Mayo Clinic Q&A: Storm Anxiety is Common in Young Children
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I have a 7-year-old son who becomes anxious and agitated whenever it storms. What can I do to help him overcome his fear of thunderstorms and tornadoes? He is always asking about the weather whenever we leave the house and if the sky darkens, he asks if need to take shelter to […]
When Teen Angst Turns to Pandemic Anxiety and Depression
When kids grow into teens, they generally start separating from their parents and spend more time with their peers. But the isolation of Covid-19 has rewritten the script. Remote schooling, quarantine orders, and the cancellation of sports teams and other activities have caused young people to lose contact with their peers, as well as with […]
Coping with the Coronavirus Pandemic for People with Anxiety Disorders
These days, we all have to accept the anxiety inherent in living in the time of the coronavirus pandemic and Covid-19. If there were a way to dispel all anxious feelings, I’d tell you, but there isn’t. The one exception might be someone who could summon such a degree of denial that they carry on […]
7 Anti-Inflammatory Foods for Anxiety
One-third of Americans will experience prolonged anxiety at some point in their lives, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. While treatment once largely focused on medication and therapy, research suggests food and nutrients should play a role too. This is because inflammation is often a root cause or underlying contributor to anxiety. Chronic […]
It’s Not You, It’s All of Us
Should we cancel it? I think we should cancel it.” I agreed with my wife. It was March 11. Our son’s second birthday party was scheduled to happen in three days. But the majority of attendees were grandparents, and Covid-19 was picking up steam. Katie was right to suggest we cancel the birthday party. The […]
Drills, Needles, and Pain, Oh My! Coping with Dental Anxiety
For many people, going to the dentist is an unpleasant but manageable experience. For others, just the thought of going to the dentist causes severe anxiety, leading them to delay or avoid dental treatment. Unfortunately, this behavior can spiral into a vicious cycle of dental pain, health problems, worse anxiety, and more complex and costly […]
Can Exercise Help Treat Anxiety?
Chances are good that you, or someone you know, is dealing with anxiety. One in 5 Americans over 18, and 1 in 3 teenagers 13 to 18, reported having a chronic anxiety disorder during the past year. And when I talk to college students, they’re not at all surprised that a whopping 63% of students […]
Living with Eco-Anxiety in Age of the Coronavirus
While most news right now focuses on the worldwide emergency response to COVID-19, climate change remains an escalating threat. The current coronavirus pandemic requires immediate action to save millions of lives, but climate change could have even greater devastating effects in the decades to come, intensifying weather patterns, raising sea levels and decimating wildlife. Stay-at-home […]
How COVID-19 Impacts Teens’ Mental Health
Since the end of January, Isa Sanchez, a senior at Whitney Young High School, had been working on her senior project: choreographing a dance to the song “Dreams” by The Cranberries. The dance involves more than a dozen performers, but Illinois canceled in-person school before her group had a chance to perform it. “I wanted […]
Moving Your Mind to Combat Anxiety
Physical exercise is a great stress-reliever, and teens these days are under a lot of stress. So when two Evanston Township High School students were looking for healthy ways to deal with their anxiety, they developed a program called Moving Your Mind, movingyourmind.com. Free, monthly classes for local teens combine physical activity — from indoor […]
SuperBetter Game Aims to Decrease Depression
One in 13 people globally suffers from anxiety, the World Health Organization reports. While some video games and apps can contribute to anxiety, one new game is designed to increase optimism, self-efficacy and social support. After suffering from a severe concussion in 2009, game designer Jane McGonigal created a resilience-building game and watched her anxious […]
More Research Needed to Determine Effectiveness of CBD as Anxiety Treatment
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Is there any harm in trying CBD for anxiety? It seems to have helped my co-worker, but I am hesitant to try it without knowing more about it. ANSWER: Cannabidiol, also known as CBD, has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat anxiety. Although some research appears […]
Are Weighted Blankets the Secret to Better Sleep?
We all need hugs, but some children, especially those with sensory disorders, are seeking better sleep with the gentle pressure of a weighted blanket. Though they have long been used for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), weighted blankets have recently exploded in popularity. Filled with small pellets, weighted blankets apply gentle, soothing pressure that […]
Teenage Breakdown
The rise in mental health issues and what parents can do Fifteen-year-old Evan Wilson likes to play video games, draw and listen to music, especially classic punk (think Sex Pistols and The Clash). He’s also dealing with mental health issues — in his case, depression with a mood component and ADHD. Many teens experience symptoms […]
Why Persistent Anxiety Leads to Other Health Problems
The Medicine Cabinet: Ask the Harvard Experts Q: My wife says that I worry too much and it’s bad for my health. Does worrying really cause health problems? A: Feeling anxious now and then is perfectly normal. In fact, worrying can spur you to take positive actions in your life, including some that might actually […]
Can probiotics help treat depression and anxiety?
Harvard Health Blog There is a lot of interest right now in the human microbiome (the populations of bacteria that live in various parts of the body, including the intestine, skin and lungs). We now know that there are approximately 10 times as many bacterial cells as human cells in the body. The vast majority […]
Music can be good medicine
Jan Stouffer, who works as a board certified music therapist at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, uses music to help control patients’ pain and anxiety, to ease their adjustment to the hospital setting, and to promote physical rehabilitation. “Health is a dance back and forth between physical and emotional needs, so the […]
OCD?
Misconceptions abound of a debilitating disorder Diana, 18, is a North Carolina high school senior who loves animals. She has six cats and a dog and is considering a career in animal care. Yet in 2016, Diana found herself obsessed with thoughts that she would harm her pets. Even though she had never hurt them, she feared […]
Brain science suggests ‘mind wandering’ can help manage anxiety
Harvard Health Blog When we think of anxiety disorders, we generally think of them as uncomfortable emotional responses to threat. These responses may include symptoms such as palpitations, shortness of breath, sweating, trembling or absolute paralysis. While there is nothing inherently wrong in thinking about anxiety this way, a recent study pointed out that there […]
Second City Improv Class Helps Those with Social Anxiety
The Second City Training Center. Photo by Kirsten Miccoli Kat Bovbjerg recognized that she was suffering from social anxiety when she was a junior studying psychology at the University of Chicago. “My pulse would start racing; I’d get a little bit clammy; I’d get stuck inside my head and feel disconnected from everyone and from […]
Managing worry in generalized anxiety disorder
By Srini Pillay, M.D. Harvard Health Blog Everyone worries, but some people worry more than others. When worry is excessive, people may develop generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). In fact, close to a quarter of people who go to their primary care physicians with anxiety suffer from this. In general, stressful events in childhood and adulthood, […]
Know Your Panic
Understanding how to control the way you lose it By Nancy Maes When Richard Harper’s* oldest daughter flew off to college with her mother for her freshman year in the fall of 2013, he was left to make the nine-hour drive to campus to deliver her belongings. On the road, he could feel the stress […]
Knot Now!
It’s time to seek professional help if anxiety turns your nerves into a tangled mess By Donna Shryer When studies said that red wine—in moderation—reduces the risk of coronary heart disease, we toasted the news. When research divulged that moderate exercise is just as beneficial as vigorous activity, we jumped for joy. The same sweet […]
Scaredy Kids
The trick to mastering a kid’s fear makes for a real treat By David Himmel One of my life’s crowning achievements came when I was 8 years old. It was Halloween, and I won my second-grade class’ Scariest Costume award. At the time, Teen Wolf was my favorite movie, so that’s what I chose as […]
Too Hot To Handle
A reality check to help cool down summer stresses that can ruin the season and harm your healthBy Donna Shryer “During the summer, there’s more pressure to get out and enjoy every minute. But for many of us, we lose perspective.” So says Dr. Jennifer Klapatch, PhD, BCBA, director of Applied Professional Practice, department of […]
Growing Up with Tragedies
Terribly violent storms, like the one witnessed in Oklahoma this week, can leave lasting damages much more permanent than a shredded earth. This is especially so for children. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health problem in kids and adults. Mayo Clinic Children’s Center anxiety prevention expert and psychologist Stephen Whiteside, Ph.D., offers tips to help conquer weather-related fears. […]
An Education: Psychologist Uses Group Therapy to Help Teen Patients Understand Their Anxieties
Cathy*, a junior at a suburban public high school, has dealt with generalized anxiety disorder for years. A bright girl with a bright future, Cathy has landed several internships outside of school. She is active in after-school clubs and holds leadership positions within them. Following her freshman year, two summers ago, Cathy began seeing Dr. […]
