Georgia is a 10 year old only child who lives with her parents. Georgia worries about the wellbeing of her parents “everyday, all the time.” She worries that they may be in a car crash, have a heart attack, or experience an attack of violence. She wants to be close to her parents, and gets worried about their safety when they are not with her. When worried, she texts her parents, tracks their location, and thinks about the worst case scenario.
Separation Anxiety is defined as a child struggling with worry and fear about either something happening to parents while they are gone or that something will happen to themselves when not with their parents.
- Mom and Dad go out – “What if something bad happens to them” – “it would be because of me” – nervous – text parents.
- Parent is running late – “What if something happened to them” – “they should be home by now” – “what if they got in an accident?” – track parent’s location
Social Anxiety is defined as struggling with chronic fear and worries about judgment from others in social settings. Georgia struggles with wondering what other people will think of her, if people will laugh at her, or if she will make a mistake in front of other people. These worries occur with people her own age, or other children.
- Talking to someone new – nervous – “what if I say something wrong” – “what if they laugh at me” – get it over with as soon as possible.
- In a place with a lot of people – “I don’t know them” – “what if they laugh at me” – “what if they judge me” – avoid being with anyone.
Below are examples from Georgia’s Values Based Exposure Menu:
- Going to the park and playing with other kids so that I can be kind
- Ordering something for myself so that I can be kind
- Asking an adult a question so that I can be independent
- Asking a question where i might be told no so that I can be kind
- Being silly around other people so that I can be myself
- Walking away from Mom or Dad in a store so that I can be independent
- Not tracking parent’s location when they go out so that I can be kind.
