James J. Crist - What to Do When Youre Scared & Worried: A Guide for Kids

Text copyright 2004 by James J. Crist, Ph.D.
Illustrations copyright 2004 by Free Spirit Publishing Inc.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. Unless otherwise noted, no part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher, except for brief quotations or critical reviews. For more information, go to www.freespirit.com/company/permissions.cfm.

Free Spirit, Free Spirit Publishing, and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Free Spirit Publishing Inc. A complete listing of our logos and trademarks is available at www.freespirit.com.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Crist, James J.

What to do when youre scared & worried : a guide for kids / James J. Crist.

v. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Contents: Why do we have worries and fears?Fears after something bad has happenedFears of people, animals, and situationsWorries about being away from your parents : separation anxietyThoughts and behaviors you cant stopWorrying all the timePanic, feeling you are going crazy or about to dieHow to control your worries and fearsWhen fears and worries will not go awayFor parents : helping your children cope with worries and fears.

ISBN 1-57542-153-4
1. FearJuvenile literature. 2. WorryJuvenile literature. [1. Fear. 2. Worry.] I. Title.

BF575.F2C75 2004

152.4'6dc22

ePub ISBN: 978-1-57542-890-1

Free Spirit Publishing does not have control over or assume responsibility for author or third-party websites and their content. At the time of this books publication, all facts and figures cited within are the most current available. All telephone numbers, addresses, and website URLs are accurate and active; all publications, organizations, websites, and other resources exist as described in this book; and all have been verified as of October 2013. If you find an error or believe that a resource listed here is not as described, please contact Free Spirit Publishing. Parents, teachers, and other adults: We strongly urge you to monitor childrens use of the Internet.

The concepts, ideas, procedures, and suggestions contained in this book are not intended as a substitute for professional help or therapy.

Reading Level Grade 5; Interest Level Ages 913; Fountas & Pinnell Guided Reading Level T

Edited by Pat Samples and Elizabeth Verdick
Illustrated by Michael Chesworth
Cover and interior design by Marieka Heinlen

Free Spirit Publishing Inc.
Minneapolis, MN
(612) 338-2068
www.freespirit.com

Free Spirit offers competitive pricing.
Contact for pricing information on multiple quantity purchases.

Dedication

I dedicate this book to all the young people I have worked with who have struggled with fears and worries. Ive learned a lot from watching them, and I hope that other kids will have an easier time as a result.

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank my editors at Free Spirit, Pat Samples and Elizabeth Verdick, for all their help and revisions. Thank you to my niece, Ariel White, for reviewing the initial manuscript. Finally, I would like to thank my coworkers at the Child and Family Counseling Center for all their encouragement and support.

This book is all about fears and worriesthings that everyone deals with at some point in their lives. Whether youre scared and worried some of the time or most of the time, this book can help.

I wrote this book because Im a psychologist, and Ive seen and worked with lots of kids who were scared and worried. Their fears and worries were making their lives more difficult. And no wonder: it can be hard to sleep, eat, think, concentrate, have fun, or get through the day when fears and worries get in the way.

Being scared and worried often leads to feelings of lonelinessbut youre not alone. And you dont have to try to handle your fears and worries all by yourself. I encourage you to read this book with someone at home who takes care of you: a family grown-up such as a parent or stepparent, a foster parent, a guardian, a grandparent, or an aunt or uncle. The offers tips for adults who take care of you; be sure to show this special section to your adult helper.

You may also need the guidance of an adult who specializes in treating kids who have problems with their worries and fears: a counselor, psychologist, child psychiatrist, therapist, or doctor, for example. That may seem scary to think about, but experts like these can really help. If youre wondering what its like to get counseling, see .

There are many other people out there who can help you as well. You might talk to your teacher, your principal, your best friends mom or dad, an adult neighbor you trust, or someone at your place of worship. If you want, you can talk to people your own age, too.

At first, talking about what scares or worries you might feel uncomfortable. Maybe youve kept your fears and worries inside for a long time, and you dont know how to tell anyone about them. The best place to start is with a family grown-up. You might say: Im scared and worried about something. Can I talk to you about it? Just getting those words out can be a big relief.

of What to Do When Youre Scared & Worried focuses on fears and worries that most kids have.

discusses what other kids are scared and worried about, and what may be bothering you.

looks at where these fears and worries come from, and how the body and mind work together to make fears worse or better.

has ten Fear Chasers and Worry Erasers, or coping skills you can try at home, at school, or anywhere else.

offers more tools, including some written exercises that can help you get a handle on your fears.

, please talk to a family grown-up right away. You may need the help of a counselor or doctor who can identify your problem and suggest solutions.

talks about specific fears called Phobias fears so strong that theyre out of control.

discusses the fear of being away from parents or other family grown-ups (its called Separation Anxiety ).

is about Generalized Anxiety Disorder, or constant worrying that occurs for more than six months.