Table of Contents
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction 1
So How Did I Become an Anxiety Expert? 1
Why This Book? 4
About This Book 6
Chapter 1 Who Is the Worry Monster? 9
Some Examples of Worriers 9
What if It Seems Your Child Doesn't Want to Be Helped? 12
Creating Separation 13
Pulling Back the Curtain 14
Things to Remember 17
Things to Do 18
Chapter 2 Anxiety and the Fear Response 19
The Survival Response 20
Things to Remember 27
Things to Do 27
Chapter 3 Types of Anxiety and What They Look Like 29
Generalized Anxiety 30
Panic Attacks 30
Agoraphobia 31
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) 32
Specific Phobia 33
Social Phobia 34
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) 34
Separation Anxiety 35
Perfectionism 36
Eating Disorders 38
Time to Relax and Breathe 39
Activity: What Neighborhood Are We In? 40
What Does Anxiety Look Like? 42
Avoidance 43
Things to Remember 45
Things to Do 46
Neighborhood Activity Answers 46
Chapter 4 Cognitive Model of Anxiety 47
Thoughts Cause Feelings 47
How the Worry Monster Works 48
Here Comes Adrenaline! 50
Taking on the Worry Monster 51
Things to Remember 51
Things to Do 52
Chapter 5 Thinking Errors 53
Catastrophizing 54
All or Nothing Thinking 54
Filtering 54
Selective Attention 55
Magnifying 55
Shoulds 55
Mind Reading 56
Personalizing 56
Overgeneralizing 56
Probability Overestimation 57
Additional Thinking Errors 57
"What if…?" 57
"What will people think…?" 58
The Short List 58
Activity: What Are Your Child's (and Your) Thinking Patterns? 59
Things to Remember 60
Things to Do 60
Thinking Patterns Activity Answers 61
Chapter 6 Cognitive (Thinking) Interventions 63
Four Steps 64
Additional Cognitive Strategies 68
Positive Self-Talk 68
Worry Time 70
Worry Box 71
"And then what?" 71
Planning for Worst-Case Scenarios 72
Things to Remember 73
Things to Do 74
Chapter 7 Mindfulness-Based Interventions 75
Staying in the Present 76
Letting Thoughts Pass 79
Controlling Your Breathing 81
Activity: Belly Breathing 82
Things to Remember 84
Things to Do 84
Chapter 8 Behavioral Interventions: Practice, Practice, Practice! 85
Systematic Desensitization, Success Ladders, and Baby Steps 87
Activity: A Success Ladder for Parents 94
Behavioral Rehearsal 94
Response Inhibition 96
Fake It to Make It 99
Pleasure Predicting 100
Taking a Risk 102
Prescribing Failure 103
More Interventions for Perfectionism 104
Sticking to the Plan 105
Setting Realistic Expectations 106
Planning Alternative Paths 107
Increasing Motivation and Reducing Stress 109
Reinforcement 109
Reducing External Stressors 110
Promoting Resilience 111
Things to Remember 112
Things to Do 113
Chapter 9 Patrick, Savannah, and Drew 115
Patrick 115
What Neighborhood Is Patrick In? 117
Helping Patrick Fight the Worry and OCD Monsters 117
Identifying Patrick's Irrational and Worrisome Thoughts 118
Changing Patrick's Thinking 118
Patrick's Success Ladder and Scare Steps 118
Response Inhibition 119
Strategies for Combating Worry 120
Coping Plan: Toolbox 120
Patrick's Success Ladder After Scaring Away the Worry Monster 121
Patrick's Current Thinking 121
Savannah 122
What Neighborhood Is Savannah In? 123
Helping Savannah Fight the Worry Monster 123
Identifying Savannahs Worrisome Thinking 124
Challenging and Changing Savannah's Thinking 124
Reinforcing the Battle Plan 126
Drew 127
Identifying Drew's Worrisome Thinking 128
Changing Drew's Thinking 128
Setting Up a Behavior Plan 128
Drew's Toolbox 130
Chapter Summary 131
Things to Remember 132
Things to Do 132
Chapter 10 Making a Plan to Tame the Worry Monster 133
Making and Working the Plan 134
Step 1 Teach Your Child about the Brain 134
Step 2 Identify Body Feelings 135
Step 3 Externalize the Problem 135
Step 4 Make a Worry List 136
Step 5 Make a Success Ladder 137
Step 6 Identify Worrisome and Fearful Thinking 137
Step 7 Change and Modify Thinking 138
Step 8 Practice, Practice, Practice! 139
Step 9 Develop a Coping Toolbox 140
Working with Your Child's Teacher and School 141
And Poof, He's Gone! 142
Things to Remember 143
Things to Do 143
Chapter 11 Fine Tuning and Healthy Habits 145
Ideas for Fine Tuning the Plan 146
Start with a Victory 146
Look at Your Reinforcement Plan 146
Try Working on a Different Worry or Fear 147
Try a Different Thinking Strategy 147
Distraction 147
Add More Tools 148
Diet and Exercise 149
Sleep 150
What If the Worry Monster Still Won't Go Away? 151
Things to Remember 153
Things to Do 154
Chapter 12 Special Groups: Gifted, Twice-Exceptional (2e), ADHD, and Other Learning and Processing Challenges 155
Gifted Children 155
Common Characteristics of Gifted Children 156
Overexcitabilities (OEs) 157
Attentional, Learning, and Processing Disorders 158
Twice-Exceptional (2e) Children 160
Special Kids and Special Accommodations 161
Things to Remember 163
Things to Do 164
Chapter 13 Do the Same Strategies Work for Adults? 165
Bringing It Home 168
Suggested Reading and Resources 171
Endnotes 175
References 179
Index 183
About the Author 185
