Text | Jingjin Doctor
Asmen's Anxiety
The vast majority of children and adolescents with Asperger's syndrome (AS, Asmen) are in a state of anxiety, irritability, and emotional breakdown in their daily lives. Their bad mood can be attributed to the origin of anxiety. Anxiety comes from stress, stress is everywhere, with varying degrees, and AS is susceptible. It can be said that anxiety can accompany Aspen throughout his life, and there will be intermittent panic and compulsion. Aspen people are more susceptible to stress than the average person and experience anxiety, panic and emotional breakdowns. The reasons for are roughly as follows:
- Neurological dysfunction of the brain: Autism or Aspen is considered a neurodevelopmental disorder, so there must be some kind of disorder in their brain function, such as their neural nuclei that process emotionsalmonds Nuclear has developmental and functional abnormalities, so the ability to control emotions is extremely fragile, especially susceptible to anxiety.
- Unbearable to environmental stimuli: Asses are more sensitive and disgusted to environmental stimuli, such as harsh sounds, loud noises, ambient noise, crying, mechanical noise, etc., which will make them uncomfortable and nervous. In addition, their sense of sight, hearing, smell, touch, etc. are all sensitive, and dazzling light, various smells, being touched, hugging, etc. may cause them to be disgusted, disgusted, escaped, miserable, anxious, and even collapsed. After a few times, anxiety and panic become a habit.
- High Anxiety: is what all autism or aspen people experience for a long time. When they are rejected, criticized, bullied, teased, intimidated, ridiculed, etc., they can cause deep anxiety and lingering. Coupled with their difficulty in predicting events and their fear of socializing, anxiety and panic are exacerbated.
- Sensitivity to negative emotions: Research found that autism and Aspen people are generally very sensitive to the negative emotions of others, so they are prone to anxiety and worry.
The following are the main points of positive and negative situations that parents and teachers should pay attention to.
Coping strategies
- Physical activity: Physical activity and regular exercise are an effective way to release emotional energy and clear your mind. Most Ass have poor motor development and poor coordination. At school, Asmen "makes a fool of themselves" in physical education class because of their clumsiness in sports, which leads to ridicule from classmates and makes them reluctant to take physical education class. We know that physical activity may be more effective than medication or even psychotherapy in reducing anxiety. Therefore, children can be encouraged to do more indoor and outdoor sports, or they can hire or consult a personal trainer, who can evaluate children's physique, sports interest, temper, and which sports are more suitable and effective. You don't necessarily have to play a team sport, start doing solo exercises such as cycling, skateboarding, swimming, horseback riding, or going to the gym. To be sure, regular exercise is very beneficial to the physical and mental health of Aspen. Moreover, Aspen tend to pursue the characteristics of perfectionism and perseverance, which will help them experience success and enhance self-confidence in sports.
- Relaxation training: Anxiety causes tension. There are many ways to relieve and eliminate tension, especially closed-eye meditation, relaxation training, meditation, yoga, etc. In the case of my follow-up consultation, there are indeed young Aspen people who have reported a sense of joy and happiness through meditation, deep breathing, eyes closed and meditation training. An Aspen youth said: "Yoga is an effective antidote to anxiety."
Low levels of relaxation can be achieved by listening to ethereal and soothing music with full concentration in a comfortable lying or sitting position. Deep relaxation can be achieved by training in different meditation techniques. Clinical psychologists mostly instruct people with anxiety disorders to relieve and eliminate symptoms through meditation.
Another way for ass to relax is to be alone, not lonely and isolated. In fact, staying away from other people and some environmental stimuli is a way for Asmen to reduce anxiety. If you are in school or workplace, you can apply to avoid crowds in stages, or be alone in the middle of the class, preferably find a quiet, shielded room. Being alone can lift AS's spirits and is a form of deep relaxation. Another way is to often go for walks or camping in the natural environment, reduce the stimulation and social interaction in the urban environment, and only listen to the sounds of nature to relax the sensory experience. Of course, you can also find a secluded place to do things you like, such as painting, weaving, handicraft, mechanical repair, graphic design, programming, viewing museums, reading, etc. The effect is good.
- Special Interests: Ass mostly have personal interests. Their narrow interests are a way of life derived from relieving and blocking anxiety, just like ordinary people will use interest work to relieve anxiety. Full concentration and intense focus on one activity blocks anxiety, leaving Asthians with no time for anxiety. Doing things of special interest enables Asmen to enjoy the process and experience achievements. However, they must be guided by parents or instructors, otherwise they will become addicted and addicted.
I found that some of Aspen's special interests and hobbies came from fear events. For example, fear of thunder may make AS interested in and concerned about weather-related knowledge, aiming to avoid fearful and disturbing events.Sometimes, Asses can establish social circles through virtual networks, in this social world, they may be valued, socially successful, and without anxiety. However, once this method becomes the main method for Asmen to relieve anxiety, any obstruction to it will lead to more serious anxiety, which is a double-edged sword and requires the control and guidance of the instructor.
Indulging in special interests has the potential to tire asses and physically and mentally. Over time, they will feel emotionally drained. Therefore, it is extremely important to control the duration of focus, flexibly divert attention, and then re-reward.
People don't care what ass are interested in. But if they can understand and tolerate their interests, they will also feel happy and relaxed. It should be noted that the premise is to reach a compromise or agreement with the Asmen, so that they do not get too addicted to their interests and ignore the opportunities for human interaction.
- Being with animals or people you like: Research found that Aspen who do not exclude living with animals, their emotions are more stable. Likewise, they do not experience anxiety or fear when they are with people they know and like. Encouraging Aspen to keep a pet or make friends who are understanding and soothing will not only relieve anxiety but also improve his social skills. On the screen of Aspen mobile phone, you can set your favorite pets, relatives or friends photos, and you can also stabilize their emotions at any time. I once suggested to an Aspen boy to record the video and voice of his friends on his mobile phone, and take it out to see whenever he is anxious or afraid. The feedback was quite good, and the parents said it was very helpful. Of course, for those Asmen who directly face the fears of others, I generally recommend communicating via WeChat, video or email. In terms of communication content, encourage them to express their feelings, even pain.
- Diet and Nutrition: I am more and more aware that adjusting a nutritionally balanced diet can be helpful to Aspen. Fast-food junk food may be attractive to ass, easy to obtain, and satisfying after eating, but the potential problems outweigh the benefits. Because such fast food is high in fat, calories and refined sugar, it is not only easy to make Aspen addicted, but also increase weight and anxiety. Research shows that a diet rich in balanced nutrition, fruits, vegetables, nuts, complex carbohydrates and lean meats is good for sleep and mood, and supports mental health.
- Intensive sleep: Many people have sleep problems, such as difficulty falling asleep, playing with mobile phones at night, light sleep, waking up at night, waking up early, always worrying about things during the day, etc. More than anything else, prescribes and establishes good sleep patterns and habits for them. It is not a bad idea to use some sleep-aiding foods or medicines, which is beneficial to the establishment of sleep patterns, and to relieve and eliminate anxiety. If it doesn't work, see a sleep specialist.
In short, alleviating and reducing the anxiety of Aspen is an important part of controlling their secondary problem behaviors and promoting their social interaction. They can learn to control personal anxiety completely through guidance and training. They will learn that "I can learn to control my anxiety instead of using it to control me".
