Let children and teenagers cope with some anxiety: psychologist

While avoiding the things that may be causing your child or teenager anxiety may seem like a good idea, P.E.I. psychologist DanielChorney says it is only a short-term solution.

"Long term, it makes anxiety far far worse."

Chorney, who will be speaking to P.E.I. teachers about the issue during ameeting, described anxiety as the feeling you have in your brain and body when you're anticipating a negative event.

"We all sort of feel that [in] everyday situations but when you have an anxiety disorder, that warning system is sort of firing way too intensely and you start over-worrying about everyday kind of situations," he said.

Chorneysaid when children and teenagers experiencethat, teachers and parents shouldn't allowthem to "default out."

Learn to cope

"It's more about, can we teach you some ways to recognize anxiety, understand that it's normal and adaptive, understand how to cope with it differently and understand the more you face things that make you anxious, the less anxious you feel aboutthem in the future," he said.

And Chorneysaid children and teenagers are not experiencing anxiety disorder more now than in years past. The issue now is the lack of ability for people to cope with daily stressors.

"Feeling overwhelmed or feeling like they can't cope with day to day situations in life, that is on a huge uprise but anxiety itself,the states of anxiety have not increased."

Chroney said if adults keep stepping in and doing things for children and teens, the less ability they will feel they have to do it on their own.

"We take away their chance to fail, we take away their chance to try, we take away their chance to learn that bad feelings come and go."

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