Aabhaash Psychological Counseling And Holistic Healing Center.

31/03/2020

Live Session #5

Topic: Mental wellbeing of women and self-care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ms. Shiru Bhandari, Psycho-social Counselor, will be live today (April 1, 2020) at 3:00 PM from the page. She is a counselor at Manosastra Counseling & Research Center, Lalitpur, Nepal.

If you have any specific questions, please write down in the comment. She will address your questions tomorrow.

https://www.facebook.com/LetsShareNepal/

20/01/2020

The path to addiction:

Stages of alcoholism

Moderate drinking isn’t a cause for concern in most adults. But when alcohol consumption gets out of control, you may find yourself on a dangerous path toward addiction.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism estimates that 17 million American adults have alcohol use disorders. Another 855,000 Americans ages 12 to 17 years old have alcohol use disorders. It’s important to remember that alcoholism isn’t created overnight. It emerges out of long-term alcohol abuse.

Knowing the signs and symptoms of each stage can aid you in seeking help before your problem turns into dependence and addiction.

Stage #1:
Occasional abuse and binge drinking
The first stage of alcoholism is a general experimentation with alcohol. These drinkers may be new to different forms of alcohol and likely to test their limits. This experimental stage is commonly seen in young adults.

These experimental drinkers also frequently engage in binge drinking. While they may not drink regularly, they consume exceptionally large amounts of alcohol at one time. Medline Plus characterizes binge drinking as:

•For men, five or more alcoholic beverages within two hours.

•For women, four or more alcoholic beverages within two hours.

Many binge drinkers exceed this amount. This is especially true for teens who attend parties where drinking is the primary activity. You might think binge drinking is safe when you only do it occasionally, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Drinking large amounts of alcohol at one time is dangerous, and can even lead to coma or death. Furthermore, you may become dependent on the feeling you get from drinking and find that these episodes increase in frequency.

Stage #2:
Increased drinking
Drinkers leave the experimental stage when their alcohol consumption becomes more frequent. Instead of just drinking at parties once in a while, you may find yourself drinking every weekend.

Increased alcohol consumption can also lead to drinking for these reasons:

•As an excuse to get together with friends
•Ao alleviate stress
•Out of boredom
•To combat sadness or loneliness

Stage #3:
Problem drinking
Frequent, uncontrolled alcohol abuse eventually leads to problem drinking. While any form of alcohol abuse is problematic, the term “problem drinker” refers to someone who starts experiencing the impacts of their habit.

You may become more depressed, more anxious, or start losing sleep. You may start to feel sick from heavy drinking, but enjoy its effects too much to care. Many drinkers at this stage are more likely to drink and drive or experience legal troubles as a result of their drinking.

There are also specific social changes related to problem drinking. These include:

•Relationship issues
•Decreased social activity because of erratic behavior
•Sudden change in friends
•Difficulty conversing with strangers

Stage #4:
Alcohol dependence
Alcoholism has two facets: dependence and addiction. It’s possible for a person to be dependent on alcohol, but not yet addicted.

Dependence forms after the problem drinking stage. At this point, you have an attachment to alcohol that has taken over your regular routine. You’re aware of the adverse effects, but no longer have control over your alcohol consumption.

Alcohol dependence also means that you have developed a tolerance to drinking. As a result, you may have to drink larger quantities to get “buzzed” or drunk. Increased drinking has more damaging effects on the body.

Another characteristic of dependence is withdrawal. As you sober up, you may feel undesirable symptoms such as:

•Nausea that is unrelated to a hangover
•Body tremors
•Sweating
•Severe irritability
•A racing heart
•Trouble sleeping

Stage #5:
Addiction and alcoholism
The final stage of alcoholism is addiction. At this stage, you no longer want to drink just for pleasure. Alcohol addiction is characterized by a physical and psychological need to drink.

People with alcohol addiction physically crave the substance and are often inconsolable until they start drinking again. They may be addicted to other drugs as well.

Compulsive behaviors are prominent in addiction, and people with alcohol addiction often drink whenever and wherever they desire.

What’s the outlook?
One of the biggest concerns with risky drinkers is when they don’t think they have a problem. Any stage of alcoholism is problematic. Moderate drinking is the only safe way to consume alcohol, but drinking in general isn’t safe for everyone.

Identifying problems with alcohol early can help prevent dependence and addiction. Medical treatment may be necessary to detoxify the body of alcohol and to obtain a fresh start. Since many people with alcoholism endure psychological problems, individual or group therapy may help in overcoming addiction.

The deeper into the stages of alcoholism you enter, the tougher it is to quit drinking. Long-term risks of heavy drinking include:

•Liver damage
•Heart disease
•Brain damage
•Malnutrition
•Mental health disorders, including an increased risk of su***de.

20/01/2020

Gestalt Therapy

Gestalt comes from the German word meaning form or shape. The term gestalt is meant to reference essence or character. The school of experimental psychologists studying perception developed the form of Gestalt psychology that explains how people perceive objects in their environment.
Gestalt therapy was developed by the psychoanalyst Fritz Perls along with his wife in the 1940s, and it incorporates principles of the psychodynamic paradigm and the humanistic paradigm. Perls was a student of the famous psychoanalyst William Reich and dissatisfied with the overall principles of the psychodynamic paradigm, particularly principles regarding motivation, the emphasis of sexual drives, its emphasis on unconscious motivations, and the depiction of psychopathology as developing as a result of experiences that developed in the past. Perls was more interested in what was actually happening in the moment and in viewing people as autonomous agents who often needed to enhance their awareness and accept responsibility for their actions as opposed to the more mechanistic viewpoint and principles of Freudian psychoanalysis.
Gestalt therapy uses experiential methods to help individuals become more aware of their feelings and to express themselves in productive and meaningful ways.
The Principles of Gestalt Therapy
Perls accepted the core concept of the humanistic paradigm that all people have an innate desire to move toward balance and growth. There are several important principles that Gestalt therapists embrace
The perspective of phenomenology:
Phenomenology refers to a discipline that helps people to understand their experiences in such a manner that they can differentiate between what they are actually perceiving and feeling in a situation and how those perceptions are influenced by past experiences. Gestalt therapists believe that individual experiences in the moment are actually real and have meaning as opposed to psychoanalysis that considers behavior symbolic of other issues, such as internal conflicts. Gestalt therapists attempt to help individuals understand what they are feeling in the moment and how to rid themselves of interpretations of events that are not genuine or of acting in a manner that is based on their perceptions or expectations of others.

Field theory:

Events are analyzed as a whole, as opposed to being classified as belonging to some specific type. Gestalt therapists concentrate on what is happening in the immediate timeframe and concerned about how events happening now include influences from one’s past. Gestalt therapists attempt to describe what is going on with the person as opposed to classifying it, interpreting it, or speculating about it.
The use of an existential perspective: Existentialism focuses on people’s relations with one another, what makes them happy, what makes them sad, etc., as the individual directly experiences it. Gestalt therapists operate under the existentialist assumption that many people go through their existence in a sort of unstated context of conventional thinking that obscures their ability to understand the world the way it really is. Individuals may often use self-deception to interpret events in a manner consistent with how they believe the world should be as opposed to how it really is. This self-deception is the basis of not being authentic. Gestalt therapists work to have individuals experience things as they really happen, become aware of their biases, be honest and truthful, and accept responsibility for their actions.

Therapeutic relationship:

Gestalt therapists believe that the relationship between the therapist and client is the most important aspect of psychotherapy. These therapists use a sort of an existential dialogue with their clients to understand them, help them understand themselves, and help them differentiate themselves – the “me” – from the “not me.” Gestalt therapy works by maintaining this dialogue with the client as opposed to formulating goals, working toward goals, dissecting behavior, etc. The therapist attempts to use caring, warmth, and acceptance to help the individual discover why they act the way they do and how their actions are affected by certain misperceptions about themselves and others. The emphasis is on moving clients to be free to be themselves and at the same time accept responsibility for their actions.
The therapeutic relationship is the key factor utilized by Gestalt therapists to help individuals with the issues that bring them into therapy. The dialogue between the therapist and client is an extremely important facet of Gestalt therapy. There are four characteristics of the dialogue that occurs between the client and therapist.

The experience of inclusion:

The therapist attempts to experience the perceptions and feelings of the client without judging, interpreting, or analyzing. Through this process, the therapist attempts to get the client to do the same.

Presence:

The therapist talks to the client in an authentic manner instead of assuming some preconceived role. This fosters the experience of inclusion.

Commitment to the dialogue:

Much like free association in psychoanalysis, the therapist just lets the dialogue happen as opposed to planning and manipulating it. This way, the therapist and client can understand each other in a more authentic manner.

Living the dialogue:

The dialogue (the therapeutic interaction) is something that occurs and not something that is talked about or planned. Gestalt therapists are interested in what is happening in the moment, in the here and now, and how this affects the individual as well as what it says about them.
Dialogue in Gestalt therapy can often take many forms. Individuals can be encouraged to sing, move, dance, just talk, etc., as part of the therapeutic dialogue. The idea is to help clients understand what is really being experienced in the moment as opposed to interpreting events based on preconceived notions.

How the Components of Gestalt Therapy Apply to Treatment?

The major tenets of Gestalt therapy are often a bit ethereal for many individuals. Again, Gestalt therapy concentrates on the relationship between the therapist and client and the interactions between them as opposed to looking at the client’s past experiences, trying to identify specific theory driven patterns, or trying to alter a specific behavior. Instead, Gestalt therapists focus on the present and the awareness of the client, and emphasize respect for the client’s feelings and actions.
The therapist emphasize the client’s experiences: their emotions, perceptions, memories, behaviors, etc. The therapist attempts to get the client to experience and become aware of these as they occur.
Responsibility is a major emphasis in Gestalt therapy. Gestalt therapists help individuals understand that they are responsible for themselves and for how their actions may affect others. Emphasizing equality in all individuals is a major goal of Gestalt therapy.
The therapeutic relationship in Gestalt therapy underlies the notion that relationships are central to human experience, and improving relationships is the goal of the therapeutic environment. Experimenting and using numerous techniques to help individuals open up and acknowledge their feelings is one of the hallmarks of Gestalt therapy.
Gestalt therapists use a number of techniques to develop awareness in individuals and help them become more genuine. These techniques include

Overall Effectiveness:

Gestalt therapy is used for a very wide range of issues and can be delivered as a very brief and focused intervention or as a much more long-term intervention. Research indicates that Gestalt therapy is successful in the treatment of trauma- and stressor-related disorders, depression, issues with anxiety, and substance use disorders. Individuals who participate in Gestalt therapy often become more self-confident and happier as they learn to accept themselves, accept others, and take responsibility for their actions.
ous techniques to help individuals open up and acknowledge their feelings is one of the hallmarks of Gestalt therapy.
Gestalt therapists use a number of techniques to develop awareness in individuals and help them become more genuine. These techniques include

Roleplaying:

Roleplay helps individuals experience and understand different emotions and how they present themselves to others.
The empty chair:
By far the most famous technique developed by Fritz Perls is the open chair or empty chair technique. The client sits in a chair opposite an empty chair and imagines a specific individual (either oneself, a specific aspect of oneself, or someone else) and then communicates with this imaginary person. Next, they switch chairs and communicate with themselves from the perspective of the person in the empty chair. The technique helps individuals accept different polarities regarding feelings and experience, and acknowledge the perspective of other individuals or other sides of themselves.

Body language:

Perls was very astute regarding the meaning of an individual’s posture. Gestalt therapists use body language to help individuals to understand what they are experiencing in the moment. For example, if an individual is clenching their teeth during a session, the therapist may ask them, “What does clenching your teeth say about what you are feeling?”
The goal of Gestalt therapy is to give clients the opportunity to present themselves in an authentic manner in a safe environment. As they become more comfortable with their feelings and do not attempt to rationalize them, they also begin to identify more positive choices they may have, understand dysfunctional patterns of behavior, and understand obstacles that result in them behaving in manners that are detrimental to their health or emotional wellbeing. Gestalt therapy uses these techniques to get individuals to move toward reaching their full potential as a responsible and autonomous person.

Overall Effectiveness:

Gestalt therapy is used for a very wide range of issues and can be delivered as a very brief and focused intervention or as a much more long-term intervention. Research indicates that Gestalt therapy is successful in the treatment of trauma- and stressor-related disorders, depression, issues with anxiety, and substance use disorders. Individuals who participate in Gestalt therapy often become more self-confident and happier as they learn to accept themselves, accept others, and take responsibility for their actions.

How is Gestalt Therapy used for Alcoholism?

Introduction:
Now a days alcohol consumption has become a routine for individual in the society. There are about 2 billion people worldwide who consume alcoholic beverages and 76.3 (WHO) million people's health are affected with alcoholism. Morbidity and mortality is considerably high in the world. Gestalt therapy helps to raise awareness, which is defined as knowing what one feeling, and thinking. The counselor assists the awareness of " what " and " how " one behaves in the present movement. Objectives:  To determine the level of alcohol dependence.  To determine the effectiveness of gestalt therapy on the level of alcohol dependence among adults.  To compare the effectiveness of Gestalt therapy on the level of alcohol dependence among adults in Urban and Rural area.  To find out the association between the effectiveness of gestalt therapy on level of alcohol dependence among adults with the selected socio demographic variables. Material and method: The present study was conducted by using quasi experimental non equivalent control group design. The adults were selected by using non probability convenience sampling technique. Results and Discussion: The data reveals that the effectiveness of gestalt therapy on level of alcohol dependence in urban area result indicates, in experimental group pre test score is, 8(32%) had mild alcohol dependence,17 (58%) had moderate alcohol dependence. In post test 12 (48%) had mild alcohol dependence and 13 (52%) had moderate alcohol dependence. In control group, in pre test, 9(36%) had mild alcohol dependence 16 (64%) had moderate alcohol dependence. In post test 9 (36%) had mild alcohol dependence and 16(64%) had moderate alcohol dependence. Conclusion: Investigator found that the gestalt therapy is effective in decreasing the level of alcohol dependence among adults. It is also found that gestalt therapy is more effective in reducing alcohol dependence among adults in urban area than compared to the adults in rural area. This intervention can be implemented among all adults who have alcohol dependence.

20/01/2020

18/11/2019

Gestalt comes from the German word meaning form or shape. The term gestalt is meant to reference essence or character. The school of experimental psychologists studying perception developed the form of Gestalt psychology that explains how people perceive objects in their environment.

The Principles of Gestalt Therapy
Perls accepted the core concept of the humanistic paradigm that all people have an innate desire to move toward balance and growth. There are several important principles that Gestalt therapists embrace:

The perspective of phenomenology: Phenomenology refers to a discipline that helps people to understand their experiences in such a manner that they can differentiate between what they are actually perceiving and feeling in a situation and how those perceptions are influenced by past experiences. Gestalt therapists believe that individual experiences in the moment are actually real and have meaning as opposed to psychoanalysis that considers behavior symbolic of other issues, such as internal conflicts. Gestalt therapists attempt to help individuals understand what they are feeling in the moment and how to rid themselves of interpretations of events that are not genuine or of acting in a manner that is based on their perceptions or expectations of others.

Field theory: Events are analyzed as a whole, as opposed to being classified as belonging to some specific type. Gestalt therapists concentrate on what is happening in the immediate timeframe and concerned about how events happening now include influences from one’s past. Gestalt therapists attempt to describe what is going on with the person as opposed to classifying it, interpreting it, or speculating about it.

The use of an existential perspective: Existentialism focuses on people’s relations with one another, what makes them happy, what makes them sad, etc., as the individual directly experiences it. Gestalt therapists operate under the existentialist assumption that many people go through their existence in a sort of unstated context of conventional thinking that obscures their ability to understand the world the way it really is. Individuals may often use self-deception to interpret events in a manner consistent with how they believe the world should be as opposed to how it really is. This self-deception is the basis of not being authentic. Gestalt therapists work to have individuals experience things as they really happen, become aware of their biases, be honest and truthful, and accept responsibility for their actions.

Therapeutic relationship: Gestalt therapists believe that the relationship between the therapist and client is the most important aspect of psychotherapy. These therapists use a sort of an existential dialogue with their clients to understand them, help them understand themselves, and help them differentiate themselves – the “me” – from the “not me.” Gestalt therapy works by maintaining this dialogue with the client as opposed to formulating goals, working toward goals, dissecting behavior, etc. The therapist attempts to use caring, warmth, and acceptance to help the individual discover why they act the way they do and how their actions are affected by certain misperceptions about themselves and others. The emphasis is on moving clients to be free to be themselves and at the same time accept responsibility for their actions.

The therapeutic relationship is the key factor utilized by Gestalt therapists to help individuals with the issues that bring them into therapy. The dialogue between the therapist and client is an extremely important facet of Gestalt therapy. There are four characteristics of the dialogue that occurs between the client and therapist:

The experience of inclusion: The therapist attempts to experience the perceptions and feelings of the client without judging, interpreting, or analyzing. Through this process, the therapist attempts to get the client to do the same.
Presence: The therapist talks to the client in an authentic manner instead of assuming some preconceived role. This fosters the experience of inclusion.

Commitment to the dialogue: Much like free association in psychoanalysis, the therapist just lets the dialogue happen as opposed to planning and manipulating it. This way, the therapist and client can understand each other in a more authentic manner.
Living the dialogue: The dialogue (the therapeutic interaction) is something that occurs and not something that is talked about or planned. Gestalt therapists are interested in what is happening in the moment, in the here and now, and how this affects the individual as well as what it says about them.

Dialogue in Gestalt therapy can often take many forms. Individuals can be encouraged to sing, move, dance, just talk, etc., as part of the therapeutic dialogue. The idea is to help clients understand what is really being experienced in the moment as opposed to interpreting events based on preconceived notions.
Dialogue in Gestalt therapy can often take many forms. Individuals can be encouraged to sing, move, dance, just talk, etc., as part of the therapeutic dialogue. The idea is to help clients understand what is really being experienced in the moment as opposed to interpreting events based on preconceived notions.

Gestalt Therapy Apply to Treatment:

The major tenets of Gestalt therapy are often a bit ethereal for many individuals. Again, Gestalt therapy concentrates on the relationship between the therapist and client and the interactions between them as opposed to looking at the client’s past experiences, trying to identify specific theory driven patterns, or trying to alter a specific behavior. Instead, Gestalt therapists focus on the present and the awareness of the client, and emphasize respect for the client’s feelings and actions.

The therapist emphasize the client’s experiences: their emotions, perceptions, memories, behaviors, etc. The therapist attempts to get the client to experience and become aware of these as they occur.
Responsibility is a major emphasis in Gestalt therapy. Gestalt therapists help individuals understand that they are responsible for themselves and for how their actions may affect others. Emphasizing equality in all individuals is a major goal of Gestalt therapy.

The therapeutic relationship in Gestalt therapy underlies the notion that relationships are central to human experience, and improving relationships is the goal of the therapeutic environment. Experimenting and using numerous techniques to help individuals open up and acknowledge their feelings is one of the hallmarks of Gestalt therapy.

Gestalt therapists use a number of techniques to develop awareness in individuals and help them become more genuine. These techniques include:
Roleplaying:Roleplay helps individuals experience and understand different emotions and how they present themselves to others.
The empty chair: By far the most famous technique developed by Fritz Perls is the open chair or empty chair technique. The client sits in a chair opposite an empty chair and imagines a specific individual (either oneself, a specific aspect of oneself, or someone else) and then communicates with this imaginary person. Next, they switch chairs and communicate with themselves from the perspective of the person in the empty chair. The technique helps individuals accept different polarities regarding feelings and experience, and acknowledge the perspective of other individuals or other sides of themselves.

Dream interpretation: The psychoanalytic background of Perls led him to continue to use the interpretation of dreams as a therapeutic tool. Perls frequently used dreams to help people understand certain aspects of themselves as opposed to considering dreams to have some type of symbolic meaning of an unconscious conflict. Perls often asked clients to relive part of their dreams by taking the perspective of different people or objects that were in the dream and then trying to understand what those people or objects were experiencing.

Interpretation of body language: Perls was very astute regarding the meaning of an individual’s posture. Gestalt therapists use body language to help individuals to understand what they are experiencing in the moment. For example, if an individual is clenching their teeth during a session, the therapist may ask them, “What does clenching your teeth say about what you are feeling?”

The goal of Gestalt therapy is to give clients the opportunity to present themselves in an authentic manner in a safe environment. As they become more comfortable with their feelings and do not attempt to rationalize them, they also begin to identify more positive choices they may have, understand dysfunctional patterns of behavior, and understand obstacles that result in them behaving in manners that are detrimental to their health or emotional wellbeing. Gestalt therapy uses these techniques to get individuals to move toward reaching their full potential as a responsible and autonomous person.

Overall Effectiveness:
Gestalt therapy is used for a very wide range of issues and can be delivered as a very brief and focused intervention or as a much more long-term intervention. Research indicates that Gestalt therapy is successful in the treatment of trauma- and stressor-related disorders, depression, issues with anxiety, and substance use disorders. Individuals who participate in Gestalt therapy often become more self-confident and happier as they learn to accept themselves, accept others, and take responsibility for their actions.Gestalt comes from the German word meaning form or shape. The term gestalt is meant to reference essence or character. The school of experimental psychologists studying perception developed the form of Gestalt psychology that explains how people perceive objects in their environment.

16/11/2019

10 Reasons Teens Have So Much Anxiety Today

We've created an environment that fosters anxiety rather than resilience.
The New York Times recently published an article called, "Why Are More American Teenagers Than Ever Suffering From Severe Anxiety?" The author chronicled several teens' battle with anxiety over the course of a few years.

The article questioned why we're seeing such a rise in anxiety among today's youth. As a psychotherapist, college lecturer, and author of 13 Things Mentally Strong Parents Don't Do, it is agreeable that anxiety is a widespread issue among adolescents. It's the most common reason people of all ages enter my therapy office.

Some young people are overachieving perfectionists with a crippling fear of failure. Others worry so much about what their peers think of them that they're unable to function.

Some have endured rough circumstances throughout their young lives. But others have stable families, supportive parents, and plenty of resources.

The rise in anxiety reflects several societal changes and cultural shifts we've seen over the past couple of decades. Here are the top 10 reasons:

1. Electronics offer an unhealthy escape.
Constant access to digital devices lets kids escape uncomfortable emotions like boredom, loneliness, or sadness by immersing themselves in games when they are in the car or by chatting on social media when they are sent to their rooms.
And now we're seeing what happens when an entire generation has spent their childhoods avoiding discomfort. Their electronics replaced opportunities to develop mental strength, and they didn't gain the coping skills they need to handle everyday challenges
2. Happiness is all the rage.
Happiness is emphasized so much in our culture that some parents think it's their job to make their kids happy all the time. When a child is sad, his parents cheer him up. Or when she's angry, they calm her dowm. Kids grow up believing that if they don't feel happy around the clock, something must be wrong. That creates a lot of inner turmoil. They don't understand that it's normal and healthy to feel sad, frustrated, guilty, disappointed, and angry sometimes, too.

3. Parents are giving unrealistic praise.

Saying things like, "You're the fastest runner on the team," or "You're the smartest kid in your grade," doesn't build self-esteem. Instead, it puts pressure on kids to live up to those labels. That can lead to crippling fear of failure or rejection.

4. Parents are getting caught up in the rat race.

Many parents have become like personal assistants to their teenagers. They work hard to ensure their teens can compete: They hire tutors and private sports coaches and pay for expensive SAT prep courses. They make it their job to help their teens build transcripts that will impress a top school. And they send the message that their teen must excel at everything in order to land a coveted spot at such a college.

5. Kids aren't learning emotional skills.

We emphasize academic preparation and put little effort into teaching kids the emotional skills they need to succeed. In fact, a national survey of first-year college students revealed that 60 percent feel emotionally unprepared for college life.
Knowing how to manage your time, combat stress, and take care of your feelings are key components to living a good life. Without healthy coping skills, it's no wonder teens are feeling anxious over every

6. Parents view themselves as protectors rather than guides.
Somewhere along the line, many parents began believing their role is to help kids grow up with as few emotional and physical scars as possible. They became so overprotective that their kids never practiced dealing with challenges on their own. Consequently, these kids have grown up to believe they're too fragile to cope with the realities of life.

7. Adults don't know to help kids face their fears the right way.
At one end of the spectrum, you'll find parents who push their kids too hard. They force their children to do things that terrify them. On the other end, you'll find parents who don't push kids at all. They let their kids opt out of anything that sounds anxiety-provoking.

8. Parents are parenting out of guilt and fear.

Parenting stirs up uncomfortable emotions, like guilt and fear. But rather than let themselves feel those emotions, many parents are changing their parenting habits. So they don't let their kids out of their sight because it stirs up their anxiety, or they feel so guilty saying no to their kids that they back down and give in. Consequently, they teach their kids that uncomfortable emotions are intolerable.

9. Kids aren't being given enough free time to play.

While organized sports and clubs play an important role in kids' lives, adults make and enforce the rules. Unstructured play teaches kids vital skills, like how to manage disagreements without an adult refereeing. And solitary play teaches kids how to be alone with their thoughts and comfortable in their own skin.

10. Family hierarchies are out of whack.

Although kids give the impression that they'd like to be in charge, deep down they know they aren't capable of making good decisions. They want their parents to be leaders—even when there is dissension in the ranks. And when the hierarchy gets muddled—or even flipped upside down—their anxiety skyrockets.

How to Address the Anxiety Epidemic?

We've created an environment that fosters anxiety in young people, rather than resilience. And while we can't prevent all anxiety disorders—there's definitely a genetic component—we can do a better job helping kids build the mental muscle they need to stay healthy.

Anxiety Essential Reads
Have a Loved One With Anxiety? Never Do These Four Things
From Re**er Madness to Re**er Fadness
Exposure is the best way to conquer fear but only when it's done incrementally. Without practice, gentle nudging, and guidance, kids never gain confidence that they can face their fears head-on.

By ~ Amy Morin