My Child Has Severe Anxiety, Are There Effective Alternatives To Anxiety Medication?

This week’s question is from Rebecca,

“My 9-year-old daughter has always been what I would describe as a worried or more anxious child. But in the past year, with COVID, it has really ramped up. She has developed fears around doing things that didn’t use to be a problem for her, including going to school. She is more clingy to me and concerned when I leave the house, and bedtime has become more frustrating because she doesn’t want to sleep alone.

I raised these concerns with her pediatrician, who said she has an anxiety disorder and gave me a referral to a local counselor who works with kids. He also told me that she probably needs medication and offered a prescription which I was not interested in at the time. Now the counselor has met with her a few times and tells me that my daughter doesn’t really open up in sessions and has severe anxiety that will require medication to treat. I feel conflicted about all of this because I’m not sure anyone is really looking at what’s going on, and I don’t want her on medication if there are other things that can be helpful. Are there alternatives to anxiety medication? Thanks for any insight you have.” 

In this episode, I will discuss how to communicate with your child’s provider when you don’t agree with their recommendations, especially when it comes to prescribed medication. There are many, very effective, non-medication treatments for anxiety. I will also briefly discuss the many inputs that may be causing the child’s anxiety. Ultimately it’s important to trust your gut, parents often know best when it comes to their kids. 

You can submit a question by emailing us at support@drbeurkens.com with the subject line “Podcast Question.”

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