The Anxiety Cure for Kids: A Guide for Parents

243 Pages·2003·1.33 MB·English

by  Elizabeth DuPont Spencer

fmatter.qxd 6/7/03 8:06 AM Page iii
The Anxiety Cure
for Kids
A Guide for Parents
Elizabeth DuPont Spencer, M.S.W.
Robert L. DuPont, M.D.
Caroline M. DuPont, M.D.
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
fmatter.qxd 6/7/03 8:06 AM Page vi
fmatter.qxd 6/7/03 8:06 AM Page i
The Anxiety Cure
for Kids
fmatter.qxd 6/7/03 8:06 AM Page ii
Also by the authors
The Anxiety Cure
fmatter.qxd 6/7/03 8:06 AM Page iii
The Anxiety Cure
for Kids
A Guide for Parents
Elizabeth DuPont Spencer, M.S.W.
Robert L. DuPont, M.D.
Caroline M. DuPont, M.D.
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
fmatter.qxd 6/7/03 8:06 AM Page iv
Copyright © 2003 by Elizabeth DuPont Spencer, Robert L. DuPont, and
Caroline M. DuPont. All rights reserved
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
Published simultaneously in Canada
Design and production by Navta Associates, Inc.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or trans-
mitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, record-
ing, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976
United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Pub-
lisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the
Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-
8400, fax [phone], or on the web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the
Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John
Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, [phone], fax
[phone], email: [email protected].
Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and the author have
used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or war-
ranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and
specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular
purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written
sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your
situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the pub-
lisher nor the author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial dam-
ages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.
For general information about our other products and services, please contact our
Customer Care Department within the United States at [phone], outside the
United States at [phone] or fax [phone].
Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that
appears in print may not be available in electronic books. For more information about
Wiley products, visit our web site at www.wiley.com.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Spencer, Elizabeth DuPont, date.
The anxiety cure for kids : a guide for parents / Elizabeth DuPont
Spencer, Robert L. DuPont, Caroline M. DuPont.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-471-26361-3 (pbk.)
1. Anxiety in children—Popular works. I. DuPont, Robert L., 1936-
II. DuPont, Caroline M., 1968- III. Title.
RJ506.A58S66 2003
618.92’85223—dc21
2002155888
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
fmatter.qxd 6/7/03 8:06 AM Page v
This book is dedicated to anxious children and their parents.
Your suffering is our calling. We are inspired by the dream
that overcoming anxiety problems during childhood will end
the pain and disability of anxiety so that when anxious
children become adults and care for their own children, this
problem will be a distant but encouraging memory.
fmatter.qxd 6/7/03 8:06 AM Page vi
fmatter.qxd 6/7/03 8:06 AM Page vii
CONTENTS
Foreword ix
Acknowledgments xi
A Letter to Kids with Anxiety Problems xiii
Introduction and Guide to This Book 1
PART ONE
All about Anxiety
CHAPTER 1
Understanding Anxiety and Fear: The Dragon 7
CHAPTER 2
The History and Diagnostic Categories of Anxiety
Disorders in Children and Adults 23
CHAPTER 3
Treatment: The Wizard 47
CHAPTER 4
Evaluating Your Child’s Need for Medication and Therapy 59
PART TWO
Five Stories for Kids, Five Steps
for Parents
CHAPTER 5
Step 1: Ben’s Story—Understanding Your Child’s Dragon 79
CHAPTER 6
Step 2: Julie’s Story—Shrink the Dragon with
Practice and Cognitive Restructuring 101
vii