Teen Anxiety Fair educates parents
Last Wednesday, there was a Mental Health Resource Fair at Pascack Hills that featured various booths that offered services to those suffering from anxiety disorders. This included social anxiety disorder, phobias, separation anxiety, and panic disorder. The event was sponsored by Kinderkamack Counseling, Care Plus New Jersey, Family Recovery Systems, the Spine and Health Center of Montvale, High Focus Centers, New Pathway Counseling Services Inc, Adelphi Educational Services, and Jill Pantaleo and Associates. These organizations help teens who suffer from substance abuse, emotional and behavioral health issues, and domestic violence issues.
The event was set to educate parents on the prevention of child anxiety disorders as well as recognition and recovery strategies.
In addition to the booths, the event featured a Keynote speaker, Paul Foxman, founder and director of the Center for Anxiety Disorders and author of Dancing With Fear and The Worried Child. Foxman stressed that anxiety disorders are very difficult to spot and the only way they can be detected are for parents to have a proactive role in their child’s life by communicating with them and asking them various questions such as “How are things at school?” and “How are you doing?”
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Foxman stated that sometimes when kids are unable to communicate their feelings, he/she might express a negative state of mind by self-harm, food issues (binge-eating, restrictive eating), reduced academic performance, indecisiveness, or sleep problems. This is the students’ cry for help; it’s an indication that they feel neglected and it is intended to take them seriously and address their issues. Anxiety is not as simple as having a person outright say that they are suffering.
Student Assistance Counselor and school psychologist, Andy Yeagar, also spoke at the fair and continued on Paul Foxman’s points. In his speech, Yeagar mentioned one of John F. Kennedy’s famous quotes, “The rising tide lifts all the boats,” as a metaphor for the fact that when kids go to high school, they all experience an elevated stress level from the pressures of trying to achieve good grades and still trying to enjoy the positive experiences of high school.
“Kids need help. It is our job as parents to help them cope,” Yeagar said.
