Anxiety Disorders in Children

It is perhaps surprising and somewhat disturbing to discover that children can suffer a range of anxiety disorders like adults. We normally think of childhood as being a carefree time, the one time in a child's life when they don't have the concerns of earning a living or taking on the responsibilities of property ownership.

If we think about it a little more however, we may come to realise that a child growing up has to meet and overcome a number of challenges before he or she even gets to school leaving age. A young child has to come to terms with being separated from its mother, it has to learn about potty training, and how to interact socially with other children, within the first few years of life.

Once primary school age is reached there begins the challenge of education and the need to pass exams, to achieve at sport perhaps and to be popular amongst peers. A certain amount of anxiety along the way is normal. We can expect a child to worry even at a fairly early age if they have an exam coming up or are to perform in the school play. An anxiety disorder is said to occur when a child is worrying beyond the norm and hence shows some signs of distress or fails to function in a normal manner.

Children can exhibit a range of symptoms associated with excessive anxiety, such as inability to sleep or eat properly, bed wetting, irritability, lack of concentration, headaches, stomach pains or nausea, or just an unwillingness to go to school. These are all symptoms that something is wrong in the child's life and it is not always easy to know exactly what the cause is.

In an attempt to help and treat anxiety in children it is classified into several different types: Generalised anxiety disorder, panic disorder, separation disorder, social disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. Sometimes there may be an overlap, as for example when a child suffers general anxiety plus panic attacks, or general anxiety with a particular fear of social activity.

Generalised Anxiety

This is similar to that which an adult might experience in that the child worries excessively across the board and is depressed often and irritable. A child with excessive anxiety may not sleep well or perform well at school which unfortunately tends to exacerbate the problem. There might be one specific reason such as being bullied at school, but if none can be found the help of a professional is advised.

Panic Disorder

This is characterised by repeated short bursts of intense anxiety and fear. The attacks usually only last a few minutes or up to half an hour but can occur quite frequently and are very distressing. The feelings of fear are so strong that they cause actual physical symptoms such as a pounding heart, shortness of breath or vomiting. Sometimes children can overcome these themselves with careful parental support but sometimes they can lead to withdrawal and not wanting to go out much. If this happens or your child is depressed over a period of time, you should see your doctor.

Separation disorder

Separation from its mother can be slightly traumatic for a child the first time but usually if its only for a short time they cope well and soon get used to it.. However when a child goes to school and is away from mum all day, he or she may exhibit signs of undue anxiety. This may result in a clinging behaviour, stomach or headaches, or nightmares. With continued reassurance and support the child may well in time, overcome these fears.

Social Disorder

Social disorder usually becomes apparent during the teens when most youngsters are keen to mix with their peers. A teenager with a social phobia will shun these activities and be generally unwilling or too embarrassed to join in. Social phobia need not necessarily interfere with school work but does undermine the normal building up of social skills.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

A child with OCD tends to have obsessive thoughts which they can't get out of its head. In an attempt to distract from these, often unpleasant thoughts, a child will set itself the task of performing a ritual in connection with some normal activity, where every step has to done in a certain order or certain way. Often this means that an excessive amount of time is spent on normal routines which wastes time and makes the child preoccupied with trivial things.

Post-traumatic stress disorder

A traumatic event can be especially damaging for a child and cause an emotional upset that can last a long time and be difficult to overcome. The symptoms are those of a generalised anxiety, with sometimes nightmares, sleep problems, loss of appetite and a constant anxious state of mind. Professional help may well be necessary to help a child overcome these anxieties.