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Don’t Fear Anxiety

Don’t Fear Anxiety. Dr. Krista Kiiffner, C. Psych. Supervising Psychologist, CDSBEO. “ Knowledge is power”. Eleanor Roosevelt. What is Anxiety. “It is fear in the absence of no danger”. Anxiety is….

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Don’t Fear Anxiety

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  1. Don’t Fear Anxiety Dr. Krista Kiiffner, C. Psych. Supervising Psychologist, CDSBEO

  2. “ Knowledge is power” Eleanor Roosevelt

  3. What is Anxiety “It is fear in the absence of no danger”

  4. Anxiety is… “.. a State of being uneasy, apprehensive or worried about what may happen; concern about a possible future event.” (Webster’s Dictionary)

  5. Anxiety Equation Threat/Fear Ability to Cope

  6. Common Factors in Anxiety Disorders • Themes: • Danger and Threat • Self as vulnerable and weak • Thoughts: • Catastrophic Thinking and Imagery • Behaviour: • Avoidance • Safety Behaviours

  7. Common Pitfalls • Reassurance (asking repetitive questions regarding certainty and comfort) • Accommodation • Content Trap (focus on specific event vs. common pattern) • BIG BAD WORRY

  8. Change is possible-

  9. How Anxiety Presents • Physiological (arousal, fight-flight-freeze) • Cognitive (cognitive distortions, negative self-talk, rumination) • Behavioural (avoidance, reassurance seeking, anticipation)

  10. Manage and Tolerate Anxiety What Anxiety wants…. • Certainty (know everything all of the time) • Comfort (feel comfortable all of the time) • When you change what anxiety wants = Worry gets bossy!

  11. Teaching Anxiety Management 3 E’s of Anxiety • Expect/Educate/Empower • Externalize/Empathize • Experiment/Expose

  12. Expect Anxiety The Times When Kids Often Worry • Trying something new • Unsure about plans • Lots of “what if” questions • Performance • Something scary happens

  13. Normalizing Anxiety and Expecting Worry to Show Up • Talk about the routine times when anxiety shows up • Look for opportunities to point out when someone is successful at doing something, but also acknowledge nervousness in the process (e.g., athletes, teachers, actors) • Being surprised by something normal and expected doesn’t make much sense

  14. EducateAlarm System • If you tell yourself there is a threat, even though there is no threat = your body and mind sound the alarm

  15. Externalize Anxiety • Personify worry an as object outside of yourself. • Attribute purpose and motivation of anxiety (e.g., it lies, and catastrophes so you avoid) • Perceive yourself as in a relationship with anxiety. • Learn to hear and talk back to worry.

  16. Worry Bug

  17. Talking Back To Anxiety

  18. Experiment/Exposure • We learn by doing • Move children towards uncertainty • Gotta Get a Want-To (Find a goal that is truly important to the child) • Talk down the Alarm system • Problem solving

  19. Problem Solving

  20. Do the Opposite of GCPs • Global Thinking = Break it down • Catastrophic = Problem Solve • Permanent = Temporary

  21. The 4 Bs • Body (calm down the amygdala) • Brain (talking back to anxiety, problem solving) • Bravery (be wiling to feel unsure and uncomfortable and step into the unknown) • Bridge (bridge back to success to counter amnesia)

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