Helping Your Adolescent Develop Skills to Manage Stress & Anxiety

Transcription

1 Helping Your Adolescent Develop Skills to Manage Stress & Anxiety Presented by: Sara Harrison-Mills, MSW, LISW-S Director of Youth & Prevention Programs, Syntero Karen Keane, LISW-S Student Support Specialist, Dublin City Schools

2 Objectives Mental & Emotional Wellness STRESS Academic Stress Social Stress Recognizing Signs of Distress Building Resilience Strategies for Managing Stress & Anxiety

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4 What is Mental Wellness? A state of well-being in which the individual: Realizes their own abilities Can cope with the normal stresses of life Works productively and fruitfully Is able to make a contribution to their community Internal & external factors affecting mental wellness include: Coping behaviors & skills Relationships with loved ones and others Financial issues School/Work environment

5 Emotional Wellness Emotional wellness implies: Being able to handle normal amounts of stress Being attentive to positive & negative thoughts, feelings, and behavior Being able to express emotions in a suitable manner Being aware of and accepting our feelings, rather than denying them Being optimistic and enjoying life, despite occasional frustrations and disappointments Being able to set priorities Being able to accept mistakes and learn from them Being proactive and seeking support or information to make informed decisions

6 STRESS! We all have it, but it s not always bad. : Moderate stress that is normal and beneficial Increased motivation, allows us to focus our energy Short-term Improved physical ability Opportunity to become competent and confident Any examples of positive stressors in your or your student s life? A state of mental or emotional strain resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances

7 STRESSED MUCH?

8 Insignificant memo or RED ALERT!! Anxiety is normal. Rollercoaster before a test Anxiety is necessary. Triggers our fight-flight response. Gets our body ready to defend or protect itself. Internal smoke alarm.

9 Stress Reaction: Physiologic Response Fight or Flight Very useful responses to actual threat or danger Liver releases glucose to fuel muscles Heart pumps harder to get blood where needed Breathing faster to take in more oxygen Sweat more to help bodies cool down

10 Stress Reaction Excessive stress over time results in build-up of stress hormones (i.e. cortisol) Hormonal changes cause feelings of being overwhelmed, fearful, and miserable Physical signs of stress: Disturbed sleeping pattern Difficulty concentrating/learning Persistent habits (throat clearing, nail biting) Headaches/muscle aches Changes in behavior Increased susceptibility to anxiety Regressive behaviors Acting-out behaviors

11 A teen s smile can often hide identity struggles, anxiety, depression, self-loathing and pressure to succeed bubbling under the surface.

12 Let s Talk about STRESS! What things or situations stress youth out today?

13 In our own backyard Home Social Stress Peer Pressure Mean Girls.and Boys School Academics 7.0 Athletics Social media Cyberbullying Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco

14 What do you want to do tonight Brain? Same thing we do every night.. Associated factor: Lack of sleep Consequence of sleep deprivation: Inability to consolidate memory Inability to suppress negative affect, mediated by inability of prefrontal cortex to inhibit emotional brain fmri investigations, paralleling sleep deprivation studies Wolfson & Carskadon (1998) Additional issues: no alone time, no down time, taking away from creativity/pondering/awe

15 WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THERE S TOO MUCH STRESS?

16 Enough is enough Warning signs: anxiety or panic attacks a feeling of being constantly pressured, hassled, and hurried irritability and moodiness physical symptoms, such as stomach problems, headaches, or even chest pain allergic reactions, such as eczema or asthma problems sleeping drinking too much, smoking, overeating, or doing drugs sadness or depression self-injurious behavior

17 Signs the STRESS is Becoming TOO Much Parents, take notice when your student shows any of the following changes. Increased tardiness or absences from school one of the earliest signs Angry or aggressive behaviors Poor concentration Youth seems withdrawn Youth appears overly anxious, or worried, even fearful Excessive sleeping, beyond usual teenage fatigue Loss of self-esteem Abandonment or loss of interest in favorite pastimes Unexpected and dramatic decline in academic performance Weight loss and loss of appetite

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19 Anxiety Disorders Separation Anxiety Disorder Selective Mutism Specific Phobia Social Anxiety Disorder Panic Disorder Agoraphobia Generalized Anxiety Disorder Persistent, excessive worries and/or fears Restlessness, feeling on edge Fatigue Difficulties with concentration Irritability Sleep disturbance Avoidance Physical sx s-headaches, stomachaches Panic sx s Heart palpitations Sweating Trembling Shortness of breath Nausea, stomach distress Dizzy/light headed Fear of losing control, fear of dying Chills or heat sensations Numbness or tingling Feeling detached from oneself

20 Where does it come from? Genes Negative Thoughts Avoiding Parent Reaction Parent Modeling Stressors

21 Where You Come In So what can parents do to help their teens manage stress and help build protective factors?

22 Resilience. A silver bullet? Resilience is the capacity to rise above difficult circumstances, the trait that allows us to exist in this less-than-perfect world while moving forward with optimism and confidence. Building Resilience in Children and Teens, 2015, pg.4

23 Building Resiliency-Starts at Home STRESS Unpredictable Severe Prolonged Predictable Moderate Controlled VULNERABILITY RESILIENCE Bruce D. Perry, MD, PhD

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25 7 C s Model of Resilience Competence Confidence Connection Character Contribution Coping Control

26 Competence Ability to handle situations effectively. Acquired through actual experience. Must first be allowed to develop skill set to trust own judgements, make responsible choices and face difficult situations.

27 Competence-Where YOU come in! Help your child focus on strengths and how to build them Focus on what does well vs. mistakes Be clear and concise when addressing mistakes vs. You always mess up Allow your child to make safe mistakes vs. hovering Avoid comparing your child to others

28 Do Say What did you learn in school today? Were you proud of your art piece? I love watching you think. You work so hard to figure things out. I really admire how you ll search for answers & get help until you feel confident. Don t Say How did you do on your test? Did you get a blue ribbon? You re so smart. I m so proud of your grades. Noticing, Praising, Criticizing

29 Confidence True confidence, the solid belief in one s own abilities, is rooted in competence. Children gain confidence by demonstrating competence in real situations.

30 Confidence-Where YOU come in! Express expectations for best qualities NOT achievements, but personal qualities (i.e. fairness, integrity, persistence, kindness) Catch your child being good Avoid unintentionally pushing your child further than realistic expectations Cause to stumble and lose confidence

31 Coping Best protection against unsafe, worrisome behaviors is WIDE repertoire of positive, adaptive coping strategies Model healthy coping skills/stress management-exercise, sleep, nutrition Allow imaginative problem solving Engage in Active Listening vs. Impulsive Responses

32 Coping Strategies Adaptive/Effective Explore and clarify feelings Think positively Positive appraisal Rational thinking Get support Family Communication Maintaining close friendships Physical Activity Meditation/down time SLEEP Unplug Mal-Adaptive/Ineffective Anger Avoidance Substance Use Blaming others Withdrawing Acting aggressively Self-Injury/Eating disorders

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34 Connection Close relational tiesà solid sense of securityà produces strong valuesà prevents from seeking destructive alternatives Allow and normalize ALL emotions Create space for connectionphysical/mental Directly address conflict Encourage pride in ethnic, religious, cultural groups

35 Character Fundamental sense of right and wrong Strong sense of self-worth & confidence Future-oriented Model importance of caring for others Service Learning Clearly express expectations about racist, ethnic, or hateful statements or stereotypes Encourage effort and tenacity

36 Contribution powerful lesson when children learn [the] world is a better place because they are in it. Instills sense of purpose Opportunity to surround contributing teens with thank yous rather than low expectations or condemnation that many teens endure Model generosity Create opportunities for contribution

37 Control When children realize that they can control the outcomes of their decisions and actions, they re more likely to know that they have the ability to do what it takes to bounce back. Vs. Students who feels everything always happens to me à become passive, pessimistic, depressed Encourage recognition of small accomplishments Discipline as form of teaching rather than punishment or controlling

38 Where rubber meets the road Decision Making Trees Break down vague lessons- Don t drink Adolescents are still developing ability to think abstractly Sketch out possibilities by eliciting possibilities from your child Help connect the dots Identify choices Saving face can outweigh safety concerns

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40 Thank you to ADAMH Board Community Education presentations from Syntero are possible thanks to school-based prevention grants funded by the ADAMH Board of Franklin County Syntero, Inc. All rights reserved. 2016

41 Contact Information Sara Harrison-Mills, LISW-S Director of Youth & Prevention Programs, Syntero, Inc. Karen Keane, LISW-S Student Support Specialist, Dublin City Schools