Anxiety
Everyone feels anxious at times, but when it becomes strong or affects a young person’s life then it is time to seek help. Anxiety ranges in severity from feeling nervous before a school performance to being unable to leave the house.
Common symptoms include signs and symptoms of a Panic Attack (sweating, feeling short of breath, shaky, pounding heart, feeling faint, numb, a choking feeling, chest tightness, dizziness, feelings of unreality), repetitive thoughts and behaviours, an inability to stop obsessing about incidents or people, inability to concentrate, and/or feeling irritable.
Anxiety can be caused by many factors including feeling overwhelmed in life, school, exam pressures, family stresses, divorce, bullying, etc.
At PS, children and adolescents are assessed in their family and school context to ascertain the best way to help them. A Treatment Plan is then formulated collaboratively with the young person and parents (where appropriate) to help them learn coping strategies to manage their stressors while exploring the underlying reasons for the anxiety.