Anxiety Disorders in Children
Most people would not expect children to suffer from anxiety disorder. Stress and anxiety are symptoms that one would commonly associate with adults. But in actual truth, anxiety disorders in children and teenagers are quite prevalent. Most children will experience fear or anxiety during their life-time. Events such taking a test, starting a new school or losing a parent can trigger a case of anxiety disorder. But there are also other triggers for panic attacks. By taking into account the wide range of stressors that can be present while growing up, it is vital that our children have the appropriate knowledge and skills for dealing with anxiety and other difficult emotions.
Research has indicated that if this disorder is left untreated, children have a higher risk of performing badly at school, being more vulnerable to substance abuse and having less developed social skills. As much as we would like to, it is not always possible to protect the innocence of children and prevent anything from interfering with their lives. Children can be afflicted with certain types of anxiety disorders that can be also seen in adults. They might worry excessively about everyday occurrences like school or situations at home. They might also have the tendency to beat themselves up for their failures and constantly strive for perfection. They may hunt for constant approval and reassurance from others.
There are different types of disorders that occur in different stages of growth. Some of these disorders are:
- Six to nine year olds – specific phobias and separation anxiety disorder
- Mid childhood to adolescence – generalized anxiety disorder and social anxiety disorder
- Adolescence and beyond – panic disorder and depression
Another type of anxiety disorder that might be seen in children is obsessive-compulsive disorder. OCD is characterized by intrusive or unwanted thoughts, repetitive actions aimed at reducing stress or obsessive behavior. It is said that although the common age a child might be diagnosed with OCD is ten, it can also be seen in children as young as two or three. Some of the traits seen in children with this disorder is excessive hand washing, excessively rechecking or counting items, the feeling of terror that they will accidentally do something wrong etc.
As mentioned above, children can also exhibit an anxiety disorder though specific phobias such as irrational fears towards specific objects, places or situations. Childhood fears like being fearful of storms, the dark or certain types of animals can go away on their own, but it is said to become a phobia if a fear continues for at least six months and interferes with daily activities. Some of the symptoms that might be apparent are headaches, tantrum, stomach aches, clinginess, or being extremely cold when scared.
Anxiety disorders, like the ones mentioned above, can affect both adults and children, and the emotional and physical signs might be very different. For example, children may feel that the fears they possess are very real and of great concern, and they may not always be able to verbalize these feelings. Instead they might behave by throwing tantrums, being clingy or even crying. If you think that your child is suffering from an anxiety disorder you should consider visiting your regular pediatrician.
