Anxiety in children has been on the rise in the past few decades. Every year, we see more children affected with symptoms ranging from trouble sleeping to difficulty focusing on schoolwork and worrying too much.
What Do We Mean by Anxiety in Children?
For parents, it can be a challenge knowing whether their child’s behaviour is something to worry about or something typical for a child at that age. Anxiety is now considered the “leading mental health issue among Canadian children” according to a report published by the Public Health Agency of Canada.
Symptoms of Anxiety
Anxiety may present in children in different ways. Some children may develop a stomach ache, feel butterflies in their stomach or other sensations of anxiety in the morning when they think about their day at school. Their anxiety may respond to different reasons such as social anxiety i.e. “They will think I am boring/unlikeable”, “Nobody will want to play with me”, etc. There’s academic performance anxiety, like “What if I am asked to respond a question in class and I don’t know the answer?”. Some children may pick at their skin, bite their nails, or pull their hair when they feel anxious. A normally talkative child may seem pre-occupied and become withdrawn.
There are different types of anxiety disorders. For example, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in children can involve the need to keep things in a certain order or do things in a specific way, like repeatedly washing hands many times a day, taking very long showers, washing clothes and towels immediately after use, avoiding places that look dirty to them, walking in a certain way. There are different rituals and compulsive actions that children do to avoid the fear of not taking those actions and calm down the urge.
What is Separation Anxiety?
Some children feel terrified when their parents leave home or drop them off at school and worry about what can happen to them. “What if they get into an accident and don’t come back home?”, “What if they forget to pick me up?”, “What if they die?” They suffer deeply while they wait for the parent to come back home or pick them up from school and each time they have to separate. If your child gets very anxious and stressed in these situations on a regular basis, they may be suffering from separation anxiety but only a psychologist or qualified professional can make a proper diagnosis.
Some children worry about a variety of different things, such as their friends, their health, their family, self- image, etc. When too much worrying impacts on a child’s ability to be present and enjoy their usual activities or their relationship with others, this should be a warning sign.
The anxiety can also be tied to specific and intense fears. These fears can be of spiders (arachnophobia), heights, injections, and other objects or situations. When this fear is preventing a child from participating in their everyday activities or situations, they may be experiencing a phobia, which is another anxiety disorder. Phobias are generally easy to treat, using a focused and short-term psychological treatment.
What to Do if your Child is Suffering from Anxiety
When an infant cries, their parent knows that it’s likely because they are either hungry, tired, sick, or another simpler-to-identify cause. As a child grows up, the cause of their worries, sleeplessness, or upset is more difficult for parents to pinpoint. As a child reaches elementary school age, a parent may find their child clinging to them, tense or withdrawn. Instead of being relaxed and able to play with other children, a child may appear irritable or look unhappy.
As a parent, if you are concerned about whether something is a normal reaction or an anxiety disorder, it is recommended to consult a psychologist. If your child is actually in need of professional help, the psychologist will help the child understand what happens in their body when they become anxious, become aware of their thoughts and behaviours, and teach them how to challenge their worries and apply strategies to better cope and feel comfortable again. The earlier a child gets help, the faster they can regain their sense of wellbeing.
No child should go through life feeling stressed, worried, and anxious without access to help. Achieve relief by connecting to a child psychologist with a specialized understanding of how to help. Let’s schedule a time for a psychological assessment and if necessary, get the appropriate treatment plan based on each child’s need.
CBT Psychology For Personal Development has well-experienced psychologists.
If your child suffers from anxiety we can help! Contact us today to book an appointment.
