How To Recognize Anxiety Symptoms In Children
There are many people out there that think that anxiety problems are only found in adults over the age of 20, but this is untrue. Children experience all types of different anxiety problems and, just like in adults, if the anxiety is left untreated it can develop into permanent problems such as depression or panic disorders. So how do you recognize anxiety symptoms in children, especially if you are worried that one of your children might be suffering from some sort of anxiety? Believe it or not, but all of the signs may already be there but your child may be expressing them in a different way that you may not categorize as anxiety symptoms in children. Keep in mind that children are all different, and they will exhibit anxiety symptoms differently. And, the younger the child, the harder it can be for them to express their anxiety and the harder it can be for an adult to recognize.
There are several anxiety symptoms in children that you can watch for in your own child, which normally occur when it is time to go somewhere or deal with something that the child feels is stressful or is afraid of, such as:
- Stomach problems that include diarrhea and nausea
- Rapid heartbeat
- Dizziness
- Shortness of breath
- Difficulty breathing
- Muscle tension
- Headaches
- Hyperactivity
- Sleeping problems, such as difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
- Selective mutism
- Avoidance of situations, people, or objects
- Temper tantrums
Normally, anxiety symptoms in children can mimic other problems and many parents will take their children to the doctor instead and worry about the physical symptoms. While it is a good idea to ensure that there are no larger physical problems with your child, there are some other anxiety symptoms in children that you can easily watch for to help determine if the problem is purely physical or if there might be some underlying anxiety problems. Some of these other anxiety symptoms in children include: scary thoughts that do not go away, severe fear to a person, place or thing, avoidance of a place, event or person, and overly worrying about situations or things that are out of their control.
Keep in mind that both children and teens can easily suffer from anxiety problems, just like an adult can. There are several events in a child’s life that can trigger anxiety, and how the child learns to deal with them can help to determine how well they will deal with stressful events as they get older. Some of these stressful events in a child’s life include: moving, starting school, loss of a parent or pet, loss of a family member, sudden separation of a family member, or divorce.
If you learn the anxiety symptoms in children and learn which your child exhibits, you can easily learn to help them deal with their anxiety and keep it from becoming something that will affect their adult lives. If you suspect that your child is suffering from anxiety problems, make sure that you do seek the appropriate treatment to get the help that they need.
