As a parent with a child with Anxiety it was so easy to follow them down that rabbit hole of worry. His anxiety would give me anxiety. I didn't even have anxiety to start with. He would come to me with his worry and anxieties or I would see it play out within him and I would start to be anxious about him getting anxious. I would try to avoid things so that he wouldn't get anxious. I would try and cushion things so he wouldn't get anxious. I would try and protect him any way I could. It was exhausting. I was having so much of my own anxiety about it all. Once I realized it was not helping anyone I could take a step back and be a little bit better about it all. It took time. I started to see that it was ok that he felt anxiety, Him having anxiety actually helped at times too. It kept him out of trouble. He hated the attention it brought when his peers would get into trouble. It kept him from handing in assignments late. It kept him on time for curfew. It kept him respectful to adults. We also started working on ways to help him with feeling anxiety. We got him some coaching so that he could see that feeling anxiety is OK. Then he took a big step on his own. He went on a mission for our church. AND I decided to not be anxious about it. I decided I would be happy with whatever he was able to do and however he was able to serve. I decided to not worry about whether he was being anxious or whether he was going to come home early. AND it has been amazing. I have enjoyed every minute of his mission. Sure I miss him. But I love that I can miss him and he can do this for himself. AND he is killing it out there. He is teaching strangers and training new missionaries and stepping up into leadership. He is changing his life because he decided he could do it. We both did it. AND in 100 days I will get the best huge ever! I am so excited but I am so proud of this boy and all he has able to do. Without me following him down the rabbit hole anymore.
If this sounds like you and your teenager or young adult and you would like them to learn the tools so they can be fine feeling anxiety and still be able to do things such a serve a mission, Click the link below to book a free mini session.