Stepladders
True or false. When working on a stepladder, you should have a reward after taking a step.
True. Rewarding yourself can help motivate you to face your fears.
Anxiety and panic attacks can physically harm you.
False.
Even though they can be intense and very uncomfortable, they cannot physically hurt you.
You had plans to go to the beach and were really excited, but then it started to rain and the plans were cancelled. You think, "I'll never get to go to the beach!"
Example: It's very disappointing that I could not go today, but there will be other opportunities.
These are places in our body where we can feel our anxiety.
What are: Stomach, heart racing, sweaty hands, shaky legs, headache, etc.
Jack has a fear of bugs - when he sees them, he feels sick. Last week in science class, they were watching a documentary about spiders and Jack got so freaked he had to leave the classroom. He was really upset and couldn't keep his heart from racing.
Examples- stepladder approach.
Deep breathing.
True or false. To do a step on a stepladder, do it once well and then move on to the next step.
False. Practise the step more than once and continue doing it until you no longer worry about it before moving on to the next step.
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health disorder.
True.
Anxiety disorder is the most common mental health issue in Canada. Over 20% of the population will experience an anxiety disorder in their life.
Your friend cancels plans on you for the second time in a week. You think to yourself that she does not like you anymore.
Example: We have been friends for a long time and she usually does not cancel. Maybe she is overwhelmed with her school work. I can ask her.
Tensing and relaxing our different body parts is called?
Progressive Muscle Relaxation.
Annie has a school camp tri coming up. She hasn't stayed away from home overnight and is really worried about what might go wrong while she is at camp. She would rather stay home but her parents told her she has to go.
Examples: Stepladder approach.
Realistic thinking. Focus on what could be fun about the camp.
What is the first step in creating a stepladder?
Set a goal that is practical and achievable.
Avoiding triggers will reduce your anxiety.
False.
While avoiding a trigger may temporarily make you feel better, it allows the anxiety to grow in other areas and eventually you will try to avoid more things.
Walking through the hallway at school you notice a couple of people whispering and laughing to each other while they glance your way. You think, "They must be laughing at me. I'm so embarrassed!"
Example: It may be a coincidence that they looked at me while they were laughing. They could have been laughing at something else. And even if they were laughing at me, they are not my friends so I'm going to focus on other things.
What is a definition of mindfulness?
Being aware of the present moment without judging our thoughts or feelings.
Melissa started a new school last year and has not made many friends. She is scared of approaching the other kids to talk to them or ask whether she can sit with them at lunch. She spends most of her time at lunch and recess on her own and is lonely and sad.
Examples: Stepladder approach. Start by saying hi.
Realistic thinking - I've made friends in the past, I can do it again.
Mark is new to his school and worries that he will not make any friends. What are two steps that he can take to help him achieve his goal of making friends?
Examples: Say hello to someone in his class.
Ask someone about the homework assigned.
Anxiety disorders last for a life time.
False.
Anxiety disorders are treatable with therapy (yay CBT!), sometimes medication, and hard work.
You have to make a five minute speech in front of your class of 25 students. You are worried that you will forget your lines and everyone will think poorly of you.
Example - I've given speeches before and even when I made mistakes no one laughed.
I wouldn't laugh if someone else messed up because I know how it feels to present.
Give an example of how to practise mindfulness.
Sam has a big test coming up. He is worried that he will not do well and this will affect his chance of getting into the high school that he wants to attend. Whenever he sits down to study for the test he feels nervous and starts to panic. This affects his concentration, which makes him even more stressed.
Examples: Deep breathing, Progressive Muscle Relaxation.
Realistic Thinking - I pay attention in class, do my homework, have done well on tests in this subject before. I'll do the best I can and see what happens.
Stepladders help master which part of the CBT triangle?
Behaviours
In order to eliminate anxiety you should suppress your anxious thoughts.
False.
Pushing away thoughts may help temporarily, but they are likely to come back at a later time, and maybe even stronger. It is more effective to notice the thoughts and come up with more realistic ones or accept that you have these thoughts (recognizing they may not be true) and allow them to pass on by.
You are starting high school next year. You start to worry that the work will be too hard, you won't make any friends, and you will get lost trying to find your way around such a large building.
Examples: I've been to new schools in elementary and middle school and though it took some time, I successfully managed to adjust to the many new changes.
Give an example of visualization.
Imagining a relaxing scene using our different senses.
Tim worries often about throwing up. He is scared that he will throw up in front of people at school and they will stare at him and laugh. He feels sick of worry in the mornings so he does not eat breakfast, but his empty stomach makes him feel even sicker and he worries even more about throwing up.
Examples: Deep breathing, visualization.
Worry Surfing - focus on what is happening in the moment rather than on his anxious thoughts.
Stepladder - look at pictures of people throwing up, listen to sounds of people of throwing up, practise gagging, etc.