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Anxiety Disorders In Children

Children are at risk from the same types of anxiety adults suffer from.  It can be triggered by a stressful event such as moving to a new area, starting school, or an accident or death in the family.  But it can also begin by simply being inherited from a family member.

Anxiety disorders in children are often misdiagnosed, overlooked, or dismissed simply as a behavioral 'phase' of growing up.  In fact, many experts now believe that adult psychological disorders are often rooted in childhood.

Arguably today's kids are more at risk than ever to develop anxiety disorder because of all the pressure to keep up with their peers in a technological-driven society.  Lets face it, we live in a more complicated world now.  Cell phones, emails, texting, and social interfaces on the computer all add to the complexity of growing up today.  Add to that more exposure to adult-themed news reports and its simple to see why todays kids have a little more on their minds than children in the past did.

If left untreated, anxiety disorders in children can lead to:

Anxiety In Gifted Children:

Gifted children do not struggle with anxiety more than other children, but their perfectionism, drive, intensity, and early understanding of adult issues may arouse uncommon fears in them.

Challenge itself can provoke anxiety. If children lack tools for managing stress, they may avoid challenging themselves and thus compromise what they can achieve.

In my own research I've noticed that a common characteristic of adult anxiety is 'perfectionism' which is the belief that work or output that is anything less than perfect is unacceptable.  

Perhaps this is a characteristic many gifted children eventually possess. 

   

Frequency Of Anxiety In Children:

A newly released study (Oct. 2008) from the National Institute Of Mental Health shows that one in five children in the United States suffers from an anxiety disorder.

About half of all children with anxiety disorder suffer from at least two forms of anxiety

Types of Anxiety In Children:

1) Social Anxiety Disorder (also called Social Phobia) - This can occur in kids from grade school age through teenage years.  It involves a fear of interacting with other kids and is often dismissed as being shy.  Children affected avoid social situations or speaking up in class.   

2) Generalized Anxiety Disorder - Affects kids up to teenage years and involves anxiety and fear about everyday life situations.  Typically, these children are tense, self conscious, and have a strong desire for reassurance. 

3) Separation Anxiety - Common in pre-teen children who may fear leaving their parent's side to go to school, or a friend's house, or be alone.  They often have trouble sleeping and tend to 'cling' to their parents.

4) Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (or OCD) - Children suffering from OCD become trapped in a pattern of repetitive thoughts and behaviors.  This pattern becomes so habitual that it becomes difficult to stop.  Compulsive behaviors such as repeated hand washing, counting, or rearranging objects are common examples.  

5) Test Anxiety - This is a form of 'performance anxiety' similar to somebody getting nervous to give a speech to a crowd.  Test anxiety can begin long before a test when it becomes difficult to focus on the material.  On test day the physical symptoms can include nausea, sweating, racing heart, and lightheadedness.  Sometimes a complete mental block can result.

6) Panic Disorder - Repeated panic attacks in children and teens are a sign of panic disorder.  Panic attacks are periods of intense fear and discomforting physical symptoms. Panic attacks are especially frightening for children who will go to great lengths to avoid them - such as feigning an illness to not have to go to school.

Although children experience the symptoms of anxiety in much the same way as adults do, they display and react to symptoms differently.  This can lead to difficulties in diagnosis, and it may be difficult to determine if a child's behavior is "just a phase" or whether it
constitutes a disorder.

Child Anxiety Treatment:

Children with anxiety disorders can be treated with therapy and medications.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), is a specific type of therapy that can teach children about anxiety and help them face and master their fears by guiding them through structured tasks.

As far as medication, if you're worried about your child taking an antidepressant drug to treat anxiety Panicyl™ is a safe alternative that works effectively in most child anxiety cases. 

It is a drug-free natural formula that is non-addictive and safe.  Side effects are rare and it will not make your child drowsy or irritable.

To try Panicyl risk-free to make sure it is right for your child please:  

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