Research Paper Example on Youth Psychological Toolkit

All children are unique, and they cope with their adversities differently because of the concept of individualized psychological toolkits. A psychological toolkit is a variety of resources in an environment that determines how a child reacts during stressful situations. Common elements in the youth psychological toolkit include genetics, family, peers, environment, and personality. (McNamara, J. (Nov. 11, 2021), CHYS 1F90 Lecture 8, Brock University) Each factor influences the way children learn and develop new skills. The psychological toolkit contains individualized qualities that are not universal for everyone, so some will encounter more stress in their lives than others. Some children face more adversity than others because of the combination of genetics, and their unique environmental exposures dictate their abilities to deal with anxiety. Genetics can determine the personality and behaviour of an individual, so children with an inherited anxiety gene are more prone to adversity. Children can also develop anxious behaviours from observing others in their surroundings. When children interact with individuals that become stressed easier, they will learn these tendencies and repeat them as they grow up. Since children’s brains are still in the crucial stage of development during childhood, it is easier to mould their thoughts by observing the people in their environment. Children also need to be nurtured by their caregivers to develop into individuals able to cope with stress. Children must have support during their development to avoid not feeling alone and encountering unnecessary stress. By nature, humans need to be surrounded by others to reach their full developmental potential. Human interaction reduces cortisol levels, so children without this support will face more stress and have difficulties handling it alone. A child who encounters an increased amount of adversity has not developed their psychological toolkit to the highest potential, so coping with day-to-day struggles is proven to be challenging. A child who faces an increased amount of adversity has not developed their psychological toolkit to the highest potential, so coping with day-to-day struggles is proven to be challenging. Their psychological toolkit might contain an inherited trait for anxiety from their parents; this makes them genetically prone to be anxious to situations that would usually cause minimal stress. The child trying to cope with anxiety may not live in the proper environment that provides them with the love and support needed to thrive. When parents are not present for children, their cortisol levels increase and make them more stressed than typically ordinary for a child. The child’s school environment also impacts an individual’s psychological toolkit. Children dealing with adversity could be struggling with their schoolwork, so they have the added pressure of trying to do well and failing. Children can cope with anxiety when they gain the appropriate skills from their toolkit. For example, the child might not have been exposed to stress while developing; this reduces the likelihood of expressing anxiousness themselves. Since they did not observe this trait through development, they may not experience it as often as other children their age. The child that can handle stressful situations could also have a better home life than others. They receive constant love and support, which reduces their cortisol levels when stressed. Children have exposure to various traits and environments, which develop their psychological toolkits. It is crucial not to judge how others cope with anxiety or handle adversity because we are unaware of their personal experiences that have shaped who they are. Some children may encounter more stress in their lives because they develop through the elements acquired in their psychological toolkits.

Anxiety is a physical difficulty that prevents individuals from coping with stress or fear in their lives. Although anxiety is present throughout adulthood, the traits develop when individuals are children. (Bitsko et al., 2018) Childhood anxiety is problematic because when these tendencies fail to be addressed and resolved early, the child is at risk for future physical and mental health concerns. Although it is a preconceived notion that anxiety is in an individual's head, and they should get over it effortlessly, anxiousness affects the entire body. (McNamara, J. (Nov. 11, 2021), CHYS 1F90 Lecture 8, Brock University) Anxiety should be viewed as a physical difficulty because the increased cortisol levels affect certain bodily functions. When an individual is anxious, their body physically presents cortisol rushing through their body. Their heart rate accelerates, breathing quickens, and headaches or stomach aches occur. The frequent use of these mechanisms can cause future cognitive and biological functioning issues. The organs should not function at high levels often, or they can deteriorate from the added stress and cause health issues later in life. Cortisol is damaging to a person's health when released frequently. The cortisol suppresses other body systems, so they do not function to their fullest potential. The cells in the body become inflamed after prolonged use of the sympathetic nervous system and put the individual more at risk for developing physical deformities. Inflammation of the cells can cause dangerous illnesses such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. (McNamara, J. (Oct. 7, 2021), CHYS 1F90 Lecture 4, Brock University) The suppression of bodily functions also compromises the immune system. The lack of an immune system is concerning for individuals because they are more susceptible to catching viruses and having the proper antibodies to fight them. When individuals do not obtain the antibodies to heal, their likelihood of mortality is higher while being exposed to serious illnesses. Although cortisol decreases biological functioning, anxious tendencies affect future mental functioning. Childhood anxiety can lead to anxiety disorders such as depression, schizophrenia, phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and extreme panic. The habits learned during childhood are often prevalent during adulthood because certain traits are difficult to stop after frequent use. Anxiety is commonly low-grade during youth, and the individual only possesses a few anxious tendencies that interfere with their lives. As they grow up, these tendencies become more severe, and their worry about stressful situations keeps progressing until, eventually, they cannot cope with their anxiety. The severe stress progressing from childhood is known as an anxiety disorder because individuals cannot continue any of their daily activities without interference with their anxiety. To prevent future anxiety disorders, it is crucial to inform parents of the correct way to treat their child’s anxiety. I would advise caregivers to find treatment to limit anxious tendencies during an individual’s youth. The best method of treatment for anxiety in children is to correct their anxious behaviours before they bring them into adulthood. Behaviours are difficult to correct while an individual is an adult, so behavioural treatment for children is more effective. Parents must use neural sculpting with their children to change existing schemas that make their children anxious. Neural sculpting changes an individual’s behaviour and reduces their flight-or-fight reaction during stressful situations. After neural sculpting, individuals become less anxious when being exposed to the things that previously made them anxious before. Neural sculpting is crucial to get rid of preexisting schemas to develop new tendencies to avoid anxious behaviour. In conclusion, anxiety is a trait developed during childhood that will cause health conditions when left untreated. One way to address anxiety early is through behavioural correction by adjusting anxious schemas and learning to face stressful situations.