Parenting and Anxiety

Anxiety is a very difficult ailment to cope with. Various everyday things have an effect on people with anxiety that people who do not suffer from anxiety can scarcely imagine. Just catching a cold or missing a train can send anxiety through the roof. Becoming or being a parent is a huge aspect of a person's life. It is much more of a big deal than a cold or missing the train. Therefore, it can have a big impact on a person's anxiety level, both good and bad.

Being a parent is not necessarily a bad thing for a person who has anxiety. Having something to do to take your mind off your worry or the physical symptoms of anxiety is a great release and children are a wonderful distraction. Furthermore, being around a person that you love is a soothing balm to overstretched nerves. In this way, being a parent can help ease your anxiety. Spending time with your child can be the best medicine in the world for you. All of those happy, cherished moments make a big difference to your mindset.

On the other hand, there are a lot of stressors that come with being a parent. Are you feeding your child what he or she needs? Is his room clean? Are her teeth brushed? Is she safe over her friend's house? When is his next game, doctor's appointment, dentist appointment, school function, friend's birthday party? You want to keep on top of these things effortlessly, but you worry that you will miss something important. It is tough. All parents feel this way, but when you have anxiety, it is harder to maintain because you have physical and emotional symptoms of your disorder to deal with on top of everything else. The upside to this is that your anxiety motivates you. You cannot stop worrying about it, so you will get it done.

Another way that being a parent can affect anxiety is to drive you to seek treatment or coping mechanisms for it. You want to learn to deal with your anxiety better so you can be more at ease as a parent. This is a great thing. Learn coping mechanisms to help you get through your busy day. Do not be afraid to talk to your child about it, either, once he or she is old enough. Make sure she knows what the symptoms are and that you will be just fine as soon as they go away. Try to act as if it is a normal thing–because it is.