Kids worry…and we parents worry about our kids worrying. It’s normal for a preschooler to fear separation from his/her mother or to worry that monsters are under the bed. A school-age child might be nervous starting a new school or before a test. But when a child of eight or nine is afraid to sleep alone or if test anxiety becomes a panic attack, this could signal a problem.
The difference between normal worry and an anxiety disorder
is the severity and duration of the anxiety. While feeling nervous is a
natural and, even healthy, reaction to stressful situations, these nerves grow
into a disorder when they interfere with a child’s ability to handle everyday
situations, or prompt the child to avoid things that most children his/her age
enjoy. Nearly 15 percent of children ages 7 to 18 meet the criteria
for some form of anxiety disorder. Anxiety tends to go unrecognized
longer in children than in adults because children are unlikely to understand
the problem and ask for help. Anxious children are often quiet, compliant
and eager to please – flying under the radar of caring family and school
personnel.
Heredity plays a role. A child with an anxious parent
is seven times more likely to develop an anxiety disorder, though the type may
differ. While adults with anxiety typically experience feelings of
restlessness, irritability and trouble concentrating, anxiety in children tends
to show up in avoidance behaviors or in somatic complaints. Refusal to go
to school or the homes of family or friends, chronic headaches, difficulty
falling asleep or staying asleep, stomach problems and unusual tantrums and
clinginess may all be symptoms of anxiety in the child lacking in the language
skills necessary to express their feelings.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
and medication are typical treatments. CBT is a skill-based approach that
teaches new ways to think and act. CBT can help children examine how their
thoughts, feelings and actions are interwoven and how shifting thoughts can
help to balance feelings and actions. Parents should stay abreast of the
strategies used in therapy so that the child can be encouraged and supported in
practicing new skills. Medication options should be explored with an
experienced child Psychiatrist. Children with untreated anxiety are prone to
depression, substance abuse, and other mental-health problems.
Here are some ways to distinguish every day worries from
several types of anxiety:
· Severe anxiety is out of proportion. A
second grader might be nervous about taking a spelling test. A boy with
generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) might be so worried that he starts studying
for the test a week early and loses sleep for days.
· Severe anxiety is being overly
self-conscious. A girl might be nervous before performing in her first
recital. Someone with social anxiety disorder might have a panic attack prior
to ordering in a restaurant.
· Severe anxiety is often unwanted and
uncontrollable. A typical kindergartner might cry at school because he
misses his mother. An older boy with separation anxiety disorder might cry at
school because he can’t stop thinking that his mother will die if he is away
from her.
· Severe anxiety is unrealistic. A
girl might be afraid of burglars robbing the house. Someone with
obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) might think burglars will come unless she
touches everything in her room twice.
· Severe anxiety doesn’t go away. While
anxiety symptoms are common and even expected after a disturbing experience
such as a car accident or a flood, over time most children bounce back. Six
months later a boy with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) will still be
having nightmares.
· Severe anxiety leads to avoidance. A
girl might be nervous about going to a birthday party. A girl with a specific
phobia of clowns might refuse to go to birthday parties at all because she’s
afraid that a clown may be there.
Examples courtesy of Child-Mind Institute,
Jerome Bubrick, PhD
If you suspect that anxiety is interfering with your child’s
ability to function, talk to someone – Pediatrician, Psychologist, School
Personnel – and get a referral for help. Contact WISE Mind Solutions and we
will brainstorm with you next steps for your family! Be WISE!
Little boy image used with permission: By Tina Phillips, published on 18 May 2010 Stock photo - image ID: 10016803
Little girl image used with permission: By marin, published on 12 November 2012 Stock photo - image ID: 100112499