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One of the most common questions I see being asked within the food allergy community is: "How do I help my son or daughter with their food allergy anxiety or worry?" The answer to that question isn't simplistic, as there are likely many factors contributing to the anxiety or worry. But at the core of the answer is the advice to help their child better understand the worry in order to develop strategies to help effectively manage it. What exactly is worry?The terms "anxiety", "worry", and "fear" are often used interchangeably. So do they mean the same thing? No, but they are definitely related.  Whereas anxiety typically stems from the uncertainty, unpredictability and unknown about future situations, worry is the thinking part of anxiety. It's what often leads our minds to dwelling on worst case scenarios, the "what ifs", or leads us into a thinking trap known as "catastrophizing". Whether our worry is triggered by anxiety about the future or fear due to a threat in the here-and-now, it can lead us down the rabbit hole of thoughts. This may then trigger uncomfortable emotions and physical sensations, which often convinces us even more that our worried thoughts must be valid! What helps to manage worrY?There are a variety of therapeutic approaches to help people learn to manage or navigate life with their anxiety or worry. Whether through basic psychoeducation, or strategies based on approaches stemming from evidence-based therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, or exposure therapy, the goals are typically to help people change negative thought patterns, learn relaxation or grounding skills, and change behaviors that lead to the distressing impacts or outcomes. The Managing Food Allergy Worries WorksheetThe following 3-page therapeutic worksheet was created to help older kids, teens, and even adults begin to address their food allergy-related worries. The goal of the worksheet is to help you identify practical strategies that effectively help you break free from those worry traps. It encourages getting to know more about the thoughts that fuel the worry. It also guides you to notice how the worry makes you feel physically since anxiety and worry often bring on physical sensations that may even trick you into thinking you're having an allergic reaction.  [Disclaimer: This therapeutic activity is meant to help understand and manage worries, but is not meant to take the place of counseling. Please reach out to a licensed clinical mental healthcare provider if you feel that your anxiety or worry is impacting your life in a way that feels unmanageable on your own. You can locate an allergy-informed therapist in your state via the Food Allergy Counselor Directory.] RELATED Helpful Resources:
Thanks for reading, 
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If you've ever experienced an allergic reaction, or witnessed your child experiencing one, then you're likely familiar with how it can feel afterwards - once the reaction is over. These emotions and thoughts may include feelings such as fear, worry, sadness, or even guilt, and explorations to try and understand what happened in order to prevent it from happening again. For some, they may process through this phase quickly, while others take longer. Some may even find themselves becoming stuck along the way, unable to find their way back to navigating food allergies confidently. New podcast episode on this topic!In episode 9 of the Exploring Food Allergy Families podcast, I'm joined by fellow allergy-informed clinician, psychologist Fawn McNeil-Haber, PhD. Together, we explore common feelings and thoughts that many may feel for days, weeks or even months after a reaction. We explore how those emotional reactions may lead to common behavioral changes and actions. Additionally, we share strategies to help people through this while on the journey back to confidently managing food allergies. [These tips may be helpful for parents and allergic kids, teens, and adults]. 
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The latest podcast episode of Exploring Food Allergy Families was inspired by stories I've read about within food allergy support groups, experiences my clients (and I) have had, and of course, Brene Brown! You truly can't explore the topic of vulnerability without including what Brene's research has unveiled.
Vulnerability felt like an important topic to begin discussing because the truth is, we will all feel feelings of vulnerability throughout our lives. When we fall in love. When we put ourselves out there for others to see. And of course, when we navigate life with food allergies or other allergic conditions.
This 15-minute episode covers the following aspects of vulnerability:
- The standard definition versus Brene Brown's definition
- HOW and IF weakness plays a role in vulnerability
- Real life examples from Brene's research
- What role time plays in vulnerability and lack of confidence in managing allergies
- Food allergy-related vulnerability examples
- 5 steps to work WITH vulnerability rather than AGAINST it
You can find Episode 03 here. Missed the other episodes covering the intro to the podcast (4 mins), and what survey responses from 90 food allergy dads revealed (26 mins)?
Find them here via the podcast website, or find Exploring Food Allergy Families on your favorite podcast app!
Find them here via the podcast website, or find Exploring Food Allergy Families on your favorite podcast app!
Additionally, below is the "Take Home Challenge" handout associated with Episode 03, which can also be found in the "Exploring Food Allergy Families Podcast - Take Home Challenge" section of the Food Allergy Mental Health Resource page.
And while it may be tempting to just read the handout without listening to the episode, the additional context within the episode is extremely helpful as well!
And while it may be tempting to just read the handout without listening to the episode, the additional context within the episode is extremely helpful as well!
| 5 Steps to Navigate Vulnerability & Food Allergies (Handout) |
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Listen to & subscribe to the Exploring Food Allergy Families podcast!
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