dealing with severe trauma and neglect. These therapies respond to the unique needs of each child and young person.
The Wishing Well is a not-for-profit incorporated charity organisation, established and managed by people seeking to improve outcomes for children and young people in out-of-home care and their families. The Wishing Well recognises the importance of the act of giving. We recognise the significance of the participation of community members and all donations are most appreciated.
The Wishing Well operates ethically, effectively and empathically with a view to achieving quality outcomes and a satisfying working environment.
Support the Wishing Well
The Wishing Well uses its funds to help children in need access all manners of developmentally-appropriate and trauma-informed treatments. The Wishing Well takes referrals for any child/young person in out-of-home care in NSW. Applications are assessed by qualified personnel and on a case-by-case basis. The decision to fund an application is affected by the following:
- Funding availability
- The support the child/young person has to access the proposed therapies
- The capacity and willingness of the Carer Household to support the child/young person
- Assessment, which recommends and supports the proposed therapy as relevant to meeting the particular needs of the child/young person
The Wishing Well gratefully receives donations, funding and resources through bequests, corporate partnerships, fundraising events, grants, online donations and other fund raising activities. Money donated to The Wishing Well enables traumatised children access to healing therapies. Please see our website for more information:
The negative effects of stress on brain development; a short guide
Stress can have many unfortunately negative effects on brain development, particularly in young children whose brains are starting to rapidly develop as they grow up. While small amounts of stress can be a positive influence, pushing people to adapt to the changing circumstances, more serious levels of stress could activate a severe stress response. Toxic stress can occur when a child experiences an extreme level of strong, frequent or prolonged adversity, and they don’t have the support of caring adults in their life. For example, toxic stress can occur in situations of chronic violence; physical, emotional or sexual abuse; neglect; mental illness or drug addiction of a family member; or through living in severe financial hardship. In situations such as these, a developing brain can be severely affected and it can result in a poorly controlled stress response system that can be a harm all through that young person’s life. A poorly controlled stress response system may cause someone to over react to challenges faced, or to shut down and not react at all. With a strong and supportive adult in their life, these negative effects can be minimised or even prevented altogether.
The Wishing Well foundation
The Wishing Well was established in 2010 to offer children in out-of-home care, such as foster care and residential care, a range of healing and treatment options usually not accessible as a free therapy in mainstream health.
The Wishing Well raises funds to enable children and young people to access developmentally-appropriate and trauma-informed treatments shown to be highly effective in dealing with severe trauma and neglect. These therapies respond to the unique needs of each child and young person.
The Wishing Well is a not-for-profit incorporated charity organisation, established and managed by people seeking to improve outcomes for children and young people in out-of-home care and their families. The Wishing Well recognises the importance of the act of giving. We recognise the significance of the participation of community members and all donations are most appreciated.
The Wishing Well operates ethically, effectively and empathically with a view to achieving quality outcomes and a satisfying working environment.
Support the Wishing Well
The Wishing Well uses its funds to help children in need access all manners of developmentally-appropriate and trauma-informed treatments. The Wishing Well takes referrals for any child/young person in out-of-home care in NSW. Applications are assessed by qualified personnel and on a case-by-case basis. The decision to fund an application is affected by the following:
- Funding availability
- The support the child/young person has to access the proposed therapies
- The capacity and willingness of the Carer Household to support the child/young person
- Assessment, which recommends and supports the proposed therapy as relevant to meeting the particular needs of the child/young person
The Wishing Well gratefully receives donations, funding and resources through bequests, corporate partnerships, fundraising events, grants, online donations and other fund raising activities. Money donated to The Wishing Well enables traumatised children access to healing therapies. Please see our website for more information:
Supporting positive brain development in early childhood; tips and tactics
You can help support positive brain development in your child through your daily interactions with them. Create a safe and supportive environment for them, to provide for the optimal wellbeing and development of their brains. A safe and secure environment is one in which people are treated with care and respect. Children’s physical and emotional needs are given appropriate levels of warm and responsive care. You can further build a positive and strong relationship with your child by showing an interest in their thoughts and feelings and by being inclusive of diverse cultures, personalities and interests.
You can also help children develop their social and emotional skills to manage their own behaviour. Provide them with opportunities to learn about their own emotions and the emotions of others. Model the behaviour you wish to see in your child and help them manage their behaviour by being clear about any rules and expectations, and guiding them to manage any strong emotions they may experience, such as anger or frustration.
Supporting children’s positive brain development also involves acknowledging and playing to their strengths. Find out your child’s interests and passions and plan activities that cater to these, to give them an opportunity to shine.
The Wishing Well foundation
The Wishing Well was established in 2010 to offer children in out-of-home care, such as foster care and residential care, a range of healing and treatment options usually not accessible as a free therapy in mainstream health.
The Wishing Well raises funds to enable children and young people to access developmentally-appropriate and trauma-informed treatments shown to be highly effective in dealing with severe trauma and neglect. These therapies respond to the unique needs of each child and young person.
The Wishing Well is a not-for-profit incorporated charity organisation, established and managed by people seeking to improve outcomes for children and young people in out-of-home care and their families. The Wishing Well recognises the importance of the act of giving. We recognise the significance of the participation of community members and all donations are most appreciated.
The Wishing Well operates ethically, effectively and empathically with a view to achieving quality outcomes and a satisfying working environment.
Support the Wishing Well
The Wishing Well uses its funds to help children in need access all manners of developmentally-appropriate and trauma-informed treatments. The Wishing Well takes referrals for any child/young person in out-of-home care in NSW. Applications are assessed by qualified personnel and on a case-by-case basis. The decision to fund an application is affected by the following:
- Funding availability
- The support the child/young person has to access the proposed therapies
- The capacity and willingness of the Carer Household to support the child/young person
- Assessment, which recommends and supports the proposed therapy as relevant to meeting the particular needs of the child/young person
The Wishing Well gratefully receives donations, funding and resources through bequests, corporate partnerships, fundraising events, grants, online donations and other fund raising activities. Money donated to The Wishing Well enables traumatised children access to healing therapies. Please see our website for more information:
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