No one wants to think about how their children could possibly suffer from childhood anxiety. It’s not something we like to talk about, and it’s certainly not a comfortable topic of discussion. But the fact is that more than 1 in 10 kids experience anxiety and parents should be aware of what to look for so they can help ease their child’s symptoms.
So let’s get started on understanding some common manifestations of childhood anxiety—and how you may be able to help your child cope with these feelings naturally.
Did You Know Anxiety Disorders are Named to Reflect Their Specific Symptoms?
🗸 Gastrointestinal Anxiety (GA): The person with GA has persistent worried thoughts about what they might do or say in public that could cause distress, embarrassment and/or humiliation; this leads them not only worry but also excessively monitor everything around themselves as well as anticipating the worst-case scenario from every situation.
This will at the end make it seems there is no clear way out so much so it becomes exhausting for both mental state, as well as physically causing one to experience abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and weight loss as well as insomnia and increased heart rate often accompanied with high blood pressure.
🗸 Generalized anxiety disorder – GAD usually starts during adulthood although children can develop it too if exposed repeatedly to stressful situations which trigger an inappropriate response mode. This is a very common and debilitating anxiety disorder. One of the most worrying things for those with this condition, often times leading to depression as well (and not uncommonly both).
Someone with generalized anxiety may worry whatever the future holds and is always thinking of worst-case scenarios; they also experience physical symptoms such as headaches or stomachaches that can lead to missed school days due to illnesses caused by their symptoms.
🗸 Phobias are a form of anxiety that many people experience. They typically take the shape of certain fears or feelings, such as heights and animals with sharp teeth like dogs for example.
The most prominent feature in diagnosing any one specific type (such as phobia) would be identifying how often you’re afraid compared against other people who suffer from said fear/anxiety
They can also come from more generic sources such as being afraid to fly on an airplane if you have OCD because your brain will think about all sorts of things when it’s time enter into takeoff mode which triggers those negative thoughts again just before boarding while waiting at security checkpoints etc., creating what feels like never ending loops in one’s mind through repetitive rituals. This will only alleviate tensions temporarily until another situation arises requiring said response.
🗸 Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental illness in which the sufferer experiences constant anxiety caused by obsessions and compulsions. Phobias are intense fears of specific situations or things that cause people to avoid these objects without any danger present, such as heights for example.
Anxiety usually takes on this form when one has an obsessive thought like “if I don’t get rid of all my old magazines” but then they’re not aware there’s no need because everything with phobia comes dread from anticipation about what might happen if you do go through with it-distressing feelings can arise suddenly causing panic attacks.
🗸 Social phobia is a type of anxiety that makes people fear social situations and speaking to others. Selective mutism causes some kids and teens not only be too afraid to talk in certain settings, but it may also make them unable even breathe during these times. A panic attack can come out of nowhere causing intense physical symptoms like shortness breath or dizziness among many other things while agoraphobic fears often lead towards isolation from crowds due its belief there will always be an escape route if one were needed which doesn’t exist.
People with social phobia have an intense fear of being judged or embarrassed by others. They may also suffer from other disorders, such as selective mutism in which a child becomes too shy to talk at all when around certain people and panic attacks that can come out without warning for no apparent reason causing symptoms like shortness breath, palpitations (racing heartbeat), chest pain caused by overactivity within the body’s normal “fight-or -flight” response process resulting into agoraphobia where one fear of places and situations that might cause feelings of panic, entrapment, helplessness or embarrassment due their tendency toward secrecy even though there may not be one found.
🗸 Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety condition that can be caused by a traumatic or terrifying event in someone’s past. The symptoms include flashbacks, nightmares and constant fear after the fact; these are just some examples but there may also be other effects such as trouble sleeping at night because of fear-driven dreams about what happened to you during your trauma.
How Does Childhood Anxiety Effects Your Children?
Anxiety disorders are both mental and physical illnesses that affect the brain in different ways. Symptoms can be so strong at times, people feel like their lives will fall apart if they don’t get help right away.
Constant worrying about everything from school deadlines to what might happen next minute has caused many who suffer with this disease go into panic mode often leaving them feeling scared for themselves or even around others. When something small triggers an intense episode causing great distress without any prior warning signs leading up to series affecting appetite/weight gain (undergoes change), and their self esteem.
What You Can do to Help Children with Anxiety Disorder?
Anxiety disorders can be treated with talk therapy, but some people may prefer to seek out professional help. A therapist can look at the symptoms someone is dealing with and diagnose their specific type of anxiety disorder before creating a plan for them to help get relief from it all together.
Cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) in particular has been proven effective at teaching new ways people think about situations that may cause them stress as well providing support through guidance on how they should act when faced with these moments so its easier not only now but later too! Many types of CBT are used in treating anxious behaviors including breathing exercises or relaxation techniques taught by therapists during sessions- all designed around teaching coping skills so patients learn how best handle their stressors without letting them control their lives anymore.
Conclusion.
When it comes to mental health, parents are often hard-pressed for time and energy. It can be difficult enough just taking care of yourself or your spouse. But the reality is that anxiety in children is becoming more common than ever before, with an estimated 1 in 10 kids experiencing symptoms at some point during their childhoods.
If you’re concerned about whether your child might have anxiety, there are a few things you should know so you can help them feel better–and maybe even prevent future problems down the road. Leave your comments below if you want to share your tips on how anxiety affects our kids and what we can do as parents!