An Overview of Anxiety in Children

Often, we overlook the reality of anxiety in children. The truth of the matter is that kids are just as susceptible to the problems of anxiety disorders as any adult. Here are a few basic facts about anxiety in children, and how you can recognize the symptoms.

Perhaps the most common type of anxiety experienced by older children is separation anxiety disorder. This is not to be confused with the normal separation anxiety that a child may experience when beginning school. In this instance, an older child has an unusually difficult time leaving the physical presence of a parent or other primary caregiver. There is a sense that if the child leaves the authority figure for any period of time, some cataclysmic event will occur and the loved one will be taken away forever. The child will exhibit horror at the idea of leaving the loved one behind, even to go to sleep.

Social phobia is another common form of anxiety in children. This anxiety is characterized by an aversion to being involved in any type of social interaction, out of fear of embarrassing oneself and having to endure the derision of their peers. While most children do exhibit some mild cases of shyness or hesitation to engage in some social activities, the child who is dealing with social phobia will find any excuse to get around having to even carry on a conversation with another child. The anxiety often manifests itself with such physical expressions as sweating, blushing, tension and the strong desire to run to a safe place, such as a bedroom.

Generalized anxiety disorder is also something that can occur in children. A child may build all his or her sense of self worth around one ability or talent, then find themselves paralyzed by a fear that the talent will suddenly be taken away from him or her. This sense of being leveled to nothingness will act to destroy any vestiges of confidence the child may have in other matters, such as social interaction, school, sports, or any other activity.

Treatment for anxiety in children is available. Qualified child psychologists can help the young person get to the root cause of the anxiety, and slowly help the child overcome the situation. This may require a great deal of patience in the adults who are around the child, as children do not often have the range of vocabulary or experience that an adult can call upon to express their feelings. However, these and other childhood anxieties can be successfully treated, allowing the child to once again enjoy social situations.