Anxiety Disorders in Children
No matter how much we would like to protect the innocence of children and prevent anything from interfering with their lives, it is not always possible. Children can be afflicted with certain kinds of anxiety disorders that are also seen in adults. A generalized panic disorder might be seen in children in so many ways. They might worry too much about everyday events like school or things at home. They have the tendency to be extremely hard on themselves and aim for perfection. They might redo tasks in an effort to get them to come out perfectly. They might also look for constant approval and reassurance from others.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is another type of anxiety disorder that might be seen in children. OCD is intrusive or unwanted thoughts or obsessions that would seem very hard to be removed from a person’s head. They also might manifest strong urges to repeatedly perform ritualistic behaviors and routines to try to ease their anxieties. The peak age of children that may have OCD is ten but as early as two or three years old, some children may show signs of it. Example of this anxiety disorder might in the form of children giving in through excessive hand washing, the feeling of terror that they will accidentally do something wrong, rechecking or counting items excessively to ward off unwelcome thoughts, etc.
A panic disorder is another anxiety disorder that can be seen in children. A panic disorder can be diagnosed in children who suffer from at least two unexpected panic attacks followed by at least one month of concern over having another attack. Typically it is absent in young children but it can be diagnosed in adolescents.
Children can also show an anxiety disorder though specific phobias; irrational fears towards specific objects, places or situations. Although childhood fears like being fearful of animals, storms or the dark can go away on their own, if a fear remains within the child for at least six months and interferes with their daily activities, the child is said to have a phobia. Symptoms might include suffering from a stomach ache or headache, a tantrum, becoming clingy, or unable to move in place when confronted with the fear.
Children who are exposed to an extreme stressor like a sudden death of a father or mother, a natural disaster, an accident or a physical assault, or children who witness a traumatic event might suffer from post traumatic stress disorder which is another type of anxiety disorder. These children might display symptoms that they would not eat or slee, or they may experience emotional numbing, reliving the event through nightmares or through playing, or fear that the event might happen again.
Although these types of anxiety disorders can be both found in adults as well as in children, the physical and emotional signs may vary different. For one, children do not have an understanding that their fears are irrational plus, they might not be able to say out loud their feelings either. Children might display symptoms such as crying, throwing tantrums or becoming extremely clingy. Children how are suspected of having an anxiety disorder should be brought to their regular pediatrician.
