In this video, Dr. Linet discusses school phobias in children and what can be done to cope. Part two. Les Linet MD Psychiatry DrMDK.com

Video Transcription

Dr. Les Linet: But there is an interesting aspect on this, when asked if it felt better, none of the children said they felt better. In the medication group, somewhat more than half are back at school, but the great majority said they felt better. So what I would want you to understand with this is that these children are laboring with the nervous system that is sending them signals of danger and you can't just talk them out of it. Signals about medicine can be helpful if they get back to school and they see by experience, that nothing terrible happened, I survived, that can be therapeutic. But sometimes we do need to use medicine because of the nervous system. Host: Is fear dangerous, is this real or artificial? Dr. Les Linet: Well, Mark Twain said something thing that I love to quarrel, he said Anxious people suffer from pains, that never happen. So yes, it's an anxiety disorder. In fact that's what an anxiety disorder is. It's an excessive anxiety. To be afraid of terrorism can be appropriate but some people have anxiety disorders, they don't favor terrorism excessively. One has to make a judgment about the appropriateness, but basically school phobic kids are just afraid of leaving home. Host: So changing the school wouldn't change the problem? Dr. Les Linet: No, I am glad to mention that because parents want to have their children off, think of things like that. If it's school phobia they're going to trouble in another school, these kids often don't want sleepover at friend's houses. Host: Occasionally, school phobia makes the kid with a real fear of school, because there could be someone in school that threaten the kid, we're trying to differentiate between the real threat and that can see something that doesn't exist. Dr. Les Linet: Yes, there can be appropriate anxiety about school if somebody is just trying to bully you, beat you up, taking the lunch, money, humiliates you. Sometimes these actually will precipitate a school phobic episode, which it's really school phobia, they may remain phobic even when the problem is solved. Host: So threatening and punishing or potentially threatening or punishing a kid there is an opposite choice, doesn't it? Dr. Les Linet: Not at all, but when I treat kids with this, I do try to help the parents, do something that's hard for parents to do and I just get the child into school. I mean to see your child saying that I am going to go to school, but the next morning doubled over and abdominal pain, crying saying, please, I'll go tomorrow. It's very, very hard for parents to do this. So well, I am discouraging punishment, I do help parents to do something that's hard, they have to get their child to school. Not by punishment but getting them there. Host: Also differentiate between the child's first exposure to school which everybody has the fear of, which is appropriate. This is a fear that is inappropriate, is this correct? Dr. Les Linet: Exactly, in all psychiatric diagnoses we see if we don't use the criteria of significance in parent and distress. We will be calling everybody names, everybody has got anxious, everybody has got depressed. We don't give the diagnosis unless it's excessive. Host: So two most important thing in the situation that is understanding and helping. A good parent tries to lead, do not threaten, is this correct? Dr. Les Linet: That's correct! Host: This is great, great potential, salvation, a situation in which they get the right people involved. Dr. Les Linet: Right, I actually love students with phobia because the prognosis is terrific. Host: Thank you Doctor!