Treatment For Math Anxiety
Mathematics anxiety is a widespread issue that impacts many students. It can cause academic issues like difficulty with homework, tests and school projects as well as derail an individual’s interest in math-related careers.
Treatment for math anxiety usually entails behavior therapy. A therapist will guide you in changing the maladaptive thoughts patterns that cause your symptoms, such as beliefs, models of the world, self-image issues and feelings about the future.
Research indicates cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most successful treatments for math anxiety. This type of therapy has been demonstrated to reduce an individual’s fear and teach them strategies to better manage their emotions.
Behavior therapy seeks to alter a person’s negative beliefs and behaviors that are causing them stress or anxiety. It also instructs individuals on healthy habits and techniques for managing symptoms and avoiding future recurrences.
Some of the most effective behavior therapy techniques for math anxiety include creating positive behaviors, using relaxation methods and learning how to cope with stress and fear when they arise. These tactics can be utilized both before and after experiencing anxiety.
For example, you can encourage yourself to have positive thoughts about math by telling yourself that you’ll do well on a test or assignment. Furthermore, you can learn to control how your body responds when feeling nervous or stressed by practicing deep breathing and relaxation techniques.
Your therapist may offer other resources to help you feel less anxious when studying math. For instance, they might suggest finding a community group for people who experience math anxiety. You could also talk with them about how you’re feeling and what goals you have for treating the disorder.
Tutoring programs can also be beneficial. These may include one-on-one or small group instruction, usually tailored towards specific skills. While tutoring typically doesn’t focus directly on mental health issues, it may enhance your overall proficiency with math tasks.
A recent study has demonstrated that math anxiety can be effectively treated through personalized lessons in mathematics. Individualized instruction helps students cultivate positive math attitudes, leading to improved arithmetic performance.
This study revealed that one-on-one math lessons were effective at decreasing math anxiety in children, even those with high levels of the disorder prior to beginning the program. Furthermore, these personalized instruction made them feel more at ease with the subject and increased their motivation to do math problems.
These findings are significant as they offer the first concrete proof that an intervention can effectively reduce a child’s math anxiety. This is especially pertinent since math anxiety has the potential to have a lifelong detrimental effect on a child.
To make the most of this type of treatment, it’s essential to find a therapist who is knowledgeable about math anxiety and has experience treating the condition. You can learn more about finding such a therapist near you by visiting either the National Institute of Mental Health or Anxiety & Depression Association of America.