Unfortunately, kids suffer from anxiety just like we do. And, if you suffer from anxiety it increases the chances that your kids will too. It's just a fact of life. So if you suffer from anxiety you may want to keep an eye out for possible symptoms of anxiety in your kids too. You will find that the child with anxiety disorder is just as likely to respond to treatment as adults are. Also, children have an advantage because if you catch their anxiety early and take an early intervention to try to help them, you will find that like learning a language, it is a lot more effective when you are young. This is because the child mind is not yet fully formed, so the changes that you instill in them at an early age can really have positive effects later on. So, what are the types of anxieties that the child with anxiety disorder is likely to have and when is he or she likely to get them? Here's a quick overview.
Separation Anxiety
If your children have started kindergarten, you've probably already run across a bit of this. Most children experience a bit of separation anxiety when they are first dropped off at school. The child with separation anxiety disorder, however, experiences a much stronger and longer lasting version of this. This is the child that kicks and screams and demands that mommy not leave them. This is the child that continues to have these same reactions days and weeks longer than the other children. Typically the child with anxiety disorder who suffers from separation anxiety is afraid that mommy will not ever return. Adopted children and those that have experienced some form of abandonment are much more prone to this condition for obvious reasons. Often the child will attach to one of the caregivers at the school or daycare and demand the same sort of attention that s/he would from a parent. A similar condition can occur in older children, but it is typical of very young children.
Phobias
The slightly older child with anxiety disorder will experience irrational phobias centering around snakes, spiders, the dark, bugs etc. As the child begins to develop their imagination, those that are prone to anxiety will begin to fill the world with threatening monsters and animals. Children who suffer from this condition will typically fear a specific creature and often have trouble sleeping because they fear that spider or monster will be hiding in the dark to get them. Often just the mention of the creature is enough to set their anxieties going, even if the child has never seen the creature in real life.
Social Anxiety Disorder
The child with anxiety disorder will typically suffer social anxiety disorder in the teen years. This condition is characterized by an intense fear or discomfort with social situations. The teen will typically have difficulty interacting with his or her peers, will fear unstructured social situations and will have great difficulty communicating with other kids. Often these kids will mumble, avoid eye contact and withdraw when approached by other kids. They will be hyper conscious of how they are perceived and be terrified of any form of attention.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Kids of all ages can suffer from anxiety disorder. Kids with this kind of anxiety tend to be chronic worriers. They will typically have trouble sleeping, get more stomach and head aches and be more irritable than other kids. But it all comes back to worries about their safety. So, any bit of information that suggests that they or you might be in danger-being from terrorists, earthquakes, swine flu or spiders-will provoke an exaggerated response and literally hours of questioning. In the young child with anxiety disorder these worries will typically focus on specific anxiety's ("What happens if a burglar breaks into our house?") and they will tend to report physical symptoms ("My stomach hurts, mommy.") For teenagers with anxiety disorder, these worries will typically be more general and more complicated ("What if global warming makes it impossible for me to have a happy family?") and they will tend to report emotional symptoms ("I'm really nervous about my test on Friday.")
PTSD and Panic Attacks
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Panic Attacks are not typical of a specific age. If a child with anxiety disorder has PTSD it is because they have been through some sort of life threatening situation like a car crash, abuse or perhaps even a war (this is common in children adopted from war zones). Panic attacks may be part of another condition but are less common in young children. Panic attacks typically begin in older teen and college age kids though there are exceptions. Regardless of which of these conditions your child displays, it is a good idea to become informed about it so that you can help them develop coping mechanisms early. The child with anxiety disorder is particularly open to forms of treatment and by having a coping method instilled early is even more likely than an adult to find relief from their symptoms.
Tom Tait is focused on helping those with panic attacks. Here is more information on Anxiety Disorder Children. There is even more information about Panic Attacks on the website Panic Attacks.
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