Anxiety Disorders in Children

Walking from the daycare center, you hear your child’s voice calling out to you and crying hysterically.  Coming back to the door, you find that you can only quell her crying when you are in her presence.  Your child is experiencing an anxiety disorder, specifically, separation anxiety disorder.

Children are as susceptible to an anxiety disorder as any adult.  We often thing that anxiety is something that comes with significant amounts of responsibility and relationships, but the truth is, children and teens also experience anxiety.  It begins with school, when a child is forced to interact with peers, follow a strict schedule, and learn new things.  An anxiety disorder can appear at any time, from any stressor or extreme fit of anxiety.

Each different age group tends to have typical disorders.  Younger children mad experience separation anxiety and phobias, while older children may suffer from generalized anxiety disorder or social anxiety disorder (both of which can lead to depression).  If these anxiety disorders are not treated properly, the child is more likely to perform poorly in school, have less social skills, and be more vulnerable to substance abuse.

Here are 4 common anxiety disorders found in children:

1.  Separation Anxiety Disorder

A child, usually between the ages of 1-3, may experience anxiety when they are separated from their parent.  This can cause a distraction in their schooling or daycare activities, as they are often left crying uncontrollably from being separate from their parents.  Children can be fearful of their health and well being when they are away from their parents, because they have not known anything but the care and love of their parents.

Common symptoms of separation anxiety disorder include avoiding being alone, refusal to go to school, or demanding accompaniment to bed.

2.  Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Usually occurring in children between the ages of 6 and 11, generalized anxiety disorder, or GAD, is characterized by extreme worry or anxiety over many things.  Common anxieties that children experience include pressure to maintain grades, performance in sports, family issues, and health.  These children often experience restlessness, insomnia, irritability, and inability to concentrate.

3.  Specific Phobias

Children often experience phobias of specific objects or situations.  A phobia is an intense, irrational fear associated with an object or situation.  Children are considered to have a phobia if the fear persists for 6 months.  Some common phobias among children include dogs, weather, blood, heights, darkness, and medical procedures (such as shots).  Common symptoms include crying, clinging, headache, tantrums, and stomachache.

4.  Social Anxiety Disorder

Also known as social phobia, this anxiety disorder is characterized by an intense anxiety associated with social situations.  Many children are shy, but if the child constantly avoids social activities such as speaking in class, going to parties, or initiating conversations.   Common symptoms of social anxiety disorder include hesitance in the spotlight, avoidance of conversations, avoiding eye contact, speaking softly, or sitting alone.  Social phobia is often misdiagnosed, as many children are naturally shy and have a soft demeanor.

anxiety in your child

Anxiety comes in all forms.  Whether you are struggling to finish an essay for school or experiencing stress from a sickness, anxiety can attack from all different aspects of life.  In fact, anybody who has experienced anxiety (and that is everyone) has experience the affect that it can have on a life.

Anxiety also affects people of all ages.  For example, a mother may experience stress from her leaving her child at a day care center.  Conversely, the child may experience separation anxiety, a form of anxiety associated with being apart from a place or person.

The stress of a mother dealing with separation anxiety in her child can be overwhelming.  While she is trying to live her daily life, seeing the crying face of her child can indeed induce stress.  The guilt and stress associated with separation anxiety in her child can impair her ability to function as a member of society.  Now say that you are that mother.  What can you do to combat separation anxiety in your child?

Separation anxiety in a child can be very common, usually occurring at any age in child development.  A baby may cry incessantly in the absence of her mom and her breast milk.  A young child may cry out when left at the mercy of a babysitter on a Saturday night.  This can be an extremely draining problem for mothers, causing unnecessary stress.

So how can you fight separation anxiety and rid your life of the stress associated with it?  The rest of this article gives you a few tips to do so:

- Develop traditions to ease your child into expecting separation.  Establishing a ritual on a daily basis helps the child transition from constant attention to separation.  You may be able to find a tradition that works for you and your child.  Be sure to stress the tradition in your child, whether it is a special goodbye wave or a behavioral ritual such as a hug and a kiss on the forehead.

- Always be as positive as you can, despite the separation anxiety you may be feeling by saying bye to your children.  A child can easily read your mood, so smile and speak positively so that your child can run off and play happily instead of crying.  Set a positive example for your child, even if you are sad.

- Don’t linger!  When separating from your child, make sure that your goodbye is quick and swift.  When you leave, don’t show your face to your child, as it will only make the separation harder.  Keep the separation to the best of your ability!

- A decision that you will have to make is whether or not to distract your child and sneak out.  Leaving while they are sleeping or distracted can lower the chance of a crying fit, but may add additional stress to you.

- Recognize triggers that cause anxiousness.  For example, if your child always has trouble separating during rainy days, it may benefit you to stress extra care on that day