Stress, like fear, plays a very important role in children’s development. They do not need a protective umbrella, only a helping hand to deal with this “evil”.
- The most common definition of stress is that it is the individual who decides what is and what is not. Therefore, telling a child “what are you stressing yourself about is just a test?” it won’t do him any good
- Instead, it’s better to help your child understand the world. Without this skill, you won’t develop resistance to frustration – one of the leading causes of stress
- The gut flora also plays an important role in how a person responds to stress. The right composition of bacteria can be helpful in the body’s adequate response to a potentially stressful stimulus
- There is no single method of coping with excessive stress, but with the help of a few tricks under the watchful eye of a psychotherapist and with the support of loved ones, it is usually tame – explains Agata Misera, a child psychiatrist.
- ARTICLE FROM MAGAZINE: NEWSWEEK CHILD’S PSYCHOLOGY 3/2020
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Stress, like mental health, does not have a universal definition. The dominant concept was described in the 80s by Lazarus and Folkman, which says that stress is a dynamic relationship between a person and given circumstances to which the person tries to adapt. The assessment of a relationship as stressful is always determined by the subjective assessment of an individual, and not by the objective features of a given situation. Unfortunately, this personal nature of stress is not always understood, and its perception is often underestimated or ridiculed with statements such as: “Child, what are you stressing out so much, after all, the test is not the end of the world!”
The lack of understanding and empathy on the part of adults towards children may result in their being unable to recognize and cope with their emotions. And it is precisely the gradual learning of your own reactions, the ability to control them, and understanding your own feelings that are one of the pillars of psychosocial development. A child can develop psychosocial only by observing and imitating people. The brain learns to respond adequately to stimuli through repeated repetition, just as it learns the alphabet.
A child needs adults who will explain the world to him, show him the way, teach him how to function in society, use objects, and finally – patiently wait. Without this skill, you won’t develop resistance to frustration – one of the leading causes of stress. Most parents want to give their children the best possible life. However, they often cannot cope with their own emotions and stress, so they feel helpless when confronted with their children’s strong emotions.
Consequently, they downplay or exaggerate their feelings. Some also try to protect children from all the “evil” of the surrounding world at all costs, and negative emotions are a necessary element of proper emotional and psychosocial development. After all, stress, like fear, plays a very important role in the development of children. They do not need a protective umbrella, only a helping hand to deal with this “evil”.
Stress stimuli are transmitted to various regions of the brain and analyzed there, which leads to the activation of vegetative and emotional reactions, as a result of which the stress hormone, i.e. cortisol, is released. It modulates the work of various organs, including intestines, which not only absorb nutrients from food, but are also involved in many physiological processes, including the body’s response to stress. The intestines are inhabited by microorganisms called the gut microbiota.
Among other things, it is through these microorganisms that the intestine communicates with the brain, forming the so-called cerebral-intestinal axis. The intestinal microbiota plays such an important role in the human body that some scientists consider it a separate organ. Its composition is unique for every human being and is constantly changing. Nevertheless, scientists are discovering more and more common features, getting to know individual microorganisms and their impact on the functioning of the body and health – physical and mental.
The role of microbiota in modifying the body’s response to stressful situations is also undeniable. The right composition of bacteria can be helpful in the body’s adequate response to a potentially stressful stimulus.
- Psychiatrist: Mental illness in adolescents is often triggered by psychoactive drugs
Bacteria to help
The stress response is therefore dualistic. On the one hand, it is based on the psychoemotional analysis of a given stimulus, and on the other hand, on the activation of numerous physiological reactions (respiratory, circulatory and metabolic) that can affect the body. Therefore, people suffering from too much stress can be helped by relaxation techniques or – if the problem is serious enough to prevent normal functioning – visiting a psychologist or psychiatrist. Psychotherapy and cooperation with loved ones play a major role in the psychiatric treatment of children and adolescents.
In some cases, psychopharmacotherapy is necessary. In stressed and behavioral children, it is also worth paying attention to the methods supporting the therapy. Scientific research shows that the composition of the gut microbiota can influence well-being and behavior. In turn, its composition is influenced, among others, by nutrition, lifestyle, medications taken, stress. Preparations modulating the composition of the intestinal microbiota, the so-called probiotics.
Psychobiotics are a relatively new discovery. These are probiotic bacteria that affect the cerebral and intestinal axis, and thus have a beneficial effect on the broadly understood mental health. They work in many directions. They lower blood cortisol levels, alleviate stress-induced gastrointestinal discomfort, reduce drug intensity, and support mood stability. The following strains have undergone a lot of research in this direction: Lactobacillus helveticus Rosell®-52 and Bifidobacterium longum Rosell®-175.
A child needs adults who will explain the world to him, show him the way, teach him how to function in society, use objects, and finally – patiently wait. Without this skill, you will not develop resistance to frustration – one of the main causes of stress in everyday life
Psychobiotics should not be confused with drugs, although the results of clinical trials indicate a beneficial effect of psychobiotics used with antidepressants. However, not all patient problems have been resolved, but they can effectively support psychiatric therapy and help people who do not require psychiatric treatment to cope with the troublesome effects of stress, such as hypertension, coronary artery disease, diabetes and other metabolic disorders.
Psychobiotics may be of particular use in children because, unlike many drugs, they do not cause addiction, drowsiness or metabolic disorders. It is worth taking care of the children’s microbiota, because they will always be thankful for their well-being with a cheerful mood.
Baby on the couch
If a child is struggling with problems that parents are unable to solve, it is worth consulting a specialist – a child psychologist or psychiatrist. It will help you to accurately diagnose the problem. Such diagnostics may consist of many stages: conversation with the child, parents and other relatives, interview with caregivers from kindergarten or school, medical examination, psychological tests, joint play with the child by the therapist.
The basis of each therapy is the cooperation of the therapist with the whole family, because it is the most important thing for the child and only with the appropriate support of the loved ones will the child be able to work on himself. In addition, parents need to know what is the current topic in therapy so that they can respond adequately to changes in the child’s behavior. The more so that a child who comes to the office with a problem that has been going on for some time will not be able to solve it at an express pace. Only system-wide changes can improve the overall situation.
In the therapeutic process of severely stressed children, relaxation exercises play a major role in therapy. They have to be systematically repeated so that the body learns to relax when prompted. Another important element is learning to recognize your own emotions. Psychotherapists work with the child to analyze the stressful event step by step to identify specific “hot spots”, which gives the child a sense of control over what is happening to him. During the meetings, the child and parents, with the help of the therapist, work out various tricks that can help in the fight against excessive stress, for example: relaxing exercises together, looking at the world through “pink glasses” and, for contrast, through “black glasses” to better identify the real image. The family may be asked to keep a diary and document the pleasant moments in it, or to introduce ‘stress-free zones’ throughout the day.
In some cases, it may be necessary to change the daily schedule so that the child has more or less free time and introduce new rules that, if followed consistently, give the child support and a sense of security. Administering psychobiotics may also be helpful.
There is no single method of dealing with excessive stress, but with the help of a few tricks under the watchful eye of a psychotherapist and with the support of loved ones, it is usually managed to tame it.
About the author: Dr. Agata Misera – medical doctor, child psychiatrist. He lives and practices in Berlin. She graduated from medical studies at the Charité Medical University. He uses karate elements in the therapy of children and adolescents.
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