Have you ever been talking to a friend about a situation and the phrase, "it's all relative" comes into the conversation. It is usually in the context of two varied situations where the people involved give a label such as ...."it was really chaotic." One person's definition of chaotic may be very different than it is in a completely different scenario. When those two varied situations are compared, it may be said, "it's all relative."
There is no place where this is truer than with children who struggle with anxiety. Now, what an anxious child feels is chaotic can be varied. It might be that his belongings are out of their normal places. It could be too many changes in the routine or environment. If there are several non preferred activities in a row, this might cause a negative reaction. If anxiety is rising and the adult puts more pressure on a child this can create a crisis In the child's world.
It doesn't matter that I view any or all of these "chaotic situations" as no big deal. It's a really big deal for these individuals that live with heightened anxiety. The higher the anxiety, the more likely that any little thing will be viewed as chaos.
So what's the solution. Understand that a child living with anxiety needs a calm adult that can help by bringing solutions to the "chaos." The child might not know how to ask for help. The calm adult can be the resident problem solver. It is amazing how this approach helps lessen the anxiety and feeling of chaos for a child. It also is a great way to model how to handle a problem which will help the child learn strategies to handle these chaotic feelings in a proactive manner.
Posted with Blogsy