Please Explain Anxiety to Me! Simple Biology and Solutions for Children and Parents (Growing With Love) [Paperback]

Laurie Zelinger (Author), Jordan Zelinger (Author), Elisa Sabella (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Growing With Love | Publication Date: July 23, 2010

What's happening to me?
This book translates anxiety from the jargon of psychology into concrete experiences that children can relate to. Children and their parents will understand the biological and emotional components of anxiety responsible for the upsetting symptoms they experience. Please Explain Anxiety to Me gives accurate physiological information in child friendly language. A colorful dinosaur story explains the link between brain and body functioning, followed by practical therapeutic techniques that children can use to help themselves. Children will:

learn that they can handle most issues if they are explained at their developmental level

understand the brain/body connection underlying anxiety

identify with the examples given

find comfort and reassurance in knowing that others have the same experience

be provided with strategies and ideas to help them change their anxiety responses

be able to enjoy childhood and to give up unnecessary worrying

Therapists and Educators Praise "Please Explain Anxiety To Me"
"On any given day, around thirty percent of my patients have anxiety related symptoms. The simplicity and completeness of the explanations and treatment of anxiety given in this book is remarkable. Defi ning the cause, treating the core symptoms, and most importantly bringing it to a child's level accompanied by wonderful illustrations, is an incredible feat. I will defi nitely use this book in my practice."
Zev Ash, M.D. F.A.A.P., Pediatrician

"Anxiety is, of course, a complicated neuro-physiological process but it has been reduced to understandable terms in this brilliantly illustrated book for children. I would go even further and say that there are adults who could benefit from the straightforward approach."
Rick Ritter, MSW, author of "Coping with Physical Loss and Disability"

"This excellent book is perfect for parents to read and discuss with their children. It's also perfect for school professionals to use in the school setting."
Herb R. Brown, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools Oceanside Public Schools, New York

"...A charming--and calming--explanation of anxiety that will help both children and their parents turn their internal worry switches to the OFF position."
Ellen Singer, New York Times-acclaimed bestselling author

Learn more at www.DrZelinger.com
From the "Growing With Love" Series at Loving Healing Press www.LHPress.com

SEL036000, Self-Help : Anxieties & Phobias
PSY006000 Psychology : Psychotherapy - Child & Adolescent
JNF053050 Juvenile Nonfiction : Social Issues - Emotions & Feelings

Product Details

• Paperback: 40 pages
• Publisher: Loving Healing Press (July 23, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1615990291
• ISBN-13: 978-1615990290
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 8.5 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,867,353 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars An anxiety101 reader for young people!, July 6, 2011

By 

Jennifer Chatham "Mad Moose Mama" (Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Please Explain Anxiety to Me! Simple Biology and Solutions for Children and Parents (Hardcover)

Please Explain "Anxiety" To Me! is a early reader for children explaining simple biology and solutions pertaining to anxiety.

The book starts out with dinosaurs roaming the earth. There were many hardships to overcome to survive if you are a dinosaur. Things like the environment, food and predators can make a dinosaur worry. Over time the dinosaur develop their "instincts" and their reactions to certain situations.

One of the reactions being discussed is anxiety. The book describes how our Amygdala (a mig' da la), registers and remembers how we react in certain situations and later, when we need that specific feeling, the Amygdala brings it back up again and has us react as we do.

Sometimes our body tricks us and makes us think we are nervous, anxious or worried, when we're really not. There is a "switch" inside each of us being controlled by the Amygdala which determines how we react. When quick energy is needed for us to respond, this triggers our "Sympathetic Nervous System", which fuels us into action, sometimes having us do feats we would be unable to do otherwise.

The book suggests that we become friends with our inner psyche, reassure it when it gets overactive, remind it that you have been in this situation before and you will respond appropriately. It also reminds you that you can talk to your parents, teacher, pastor, psychiatrist etc. to get the help you need to aid your anxiety fears. You can train your brain to react differently with simple techniques to help encourage it to respond with less indifference instead of over-reaction.

I thought this book was a good early primer for your fussy/anxious child. The simple story is enough for young children to grasp its meaning and perhaps get something from its message. I liked how dinosaurs were introduced and all the problems that occurred to them in their every day lives. I thought that the explanations for the anxiety was explained easily so that your young person can follow and understand.

I didn't think the graphics in the book were spectacular, they were simple enough in their depiction but lacked any "oomph" in their overall appearance, as well, the cover is nondescript and not very "eye-catching".

I did like how they technical lingo of the psychology of the situation was explained well and simply. I enjoyed the biology of the book via the explanation on how the amygdala and the body work together. I didn't know that the amygdala stored so much information for later use, that was interesting to read. I thought the reinforcement that comfort can be found in the fact that no one is alone in their thoughts and feelings and many of us have the same reactions, reminding children to be children and allowing the adults to look after their needs.

Overall, this would be a fairly decent book to help your young person understand their feelings, but I just thought there would have been more for the reader. The suggestions at the back of the book just wasn't what I had expected, I wanted a bit more from this book and found it lacking just a little. But as a 101 primer for the young, this book would be most excellent. Keeping copies of this in centers for children with psychological difficulties or in doctors offices would be beneficial.

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended, May 27, 2011

By 

Juniper (USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Please Explain Anxiety to Me! Simple Biology and Solutions for Children and Parents (Hardcover)

Excellent resource for kids and parents on the biology of anxiety written in kid friendly manner. Kids with anxiety will do well to read and reread it. Older kids can research more details on concepts introduced in this book such as the sympathetic nervous system and the amygdala.

3.0 out of 5 stars Please Explain Anxiety to Me, March 9, 2011

By 

onyx95 "-Debbie" (Oklahoma) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Please Explain Anxiety to Me! Simple Biology and Solutions for Children and Parents (Hardcover)

Ever wonder why we get nervous, worried, stressed, distressed or anxious? Most people do feel that way at some point, but it is not the same for everyone. For children it can be even more difficult to deal with and understanding the reason why may be the first step to helping them get through it. Identifying with a dinosaur, learning that they possibly had the same reactions to worries may help a child understand that they are not the only one. Learning the whys of anxiety are not enough, children and adults alike that suffer through this fear need a way to cope, something that can help them through the worst of the symptoms. Getting certain breathing techniques or exercises that can help to calm yourself may be enough, but knowing you have someone to go to can also help.

***

In story book fashion, Laurie Zelinger , PhD breaks down the whys of anxiety in easy to understand ways. There are real psychological terminology used as well, but the words are explained in a concise and appropriate ways, and the word is also given phonetically to make the pronunciation easier to get. The large pictures make the dinosaur story feel like a regular picture story book. The story is worded so that it is easy to ask the questions like - "have you ever felt like that" several times which does make the comparison with the dinosaurs more realistic. The helpful suggestions for reducing anxiety and relieving some of the symptoms are easy to understand and feels more like a game than a calming tool, but if it works, even better. The closing rhymes are fun to say and fun to practice. All this information, so much of which was common since, the story was good but not great and the pictures were at times distracting from the "anxiety" topic of the book. Great concept to help children learn to cope with anxiety, I just expected and wanted more.