Photo: anxiety.net
Anxiety in children is a real problem and one that often goes unnoticed. As a parent, it's your instinct to do anything and everything in your power to make sure your child is safe and comfortable. It's not an easy task, even when the dangers to your child are visible. What about dangers that you can't see? What if your child is suffering inside and you can't see it or don't know it's happening? Scary, isn't it?
Just the thought of my child suffering while I'm unaware and helpless to do anything about it sends a shiver down my spine and incites a feeling of extreme dread inside me. As parents, we're always on the lookout for things that can harm our child, but we often overlook what's going on inside our child's body. Sure, it's easy to see if our child is sniffling, shivering, or sneezing, but it's not so easy to see if they are scared, emotionally troubled, or even afraid to be around others.
Anxiety disorders are affecting children at an alarming rate. Most experts believe that can be attributed to the stresses of modern society, but moreso it's always been there and is just now being recognized. Advances in modern psychology have alerted doctors to the fact that children can suffer from severe anxiety, and when it happens, it's much more frightening than it is for adults.
So how can you tell if your child is suffering from Childhood Anxiety Disorder?
The symptoms are often not easily recognized. However, a pattern of chronic behavior will develop, and it will include the following:
1. Acting out or refusing to get ready for school.
2. Withdrawing from playmates and avoiding interaction with other children.
3. Tantrums or excessive crying when faced with separation from one or more parents, even for a short while.
4. Difficulty sleeping and fear of going to bed to the point that nausea, vomiting, or tantrums occur.
5. Trembling, sweating, and complaining of dizziness.
6. Loss of appetite and refusal to eat and drink.
7. Lethargy and sluggishness. Unwillingness to participate in physical activity.
8. Sudden outbursts of anger and feelings of extreme frustration to the point of violence.
If you notice these behaviors on a continuous basis, it's a good sign that your child is experiencing severe anxiety and needs help right away. It's important to understand what may have triggered this extreme anxiety in your child.
Keeping the child away from these types of triggers in the future is very important so the anxiety will not recur. Some of the most common events that can trigger anxiety in children are:
1. A death in the family or separation from one or both parents.
2. Traumatic events or witnessing of violent acts.
3. Exposure to stress in the home due to parents arguing, financial difficulty, and other family problems.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is another type of anxiety disorder that develops in children. Usually not seen until at least age 10, it is thought that this disease is caused by psychodynamic, learning theories, and/or neuro-biological problems.
The reason why I've mentioned OCD is because although it isn't usually seen until age 10, the onset of it can be a cause of other symptoms of anxiety in your child, so it's always a good idea to be aware of this.
The bottom line is that if you are attentive to your child and have knowledge of anxiety and it's symptoms, you should be able to help your child before they endure any pain and suffering. Remember, if your child does develop anxiety, it most likely was not your fault, and you should concentrate all of your energy on helping them get better.
If you fear that your child may be suffering from severe anxiety, you should seek help immediately.
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