The VERY Best Supplements For a Child’s Anxiety

Natural Remedies to Calm a Hyper Chil... Why Niacin for Anxiety is Better Than...

The VERY Best Supplements For a Child’s Anxiety

A child’s anxiety is a common condition that affects most children. This condition may present as fear or worry. It could also make your child irritable and angry. Most times, children with anxiety often have difficulty in sleeping, fatigue, headaches, and stomachaches. In this article, you will learn some of the supplements of child’s anxiety.

If any of your kids suffer from anxiety, you can either use supplements or other natural approaches to treat the condition. Any of these two methods work perfectly for anxious kids.

So, before you use supplements for child’s anxiety, try these natural methods;

Natural Ways to Treat a Child With Anxiety #1. Yoga and Breathing Exercises

When kids are suffering from anxiety, they experience specific changes in their bodies. And one of such changes is shortness of breath.

However, with regular yoga and breathing exercises, you can teach your kids how to belly breath. Belly breathing is a yoga technique that helps to fill the lungs’ diaphragm with fresh air.

When anxious kids perform the belly breathing technique, they get an incredible feeling of relaxation and calmness. It normalizes the heart rate, blood pressure and calms every nerve in the body.

Other breathing exercises you can use to treat children with anxiety are;

Take a deep breath and lengthen your exhaling Perform focus and slow, deep breathing Practice equal breathing with your kids. It involves inhaling for the same amount of time you are exhaling. Resonant breathing etc. #2. Art Therapy

Aside from using supplements for child’s anxiety, you can also use art therapy. It’s a psychotherapy that involves the use of art for self-expression. The art could be drawing, painting, modeling, or any other activity to help your kids make their own relaxation.

If your kids can’t verbally express their feelings, they can use art to express themselves. If your child is undergoing art therapy, their therapists often help them interpret their paintings or drawings.

Art therapy is effective for treating children suffering from any of the following conditions;

Mental Health issues: If your kid is suffering from mental health issues, art therapy would be helpful. That’s why some scientific studies suggested that the use of art therapy is effective for treating people with schizophrenia and other related conditions. Children with dementia Children with autistic spectrum. Kids that can’t express their feelings.

There are different types of art therapy; the major ones are – painting, collaging, photography, textiles, and digital art.

#3. Deep Pressure Therapy

Deep pressure therapy is one of the most effective ways to treat a child’s anxiety. It’s a form of tactile sensory input. It provides proprioceptive input to the body.

This therapy comes in different forms; it could be hugging, firm strokings, cuddling, squeezing, compression, etc.

What are the Supplements For Child’s Anxiety?

Sometimes, when some of the natural ways of treating a child’s anxiety aren’t yielding the expected result, you may have to opt for supplements. So, here are some of the best supplements for child’s anxiety.

#1. Magnesium

Several studies suggested that there’s a relationship between magnesium deficiency and anxiety in children. Some of these studies further postulated that there’s improvement in kids with anxiety after taking magnesium supplements.

Again, some studies revealed that the constant fear and panic in children would reduce drastically when there’s enough magnesium intake.

Ordinarily, taking magnesium-rich food like rice, wheat, and oats would have been enough to manage a child with anxiety. However, these foods lose most of their magnesium content during processing. That’s why it’s better to use magnesium supplements for a child’s anxiety.

Additionally, you can give your child seeds like pumpkin, sunflower, flax, and sesame. These seeds are high in magnesium and could help to improve your child’s magnesium level.

Other foods high in magnesium are; avocado, dark chocolate, legumes, and nuts.

If you are using magnesium supplements as anxiety treatment for your child, you should consult a healthcare practitioner for the correct dose.

#2. Omega 3 Fatty Acids

Omega 3 Fatty Acids is one of the most effective supplements for child’s anxiety. Studies show that this supplement has excellent mental health benefits, including treating anxiety and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Several studies revealed that people who regularly take omega 3 fatty acids are less prone to anxiety. Furthermore, kids who are suffering from the condition already can experience improvement when they use this supplement regularly.

Generally, there are three types of Omega 3 fatty acids – ALA, EPA, and DHA. While the three are all effective, the EPA is more effective for treating anxiety and depression both in children and adults.

#3. Vitamin B Complex

The Vitamin B complex is a group of nutrients that play an essential role in the body. Since these vitamins are found in a wide variety of food, you can easily get the recommended amount of this vitamin.

However, certain factors could increase your body’s demand for vitamin B complex. And some of these factors are age, pregnancy, medical conditions, medication, dietary choices, alcohol use, etc.

According to studies, when the body system lacks this vitamin, it could lead to several conditions, including anxiety.

But most studies that linked vitamin B deficiencies with anxiety didn’t focus on children. However, it’s relatively safe to include vitamin B in your child’s diet or give them the supplement to help treat anxiety’s symptoms.

Vitamin B Complex Rich Food

The following foods are rich in vitamin B complex and can help manage child’s anxiety.

• Pork, berries, legumes, lean meats. Nuts, soy milk ( Vitamin B1)

• Eggs, dark green vegetables, fish, grains, lean meat, mushrooms ( B2)

• Sunflower seeds, tuna, poultry, potato, cottage cheese, liver (B3)

• Organ meats, avocados, broccoli, mushrooms ( B5)

• Green beans, whole grains, spinach, fish, bananas ( B6)

• Soy products, egg yolks, fish, organ meats, cheese, sweet potatoes ( B7)

• Green leafy vegetables, citrus juice, legumes, tofu, tomato juice ( B9)

• Milk, fish, fortified breakfast cereal, eggs, shellfish ( B12)

#4. Passion Flower

Passion Flower is one of the most popular supplements for child’s anxiety. It’s effective for managing insomnia, anxiety, and conditions relating to Gastrointestinal setup.

The supplement seems to be safe for treating anxiety, but there are a few reported side effects. And there’s no study that currently supports the use of passionflower supplements for child’s anxiety.

However, there have been a few anecdotal evidence of passion flowers being effective for child’s anxiety. And Dr. Weil, an integrative medical doctor, and co-founder of the University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, recommends using the tincture form of passionflower (using a non-alcohol tincture for children under 4 and using half the recommended adult dosage for children under 10.

Furthermore, some researchers revealed that passionflower could help to treat anxiety, insomnia, and chronic pains. That’s because the supplement helps to increase your Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) level.

GABA is a brain chemical that helps to regulate mood. And if your child has a healthy level of GABA in their brain, they would be more relaxed and calm.

However, some of the side effects passionflowers will have on your kids include; drowsiness, dizziness, and confusion. So, it’s advisable not to administer this supplement to your child during school days.

#5. Lavender, Lemon Balm, and Chamomile

According to studies, these three supplements are effective for treating mild and moderate anxiety in children. They are amongst the most effective supplements for child’s anxiety.

Experts opined that these herbs have calming properties that help children with anxiety be calmed and relaxed. Experts suggest that Cyracos (a lemon balm product) has anti-anxiety effects in adults.

Similarly, lavender, lemon balm, and chamomile are more suitable supplements for child’s anxiety. For children over one year, you can add sweeteners like stevia or honey to the supplement.

Again, you can also use diluted essential oils on your child’s pillow at night for a calming effect.

#6. Valerian Root

Since the days of ancient Greek, valerian root has always been used as a medicinal supplement. It’s one of the best natural supplements for child’s anxiety.

Valerian root contains valeric acid. And when administered to your child orally, the valeric acid will convert to calming, “feel good” neurotransmitters. This helps to regulate stress and helps your kids to relax their bodies and mind.

Interestingly, the valerian root is available in different forms – capsule, tea, and liquid. It’s advisable to talk to your doctor for dosage advice.

#7. Licorice Root

Licorice root is a fantastic treatment option for child’s anxiety. The root tastes good, and it’s great for people with anxiety because it works on the adrenal glands when consumed.

The adrenal gland is responsible for the production of stress, adrenaline, and cortisol. And when you consume licorice, it regulates the production of these hormones, strengthens the body’s defense against stress, and fights anxiety symptoms.

What to Do If Your 8 years Old Has Anxiety

Before you start administering supplements for child’s anxiety, it’s essential you know what to do when your child is anxious. And that’s what we will cover in this section.

Seeing your child suffering from anxiety and not being able to help is heartbreaking. It gives you a negative feeling that words can’t explain. Unfortunately, their fear of not allowing their kids to suffer from anxiety sometimes worsens it.

Here are some important tips to help your child overcome anxiety.

#1. Take Things Slowly But Steadily

One mistake parents often make is trying to make their kids overcome anxiety by all means. It doesn’t work that way. If you continue to pressurize your child, the fears and panic would only exacerbate.

So, always remind yourself that the goal isn’t to eliminate anxiety. But to help your child manage it. With this mindset, you will be able to use the right approach to help your child.

The first thing you should do is to identify the stressor that triggers your child’s anxiety. Once you identify the stressor, teach your child how to tolerate their anxiety and manage the stressors that trigger it.

#2. Confront Things That make your child Anxious

Sometimes, parents often help their child avoid the things that scare or make them panic. While this approach may work in the short term, it would reinforce the anxiety in the long run.

Regardless of how scared your child seems, never allow them to avoid things that make them fear and panic. Teach them how to confront their fears; within a short time, they would overcome their anxiety.

#3. Express Positive but Realistic Expectation.

Learn to improve your child’s self-confidence. And don’t try to tell your child lies just to make them feel good. Because when they stop trusting you, that would be worse.

For instance, if your child expresses fear of failing his/her examination, not having fun ice skating, etc. You don’t have to give them false hope that their fears isn’t real. Instead, let them know that you have confidence in them and that they can overcome whatever fear they will face.

These words of affirmation will give your kids the validation they need to overcome their fears.

#4. Respect Their Feelings But Don’t Empower them.

One of the best ways to help your child manage anxiety is to respect their feelings. But you must not empower them to be stubborn.

For instance, if your child doesn’t want to go to school because they are performing poorly in Mathematics, don’t belittle their fears and don’t empower them.

Listen to them, hear their concerns, and encourage them to learn to face their fears.

#5. Don’t Ask Leading Questions

If any of your kids suffer from anxiety, avoid asking them leading questions, it would only make things worse. They would feel pressure and don’t want to open up to you.

However, you can ask them close-ended questions like – how are you feeling about the math test tomorrow? I hope you have read your book for the test? Are you going to school with your friends, etc.?

Questions like this would help you to have a great conversation with your anxious child. And after a while, they would gradually open up to you about their anxiety.

These are some of the ways you can use natural methods and supplements for a child’s anxiety…

References

https://www.healthline.com/health/childrens-health/ways-to-calm-child-anxiety#deep-pressure-therapy