Now and then everyone experiences stress and anxiety in their lives including children; however, if your child is displaying frequent signs of excessive fear or worry that is interfering with their everyday life including schoolwork and social activities, they may have an anxiety disorder which is a serious condition that requires a medical evaluation.
It is estimated that up to ten percent of all children suffer from some type of anxiety.
Left untreated, anxiety disorders can lead to other serious physical and mental health conditions and can carry over into adulthood.
Signs and Symptoms of Childhood Anxiety There are many different types of anxiety disorders that can affect a child with the most common being generalized anxiety disorder or GAD.
GAD is excessive and unrealistic fear and worry of a variety of different things and situations.
Some of the signs or symptoms of GAD are excessive worry or anxiety about schoolwork, sporting activities, or social events which can cause them to have physical symptoms of stomachaches, headaches, and numerous other discomforts for no apparent reason.
Separation anxiety is also common in children which is an excessive fear of something terrible happening if they are separated from a parent or caregiver that they have become attached too.
Phobias and Panic Disorders in Children Children can also develop phobias including social phobias that can be severe enough to disrupt their lives as they may avoid or miss out on many things due to their intense fear.
A phobia is an excessive fear of a specific thing such as snakes, heights, animals, or storms.
Children who have a social phobias typically are terrified of social situations and overly sensitive of being judged or criticized.
This can cause them to isolate themselves from family, friends, and social events.
A panic disorder in children causes them to have frequent panic attacks which are terrifying to them as the physical symptoms of a rapid heartbeat, hyperventilation, nausea, or dizziness, can cause them to believe that they are going to die.
Symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in Children OCD or obsessive compulsive disorder affects approximately two out of every one hundred children and adolescents in the United States.
Children with OCD have obsessive thought patterns which cause them to have compulsive behaviors which are repetitive actions they can not control and can include excessive hand washing, counting to a precise number over and over again, or repetitively rearranging objects.
The symptoms of OCD also include ritualistic behaviors which are time consuming that interrupt their daily lives as the obsessive thoughts will not go away until these "rituals" are performed which may include excessive grooming with repeated showering, rereading over and over again or excessively erasing and rewriting things like homework assignments.
They may also display an obsession with having to walk through a doorway or hallway in a certain way and in the exact same manner every time or check things over and over again such as light switches and appliances.
If you recognize any of these symptoms in your child, consult with your child's doctor or pediatrician who can recommend you to a mental health professional who specializes in childhood anxiety disorders.
Childhood anxiety disorders can typically be overcome with "CBT" or "cognitive behavioral therapy" that teaches them the skills to change or modify their thoughts and behaviors.
In some cases of severe childhood anxiety disorder, prescription medications may be given in addition to therapy.