For Extra Support – When Being Human Gets Tough

This website is intended as a general source of information and is not intended to be a substitute for the advice of professionals in relation to your own mental health or physical health.

If you, your child, your partner or anyone else you love is struggling in any way, please seek (or encourage them to seek) professional support.

In the midst of a struggle, it’s easy to think that nothing will help, but there is so much support and professional help available – it’s just a matter of finding it. You don’t need to do it on your own.

Where to find help will depend on the country you live in, but here are some places to start.

If you live in Australia:
If you live in the US:
  • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (For immediate support)
  • Crisis Chat (For immediate support)
  • Crisis Text Line (Text 741741 from anywhere in USA for free, 24/7 support from a trained Crisis Counselor)
  • Imalive (For immediate support)
  • You Matter (Information and support for young adults on various mental health issues)
  • Stop Bullying (Information and support for bullying)
  • SAMHSA (24-hour national phone hotline – information and treatment referral for substance use or mental health issues)
If you live in the UK:
  • Samaritans (For immediate support)
  • Depression UK (Support and helplines for various mental health issues)
  • YoungMinds (Information and support for young people, and parent helpline)
  • ChildLine (Immediate phone support and information for kids and teens)
International suicide hotline:
  • Befrienders (Enter your country to find an emotional support helpline)
Bullying and Cyber-bullying:

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Anxiety is about felt safety. It doesn’t mean your young one isn’t safe. It means they don’t feel safe. 

The question then is, what would help them feel safer? This doesn’t mean anxiety will go away, and we don’t need it to. What we’re looking for is what would help you feel braver and safer, even when you’re anxious? 

It also doesn’t mean school is doing anything wrong. But maybe there are little shifts that will make a big difference.

There will always be anxiety whenever there is something brave, new, hard, or growthful to do. But anything we can do to help them feel safer, will help anxiety feel more manageable, and hard things feel more do-able. 

So let’s have the conversation. What’s@one thing school could do that would help your child feel safe enough, so they could do brave enough. There are no wrong answers.♥️
One little brave step at a time. It doesn’t matter how big the steps are, or how long it takes as long as the steps are forward. 

The steps won’t always feel gentle. The big feelings that come with this won’t hurt them, as long as they are safe and they aren’t alone in their distress. Lead, with love. ‘I know this feels big, and I know you can do this. I’m right here with you. We’ll handle this together.’ 

It doesn’t have to be you who is with them, as long as it is someone they feel safe with and care about by - a teacher, a relative, a grandparent - any important adult in their lives who can help them feel seen, loved, and safe through the storm.♥️
‘Yeah, that feels big doesn’t it. I get that. So if you can’t to the whole thing/ the whole time/ all of it, tell me what you can do. And don’t tell me nothing, because that’s not an option.’♥️
First, we ask the questions of us:

Are they relationally safe?
- Do they have an anchor adult at school?
- Do they know how to access this adult?
- Do they feel welcome, a sense of belonging, warmth from their adults?

Do they feel safe in their bodies?
- Are they able to move their bodies when they need to?
- Are they free from sensory overload or underload?
- If not, what is their bare minimum list to achieve this with minimum disruption to the class, keeping in mind that when they feel safer in their bodies, there will naturally be less disruptive behaviour and more capacity to engage, learn, regulate.

Then we ask the question of them:

What's one little step you can take? And don't tell me nothing because I know that you are amazing, and brave, and capable. I'm here right beside you to show you how much. I believe in you, even if you don't believe in yourself enough yet.❤️

#anxietyrelief #anxiouskids #anxietyinkids #anxiousteens #childanxiety #positiveparenting

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