Episode 14: A conversation with Tiffany Babiak who talks about her son who was diagnosed with childhood depression, anxiety and panic disorder and who has misophonia

Tiffany Babiak is my next guest. She is a mom of two teenage boys, an actress and a Pilates instructor. Tiffany opens up about her one son who has had challenges. Before her son was 10 years old, he had to be hospitalized after his anxiety got worse. Tiffany said that, "Putting [her] child in hospital [was] the worst and most difficult decision a parent could possibly make." Tiffany and her husband have supported their son through co-parenting and fostering his extreme sport interests. According to Tiffany, "He's made great strides in the past year once returning to school." Another thing that has helped her son is having teachers who understand him and adopt their teaching so he feels less anxious. Tiffany shares that, "If you get a supportive teacher obviously it's such a huge difference." Three key things her son has responded well to is encouragement, support and praise. We also discuss Tiffany's own challenges with anxiety, depression and misophonia and how she can relate to her son's conditions. Although Tiffany reacted differently as a girl compared to her highly active son, she has a sense of empathy for what he experiences on a daily basis. Lastly, I ask Tiffany to share tips on how a teacher could present themselves better in front of a class using strategies she uses as an actress. Her suggestions are a great way to make teaching fun for the teacher and the students. Tiffany's story is inspiring. My hope is that it will help other parents and educators understand children who have similar challenges to her son and learn how to support them the best way possible.