1. Coping with Anxiety

2. What is anxiety? Anxiety can be useful and helpful when we face new or stressful situations. A natural, normal feeling that we all experience from time to time. Causes a ‘fight, flight or freeze’ response so that we are alert and ready to react to the challenge. Our body’s way of preparing ourselves for a challenge when faced with stress, by releasing a chemical called adrenaline

3. What causes anxiety? • Being anxious or ‘a worrier’ can run in families. • Worrying about exams, bullying, friendship problems, appearance, money etc. • A change in your family, e.g. parents separating, new step parents/ siblings. • Worrying about the health of a family member or losing a family member. • A fear/ phobia which may be considered irrational.

5. … But sometimes those feelings of anxiety don’t go away The anxiety can make doing everyday things, like going to school and talking to people, difficult.

6. Anxiety can start to affect the behaviour and thoughts of the anxious person in negative ways. These can include: • Feeling scared, panicky, embarrassed or ashamed a lot of the time. • Not having the confidence to try new things, face challenges or even carry on as normal. • Finding it hard to concentrate, or having problems with sleeping or eating. • Having angry outbursts and getting very angry very quickly and feels ‘out of control’. • Worries or negative thoughts going round and round in your head, or thinking that bad things are going to happen all the time.

7. Who does anxiety affect?

8. Video? Young person talking about anxiety? http://www.time-to-change.org.uk/category/blog/video?page=2 Or prepared volunteer to read example blogs: http://www.time-to-change.org.uk/blog/one-conversation-about-mental-health-had-big-impact-me http://www.time-to-change.org.uk/blog/support-your-friends-time-talk-day http://www.time-to-change.org.uk/blog/we-all-have-mental-health-so-be-kind

9. What can you do if you feel that anxiety problems are getting in the way of your life? • TALK TO SOMEONE- a parent, sibling, teacher, adult at school, doctor, youth worker, friend. • Learn to recognise anxious feelings so that you can tell when you are becoming anxious and ask for help. • Try doing something that will distract your thoughts and help you relax, such as listening to music, exercising, socialising, finding a quiet space or reading. • Try to put things in perspective and rationalise fears/ worries by running through scenarios and thinking about what possible outcomes might be. • Talk to a professional- there are therapeutic interventions that could help you. • There are many other strategies for coping with anxiety, but all are far easier with someone else supporting you through the processes, so it’s really important to seek the help that you need by speaking to a trusted adult.

10. Useful websites: • www.youngminds.org.uk • www.anxietyuk.org.uk • www.bigwhitewall.com • www.mycamhschoices.org • www.headmeds.org.uk • www.childline.org.uk • www.themix.org.uk