While anxiety is a fairly common occurrence, persistent anxiety is a mental health condition that should be addressed to prevent social, academic, or familial problems. Children are not often prone to anxiety, but some children will experience it.
You can find over-the-counter anxiety medication for kids, and many therapists recommend it. However, before giving your child any medication, talk to their primary care physician. You need to ensure the ingredients in the medicine are safe and effective.
OTC or prescription medications are not the only options for treating childhood anxiety. You can try a number of routines and practices.
1. Practice Deep Breathing
Aside from natural anxiety medication for children you can purchase online or in a store, you can teach your child about deep breathing. When they are experiencing an anxiety attack, take their hand and tell them to breathe like you. You want to breathe in for a count of five, exhale for a count of five to seven. Keep cycling through the breathing until your child calms down.
You can also have them hold an object while they breathe. Ask them to concentrate on every part of the object while breathing in and out. These methods help distract your child from whatever sets their emotions on high alert.
2. Exercise
When your child is experiencing irritability symptoms that stem from anxiety, you can try to help by encouraging them to be active. Exercise is one of the best therapies for anxiety because it produces endorphins, the body’s happy hormones.
Obviously, with a child, you do not need to invest in high-performance exercise equipment or routines. You can play tag in your yard or go on a bike ride around the neighborhood. Try to get them outside for at least 30 minutes every day.
3. Mindfulness
Mindfulness is something that has gained a lot of popularity lately. It is the practice of being present. Anxiety stems from worry and dread over things that have or have yet to happen, meaning your child might be panicking about the past or the future. Teaching them to appreciate the present moment can help mitigate some of their worries.
4. Group Therapy
Depending on your child’s age, you might want to look into group therapy. If they are teenagers, they might be more willing to talk to people their own age. There are many groups for people with anxiety. It might take time for your child to warm up to a specific group, but this option is excellent for many kids.
5. Professional Intervention
If your child regularly suffers from panic attacks at school, you might want to seek professional help. You can take them to their primary care doctor, who can refer you to someone more familiar with anxiety disorders. However, you should be open to all forms of treatment. Remember, doctors are medical professionals and have more knowledge and expertise than you.
If you believe an OTC anxiety medicine could help your child, contact their doctor. You should always talk to a physician before starting your child on any medication.
