Some children, just like adults, can suffer from intense anxiety-- to the point that it hinders them from fully living their lives. While some stress and anxiety is normal for all people, anxiety disorders occur when kids can't seem to function or control their stress levels. Are you wondering if you child might be suffering from anxiety problems? Learning about the symptoms and types will let you know if you should be seeking therapy for your child.
Anxiety and stress show themselves differently in different people. Your child can be susceptible any of the following manifestations:
1. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
PTSD is commonly associated with veterans returning from the war, but it can actually affect anyone after a traumatic experience. For example, children may struggle with post traumatic stress disorder after the death of a parent, suffering from abuse, a bad bullying episode, or even a bad car accident. Symptoms of this disorder include:
- fear that is localized to a specific event. Your child may not tell you the root of their anxiety (they may not know themselves), but their anxiety will generally be focused to a specific thing. For example, if they were in a car accident, they may show anxiety when you are driving,\ or when getting into a vehicle.
- nightmares. Kids often relive traumatic events as flashbacks and will suffer sleep disturbances because of it.
- paranoia. Children may show aversions to being with specific people or worry that the same bad thing will happen to them again, making them extra careful in developing protective habits.
2. Generalized Anxiety Disorder
When stress is not triggered by a certain event or problem, and your child seems to worry about everything, general anxiety is most likely the culprit. Symptoms of this condition include:
- excessive worry about regular life events, like going to school, riding the bus, taking a test, or going to the doctor.
- anxiety over the health and safety of family members and friends when everyone is healthy
- imagining hypothetical scenarios where people get hurt or bad things happen, and allowing those to influence decisions about the future
- stomach aches, headaches, and other physical manifestations that are associated with dread.
3. Social Anxiety Or Phobia
Children can struggle with social anxiety, where the stress is localized to being in large groups of people or speaking out loud in a group. This disorder goes beyond shyness or introversion. You should not worry if your child is quiet. You, however, should be concerned if your child refuses to speak in public (mutism) and if they suffer from symptoms of stress when meeting new people, like worrying that they always say the wrong thing and that everyone is thinking that he or she is stupid.
4. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Children with OCD struggle with anxiety when they are not able to follow through on certain compulsions. These are different with each individual, but if your child must do something over and over again to try make themselves worry less, this is a sign that they are struggling with obsessive compulsive disorder. Common compulsions include washing hands, rechecking things over and over, or hiding certain colors from view.
As you can see, anxiety is found in many different forms, and all of the them can be harmful to your child's development. If you notice some of the above behaviors, it's important to seek therapy for from a licensed counselor at a place like Living Hope Clinic so that your child can begin to tackle some of the root causes of anxiety. For some children, this will mean facing the reality of a traumatic event; for others, it will mean practicing the things that cause anxiety, like speaking in front of others. Either way, your child will have the chance to really be a child again.