Anxiety - Get the Facts

Facts & Statistics

Did You Know?

• Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older (18% of U.S. population).
• Anxiety disorders are highly treatable, yet only about one-third of those suffering receive treatment.

• Anxiety disorders cost the U.S. more than $42 billion a year, almost one-third of the country's $148 billion total mental health bill, according to "The Economic Burden of Anxiety Disorders," a study commissioned by ADAA (The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry,60(7), July 1999).
  • More than $22.84 billion of those costs are associated with the repeated use of health care services; people with anxiety disorders seek relief for symptoms that mimic physical illnesses.
• People with an anxiety disorder are three to five times more likely to go to the doctor and six times more likely to be hospitalized for psychiatric disorders than those who do not suffer from anxiety disorders.
• Anxiety disorders develop from a complex set of risk factors, including genetics, brain chemistry, personality, and life events.

Anxiety helps us get out of harm’s way and prepare for important events, and it warns us when we need to take action.

But you may experience anxiety that is persistent, seemingly uncontrollable, and overwhelming. If it’s an excessive, irrational dread of everyday situations, it can be disabling. When anxiety interferes with daily activities, you may have an anxiety disorder.

The term "anxiety disorder" refers to generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), social anxiety disorder (also called social phobia), and specific phobias.

Facts and Statistics

Anxiety disorders are the most common psychiatric illnesses affecting children and adults. An estimated 40 million American adults suffer from anxiety disorders. Only about one-third of those suffering from an anxiety disorder receive treatment, even though the disorders are highly treatable.

Everyday anxiety or an anxiety disorder?

Everyday Anxiety	Anxiety Disorder
Worry about paying bills, landing a job, a romantic breakup, or other important life events	Constant and unsubstantiated worry that causes significant distress and interferes with daily life
Embarrassment or self-consciousness in an uncomfortable or awkward social situation	Avoiding social situations for fear of being judged, embarrassed, or humiliated
A case of nerves or sweating before a big test, business presentation, stage performance, or other significant event	Seemingly out-of-the-blue panic attacks and the preoccupation with the fear of having another one
Realistic fear of a dangerous object, place, or situation	Irrational fear or avoidance of an object, place, or situation that poses little or no threat of danger
Making sure that you are healthy and living in a safe hazard-free environment	Performing uncontrollable repetitive actions such as excessive cleaning or checking, or touching and arranging
Anxiety, sadness, or difficulty sleeping immediately after a traumatic event	Recurring nightmares, flashbacks, or emotional numbing related to a traumatic event that occurred several months or years before

Researchers are learning that anxiety disorders run in families, and that they have a biological basis, much like allergies or diabetes and other disorders. Anxiety disorders may develop from a complex set of risk factors, including genetics, brain chemistry, personality, and life events.

This information from: www.adda.org 

Inspiring your Children to get Healthy this Fall!

Fall is here and it’s a great time to get outdoors and get active. Have you ever thought of doing this as a family?  Are you or your child struggling with a weight problem?  The American Heart Association 2013 fact sheet states “Among Americans age 20 and older, 154.7 million are overweight or obese". 
Also, the American Heart Association states about one in three American kids and teens are overweight or obese, nearly triple the rate since 1963. Research has found that when we don’t focus on our overall health by eating healthy and exercising, it affects our children. If it hasn’t been a priority for you, then make it a family priority this fall and be your child’s role model.

Here are 5 things you can start doing today with your family.

1.    Set goals for eating healthier- Reduce the number of meals eaten outside the home. Make healthier meals at home and get your children involved.  Your children can be involved in many ways.  They can help you at the grocery store when you are shopping for healthy items.  You can also get your children involved at home, whether it’s helping you wash the vegetables or mixing the ingredients.  The more involved your children are in the cooking process, then the more open they will be to trying these new nutritious meals. 

2.    Set family exercise goals. Have a family meeting and discuss the importance of being healthy and exercising.  Create a family weekly exercise schedule that will work for everyone.  For example: We will exercise as a family twice a week.  Each family member will exercise at least one time a week on their own. Get more specific if possible.  Post this schedule on the refrigerator where everyone can see it.

3.    Make it fun- Your children will enjoy it if they know that you are enjoying this new lifestyle change.  Be creative when thinking of nutritious meals to make with your children.  Find activities that will be enjoyable for the entire family. The extra time you spend with your children will definitely make a difference in their attitude.

4.    Accountability- Check in with everyone once a week to make sure they are following the goals set. It may be difficult at first for some family members so they may need some extra encouragement.  Remind them that small changes are better than no changes at all.

5.    Rewards- Create monthly family rewards.  This will help everyone stay involved and committed to the set goals.  It will also make everyone feel like part of a team and that their participation does make a difference. As you go through this process, you will also find that this will bring the entire family closer together.                                                                                                                                     

You may be a family that doesn’t struggle with your weight, but your family does struggle with eating healthy and exercising. Remember, the best way to have a healthy weight is prevention. Begin setting goals for your family today so that you can prevent yourself and your children from becoming overweight. It’s much easier to maintain a healthy weight than it is to lose weight. Stay positive and don’t allow small setbacks to keep your family from achieving their goals.

Dr. Nina Rios-Doria

PhD in Child Development

Licensed Professional Counselor

Logos Counseling

Southlake, TX

www.logoscounseling.com

Friendvy- How to maintain Healthy Friendships

Friendvy on KTXD - The Broadcast in Dallas, TX

Protecting our Children from the Internet

This month, a headline in Texas reads, “Two teens have been arrested in connection with the suicide of Rebecca Sedwick, a teen who took her life over on-line bullying.”  Yale University did a review over the relationship between bullying and suicide.  They found that bullying victims are about five times more likely to consider suicide than non-victims (Kim, 2008).

As a counselor, I hear great concern from parents about their child’s internet and phone usage.  It’s challenging to keep up with what your child is viewing.  There are so many new apps and social media sights introduced daily.  In addition, there are also inappropriate websites; such as porn, that are easily accessible.

There are a few things parents can do to protect their children. First, become aware of the statistics. Second, educate yourself on ways to monitor internet usage.  Third, give them the support they need to go through this tempting and challenging stage while still making them feel loved and encouraged.

Become Aware:

Below are just some of the many statistics related to internet use and our youth.

·         66% of teens who have witnessed online cruelty have also witnessed others joining; 21% say they have also joined in the harassment (PEW Internet Research Center, FOSI, Cable in the Classroom, 2011)

·          52% of parents are worried their child will be bullied via social networking sites. (American Osteopathic Association, 2011)

·         65% of online sex offenders used the victim's social networking site to gain home and school information about the victim (Mitchell, 2010)

·         26% of online sex offenders used the victim's social networking site to gain information about the victim's whereabouts at a specific time. (Mitchell, 2010)

·         93% of boys and 62% of girls are exposed to Internet porn before the age of 18 (Sabine, 2008)

Educate Yourself:

White’s Chapel is offering a two part series to educate parents about internet use.  The first session is called, “Tech Talk: What Every Parent and Adult Needs to Know about the Internet”. It will be on October 27^th (Sunday) at 6:30pm in WC Bridge.

Jim Stalder is leading this discussion.  He is Chief Technology Officer at Cook Children's Health Care System. He believes every parent “can get control over the conversations with strangers, access to inappropriate movies on cable, pornography and countless other types of content. This discussion will help parents learn their options for managing access to Internet and controlling what type of content is seen in their household.”  

Support Your Children:

Children need our guidance.  They also need our understanding and support. Be patient. Children will make mistakes. These are opportunities for them to learn.  Demonstrate and show them grace, love, and forgiveness so that they will know how to show these traits to others.  

Today more than ever, our kids need our protection.  Don’t miss this upcoming event at White’s Chapel and learn how to keep your children safe.

God Bless you and your family,

Dr. Nina Rios-Doria

PhD Child Development

Licensed Professional Counselor 

References:

Kim, Y., & Leventhal, B. (2008). Bullying and suicide: A review. International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and

Health, 20 (2), 133–154.

Mithcell, K. J., Finkelhor, D. F., Jones, L.M., & Wolak, J. W. (2010). Use of Social Networking Sites in Online Sex Crimes Against Minors: An Examination of National Incidence and Means of Utilization. Journal of Adolescent Health, 47 (2), 183-190.

Sabine, C., Wolak, J., & Finkelhor, D. (2008). The Nature and Dynamics of Internet Pornography Exposure for Youth. Cyber Psychology & Behavior, 11 (6), 691-693.

Today is "Spirit Day"- a day dedicated for standing up against bullying and supporting LGBT youth

Statistics: 
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth are twice as likely to say they have been physically assaulted, kicked or shoved at school. Ninety-two percent say they hear negative messages about being LGBT through school, the Internet and peers, while 42 percent say the community they live in is not accepting of LGBT people.  (Human Rights Youth Survey Report)

Wear purple today to show your support.

Dr. Nina Rios-Doria
www.logoscounseling.com

Encouraging Friendships

As parents, we want our children to have positive and healthy relationships with friends. There are so many great benefits gained from friendships. They help your child build and develop social skills. Also, they encourage communication and help with problem solving.  Friendships are especially important during the middle school and high school years.  They provide emotional support and also help build self esteem during this critical stage of development.  A positive circle of friends can prevent unpleasant experiences, like peer victimization (bullying) and teasing from other children or teens.

Parents play a large role in their child’s life when it comes to building and sustaining friendships.  Parents can encourage this by modeling healthy relationships to their children.  Children can benefit greatly from having a secure and healthy attachment to their parents. Parents who are loving, accepting, and respectful communicate to their child that they are valued, loved, and special.

There are many things parents can do to help their child develop and sustain friendships.

     1.  Encourage Conversational Skills- Teach them basic social skills. Parents can do this by spending        quality time with them.  Family outings and dinner gatherings are a great place to model this behavior.

2. Give them opportunities to make friends- Getting children involved in sports or clubs at school can help develop friendships.  Of course, church groups and activities are great too! J
3. Help them learn to control emotions- Research has found that children who have emotional control have more friends.  Parents can role model positive ways to deal with every day frustrations.  Expressing emotions appropriately and talking about them in front of the child will make a difference.

4. Expressing and showing empathy – Parents can model this by looking for opportunities around them.  For example: If a parent sees someone sad or hurt in a real life situation or possibly on TV, they can talk about it with their child – “How do you think they feel? What do you think they need to feel better?”

 Also, parents can model caring behavior towards others so that their child can see how it makes other people feel. It teaches the child that they have the power to make another person happy and understood.

5. Teach them to compromise -Parents can role model this by offering their child choices in the home and also getting the child’s help when making decisions.  This can help a child later when they are confronted with a dilemma with their friends. It teaches them to offer choices and help with decision making.

Finally, let your child or teen know that you are available to them if they need your help and support. 

Research has found that children that could depend on their parents have better quality friendship with their peers. Parents play such a large role in a child’s overall development.  Showing them constant love and support will get them through their childhood and teenage years and also help build and sustain their friendships.

Dr. Nina Rios-Doria

Logos Counseling in Southlake, TX

www.logoscounseling.com

Expressing Emotions through Art

My daughter loves to color, paint and draw as most children do!  She has an art table that she can use any time.  It's a great place for her to be creative and express her emotions.  Art is an outlet for children, especially those going through something difficult in their lives. Often younger children have a difficulty expressing their emotions but they can through art.

If you ever find yourself struggling to get your child to talk about something that you can tell is upsetting to him/her.  Give them an area to draw, color, or paint.  Then say to them, "Draw a picture of some things you are thinking about?"  or  "What is making you sad, mad, etc?" or "How did you feel when x happened? - "Can you draw a picture of what you felt?"

You will be amazed at the things they draw. It will allow for more dialogue between you both.  Remember, it's always great to visit with a therapist if you ever have concerns with your child.  It can always be beneficial to get another perspective.  Early intervention does make a difference.

Dr. Nina