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Presented By:

Brianna Skanderup, LMFT + Classes Specialist

Michael Gabrielle, Manager - Virtual Classes

Tuesday, March 7th

Understanding & Supporting Youth Anxiety

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Our Mission: �A world where every young person benefits from mental health support

Our Services:

Online counseling, designed for teens

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Webinar Engagement

During the session:

This session will be recorded. We will stop the recording before the Q&A.
You are welcome to put questions in the Q&A or chat during the session. Please note: these may be recorded.
Remaining questions will be answered in the final Q&A at the end of our training, which will not be recorded.

Introduce yourself in the chat! �Please share:

Your name
Something you’re hoping to get out of today’s class

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Brianna Skanderup, LMFT, Classes Specialist

Brianna has experience helping others with issues such as depression, anxiety, trauma, relationship issues, and grief/loss. Prior to Daybreak, Brianna served predominantly immigrant families in Santa Clara and Santa Cruz Counties. As well as, leading presentations and workshops for community partners, families and school districts.

Meet Brianna

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Michael Gabrielle, Manager - Virtual Classes

Michael manages school partnerships and facilitates mental health classes at Daybreak. With a background in psychology and visual arts, Michael has facilitated art and mental health classes for a range of populations, including schools, hospitals, prisons, and corporations. Michael currently also works as a digital crisis counselor for a youth suicide prevention hotline.

Meet Michael

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Agenda

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Differentiating between feelings (stress, anxiety)� & anxiety disorders
Understanding different types of anxiety disorders
Strategies to support youth experiencing anxiety
Resources
Q&A

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What is Anxiety?

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01

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Anxiety: How Common Is It?

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of teens are estimated to have an �anxiety disorder

of these teens experience a severe impairment due to their symptoms of anxiety

of teens believe stress causes them to get lower grades than they think they can get

31.9%

8.3%

10%

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What Anxiety Feels Like

Beating yourself up for not being productive

but also not having the energy to do a single thing

Not being able to sleep because you are anxious and then being anxious about not getting enough sleep

When you want to reach out to someone but you feel like you’re bothering them

Not showing up to something important, such as an AP test or job interview, because you are too afraid of failing

Feeling like you forgot to do something important but…

ALL. THE. TIME.

When your chair tips back

and you almost fall but you

catch yourself.

That feeling but for hours

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Emotions

Anxiety Disorders

Usually doesn’t impact life functioning�
A typical reaction to realistic, important or stressful situations, people or thoughts�
A temporary feeling state such as ”stress”, “worry” or “fear”�
Only one symptom of anxiety

A mental disorder impacts quality of life
Generally is internal, meaning it's your reaction to stress.
Usually manifests as constant & persistent emotional distress, somatic diseases, and cognitive and behavioural impairments

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What are Anxiety Disorders?

Anxiety disorders are among the most

common disorders and considered a medical illness��It affects how your child thinks, feels and behaves. Impacting emotional, functional and physical areas of their lives

Anxiety disorders are persistent lasting at least six months, often maintained through avoidance and involve worries that are feel difficult to control regarding negative outcomes in different areas

Fortunately, they are also treatable!

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Anxiety Disorders

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Social Anxiety

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Panic Disorder

Separation Anxiety

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Generalized Anxiety Disorder

GAD involves excessive worry about multiple different events or activities�

This is the constant worrier with an overarching feeling of dread or unease that things will go wrong in one way or another�

Associated with other key symptoms such as restlessness, tension/soreness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, irritability, �difficulty sleeping

The most common teen anxiety disorder

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Social Anxiety Disorder

SAD involves intense or debilitating fear of what other people think of you, meeting new people, going to social events, having a one-on-one conversation, etc.�

Wanting to avoid or enduring social situations with intense discomfort- including physical symptoms- and fearing that other people will notice symptoms of anxiety�

Doesn’t mean that the person does not feel loneliness or wishes they could participate in socializing without experiencing their intense symptoms

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Separation Anxiety Disorder

Revolves around separation from an attachment figure/caregiver- usually centered around the attachment figure’s safety and well-being

The fear/worry is developmentally inappropriate and excessive to the separation

Refusal or reluctance to be home alone, leave home/stay at school or sleep away from home

This may be triggered by big changes such as the pandemic, loss of a loved one to death/deportation, divorce, etc.

Brianna

Separation anxiety typically revolves around a caregiver- however we usually talk about them in terms of an “Attachment figure”Intense fear or worry when actual or anticipated separation from an attachment figure occurs.

The fear/worry is developmentally inappropriate and excessive to the separation- Such as refusal to stay at school and attachment figure leaving,

Worry about the attachment figure’s safety and well-being�We have seen an increase in separation anxiety in older youth as well after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Refusal or reluctance to be home alone or sleep away from home, this can be for sleepovers, not wanting mom to leave the house even though there is someone else at home with child, etc.

Refusal or reluctance to leave home, this often involves knowing that once they leave the house they may be anticipating a separation from their attachment figure, such as dropping off at school, or attachment figure staying home.

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Panic Disorder

Very sudden, unexpected feelings of fear that seem to come out of nowhere and include several core symptoms such as racing heart, nausea, dizziness, fear of dying, etc.�

Experiencing recurrent panic attacks
Excessive worry about having more attacks
Drastic changes in behavior to try avoid having more panic attacks
Fears having panic attacks in public

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Signs of Youth Anxiety

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Changes in moods- sadness, fear, anger, worry, numbness, frustrations, anxiety, panic
Using substances
Changes in appetite or sleeping habits
Physical reactions - headaches, body pains, and stomach issues

Avoidance, procrastination, �low motivation
Frequent trips to the nurse or complaints of feeling sick
Not turning in homework, declining grades
Truancies or refusing to go to school

Common signs and symptoms of anxiety may include:�

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Anxiety Risk Factors

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Developmental Stage

Egocentrism, imaginary audience

Changes (Pandemic)
Family Stressors
Certain medical conditions
Substances
Trauma

Brianna

In adolescent Egocentrism there are feelings of being personally unique, that they themselves are very special and that they and their actions should/are the focus of others’ attention.�
Imaginary audience the belief that others are constantly focusing attention on, scrutinizing their behaviors, appearance, etc.

The teen feels like they are continually the central topic of interest to an “audience”
Because of developmentally normal constructs or stages like this, teens can feel very self-conscious and like they’re often “performing” for others, or others are watching and judging, impacting anxiety.�

Life changes and transitions- after the changes brought about by the Pandemic and shelter in place, there have been increases in the anxiety levels we’re seeing in students. Feelings related to social anxiety and deficits in social skills, separation anxiety and fears that something will happen to a loved one, panic associated with exposure to germs and covid -19 in general, etc.�
Certain medical conditions can predispose people to experience anxiety, such as hyperthyroidism.�
Like we mentioned, anxiety disorders typically have an early age of onset and disorder development or lack thereof can be closely tied to the brain structure changes in childhood and adolescence (such as increased myelination of neurons and synapse pruning), Hormones related to puberty, together with pressures from the external environment, all influence and can reshape the central nervous system, shaping and connections between brain structures.

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Protective Factors

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Teens with strong protective factors would have greater coping skills to deal with stressors than those without.

School connectedness (safety & support)
Parental monitoring
Adult-adolescent communication
Feeling connected to and accepted by peers
Involvement in enjoyable activities
Being goal or purpose oriented

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Supporting Youth

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How Parents Can Help

Express appreciation & have a supportive mindset
Validate your child’s emotions and experiences
Use active listening, respect their point of view
Support basic needs (nutrition, exercise, sleep)
Encourage teens to tell you about their problems

Offer solutions only if they ask for advice

If your child doesn’t feel comfortable sharing with you, help them find a safe/trusted adult they can go to

School, extended family, community clubs

Michael

Validate: We don’t have to understand why our kids are depressed, just sit with them and try to understand their suffering. adults sometimes can make judgments such as “what do you have to worried about?...sad about?”, this minimizes or feels dismissive or judgmental of the experiences and suffering of young people. But this is their experience and it’s valid. I want to bring in a lot of compassion for young people going through a hard time.

Ways to express validation:

I can see this is important to you.
What a frustrating situation to be in!
I can see that you are very (upset, sad, frightened, scared).
Here’s what I’m hearing you say. (summarize with fact checking)

Flexibility: abandoning the “because I said so mentality”, being collaborative in household rules/expectations (within safe and realistic ways of course).

the language we use is very powerful, using words like “but” or “at least”, or labels like “lazy”, this kind of language can have a big impact on how a young person feels about themselves and whether they feel supported.

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Grounding them in the present
Increasing their sense of control
Reminders that this sensation/emotion will end
Explore negative thoughts/is it true right now?
Engage their thinking brain

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Supporting Someone with Anxiety

When someone is experiencing anxiety or panic, they may be feeling: overwhelmed, judged, afraid, or out of control. You can help by:

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Box breathing
Smiling breaths
Finger count breathing
Focus ball breathing

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Breathing Techniques

There are many quick and simple breathing techniques you can use in almost any situation.

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Body scans

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Connecting With Your Body

54321 Exercises

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Connecting With Your Body

Additional strategies:

Clenching and release your fists/muscles
Rub your palms together
Stomp
Exercise/stretch, go for a walk
Take a shower or bath, splash cold water on your face
Drink something hot
Smell something (lavender is very calming!)

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Ideas for Calm

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Mindfulness

Meditate, journal, picture a person or place you love, listen to your surroundings, focus on observing an object, coloring/doodling�

Distraction

Watch tv or a funny video, listen to music, play a game, intentional social media use�

Connection

Reaching out to someone, talking or sitting quietly, hugging someone�

Engage cortex (thinking brain)

Recite something from memory, count by 2s, list your favorite things, play a memory game�

Brianna

Grounding techniques are physical or mental actions that distract you from oncoming anxiety. These calming methods help you focus on the present and what’s actually going on around you.

Using your brain for logical tasks when anxious, afraid or feeling panic can help with emotion regulation. Because anxiety is highly thought based and future focused it is also really helpful to use mindfulness if anything to help focus in the present moment. This helps get out of our thoughts and into the present.

There are many apps and free workbooks (anxiety workbook for teens) and worksheets you can use to aid in this - https://www.therapistaid.com/, https://www.edutopia.org/ , apps: headspace, calm, stop think breathe One Mind PsyberGuide (Apps for Mental Health) - https://onemindpsyberguide.org/

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When to Seek Help

You know your child best. Talk to child about your concerns and notice changes in their behavior.

Access resources. Talk to your child’s healthcare professional if you have concerns about the way your child behaves at home, in school, or with friends�
Early diagnosis & treatment. Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment can be very impactful.

Brianna

You know your child best. Follow your gut. Talk to your child about your concerns, or what you have noticed, offer if you can be of support.

Access resources. Talk to your child’s healthcare professional if you have concerns about the way your child behaves at home, in school, or with friends. Your child’s pediatrician is a great place to start. Sometimes there may be underlying physical issues or conditions mimicking some symptoms of depression (hypothyroidism, diabetes, etc.)�

Early diagnosis & treatment. Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment can be very impactful. This can help prevent issues becoming more severe, risk to child’s safety, etc. There are resources available to help diagnose and treat child’s mental disorders.

Check-up with Pediatrician,
Individual/Family Therapy, (Typically weekly 1-hr sessions, may include talking, deciding on goals, worksheets, games, calming activities)
Group Counseling/Support Groups,
School Counseling
Medication

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Self-Care

Get Some Fresh Air

Eat dinner outside, backyard picnic, blow bubbles, play catch

Learn Something Together

Start a family book club, Family show and tell, Create family recipes or meals

Move Your Body

Bike ride, Walking, Exercise with a YouTuber, Learn a Tik Tok dance

Prioritize Connection

Share about “Peak and Pit” of the day, Plan a family 30-day self-care challenges (everyone come up with at least one idea), play a game

Create a Cozy Spot

Make a reading corner with pillows and blankets, Calm down area, Create space for downtime in the evenings

Manage Your Own Stress

Use affirmations and kindness toward yourself, prioritize alone time

For the family

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Support Resources at SI

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3 Branches of Counseling at St. Ignatius

Personal and Academic Counselors

(9th-12th Grade)

Wellness Counselors

(Open to all grades)

College Counselors

(2nd Semester 10th-12th Grade)

Can help with academic support, relationships, school stress and personal help as needed

Provides mental health support on campus, can help with access to outside therapy

Supports students in all steps of the college planning and application process

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How to Access Support at SI

Reach out to your student’s Personal and Academic Counselor
Email Ms. Spaulding directly at pspaulding@siprep.org

If you have any questions, are interested in SI Wellness support for your student or would like help with referrals for support outside of SI.

Ask your Ms. Spaulding or your Counselor for more information about connecting with Daybreak teletherapy

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Panel Discussion

Q&A

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Q&A

Add your questions for our panelists in the chat - we’ll respond to them in the order that they come in

Para interpretación simultánea, marque

(805) 306-4500 extensión 4298 Contraseňa 2258

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Thank You!

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Michael Gabrielle

Manager - Virtual Classes & School Partnerships

michaelgabrielle@daybreakhealth.com

CONTACT

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Anxiety

�Anxiety is your reaction to an internal sense of stress, worrying, dread, fear, or nervousness which may or may not have a clear cause

Generally is internal, meaning it's your reaction to stress, often without an identifiable stressor
Is often future focused
Can be long-lasting, even if there is no immediate threat

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Stress

When stress is helpful:

Chemicals are released as a signal in the body to either face a threat or to flee (FIGHT or FLIGHT), by increasing or decreasing body functions.
Stress affects everyone and is a normal part of life
Some stress can be beneficial at times

When stress is NOT helpful:

Stress that does not let up
Your body thinks you are constantly in danger and does not receive the signal to return to normal functioning
Can harm your health over time�

Brianna

A natural physical or psychological response to external stressors (perceived or real challenge/threat)

At an optimum level, this “positive stress” can act as a motivational force and provide physical strength and clarity of thinking.
Helps you react quickly and effectively in dangerous or high-pressure situations. Chemicals released in our body alerting us to possible danger, and depending on whether we’ll stay and “face it” or “flee” our body functions increase or decrease
for example, your body may slow down digesting food to conserve energy for “flight”�

Can make you feel energized and motivated
Encourages us to deal with challenges
Increases strength
Increases speed
Increases stamina

Not helpful:

Aches/Tension
Physical Strength
Energy
Neglecting Basic Needs

Anxiety: a future-focused response, can be long-acting where triggers may be less specific and more broad
Stress: the physiological or psychological response to internal or external stressors, which can involve changes which impact nearly every system of the body
Fear: present-focused, and short-lived response to a clearly identifiable and specific threat