Children and Adolescents Suffering From Anxiety Benefit From Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

By Matthew Ryan, MA, LPC, NCC

Ryan Counseling, PLLC

. https://www.ryancounseling.com/

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Children and Adolescents Suffering From Anxiety Benefit From Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Anxiety is a natural reaction associated with the “fight or flight” response, and a general feeling of nervousness. Anxiety symptoms can arise during inappropriate situations or unwarranted times and present themselves in a variety of ways, such as shortness of breath, increased heart rate, restlessness and feelings of apprehension.

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR), there are twelve anxiety disorder diagnoses ranging from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) to Specific Phobia. Usually, there is an underlying fear or catalyst that is directly correlated with the individual’s excessive reaction or response. For some, this may be a fear of social situations, while for others the fear may be associated with a previously distressing experience. Either way, the cognitive processing of specific situations has been skewed and must be modified with the intent of preventing avoidant behaviors and an isolating lifestyle.

When identifying an appropriate treatment approach for anxiety, it is imperative to accurately diagnose the specific type of anxiety that the individual is experiencing. For parents, it is important to identify the signs and symptoms that categorize anxiety disorders as primary diagnoses rather than secondary diagnoses while differentiating the symptoms from normal child development.

An experienced therapist will be careful to make sure that anxiety is the primary disorder before treating because anxiety can be a secondary symptom of another disorder.

A common example, the symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can be confused with the symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Anxiety can also be identified as a secondary symptom of substance abuse. In these instances, it is imperative to identify all possible factors through a thorough evaluation and assessment.

Within psychotherapy, the most common approach to behavior modification for anxiety disorders is called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). The cognitive portion of CBT helps people identify the maladaptive thinking patterns while the behavioral portion of CBT addresses the actual responses to these maladaptive thought processes. A common approach to CBT is “exposure therapy.” This practice allows the therapist to slowly “expose” the client to the fear with the intent of gradually building appropriate responses and behaviors. This can be achieved through actual exposure to a particular fear or recalling events in a safe environment. Over time, it has been proven that CBT and exposure therapy decrease the maladaptive responses while increasing the individual’s ability to appropriately cope with fearful thoughts and feelings.

Continued psychotherapy in combination with medication management usually yields a positive outcome for the management of anxiety. However, all child and adolescent psychotherapists as well as parents must factor in the characteristics of natural child development when considering the diagnosis of an anxiety disorder.