Things that happen in a child's life can be stressful and difficult to cope with. Loss, serious illness, death of a loved one, violence, or abuse can lead some kids to become anxious. Learned behaviors. Growing up in a family where others are fearful or anxious also can "teach" a child to be afraid too.
Anxiety may present as fear or worry, but can also make children irritable and angry. Anxiety symptoms can also include trouble sleeping, as well as physical symptoms like fatigue, headaches, or stomachaches. Some anxious children keep their worries to themselves and, thus, the symptoms can be missed.
Talking therapies, such as counseling and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), are popular and effective treatment options for anxiety in children. As part of CBT, a mental health professional can teach a child about anxiety and how it affects the body.
If a child becomes overly nervous and cannot find ways to cope or calm down before a stressful event, that may be a sign that they need to speak to a doctor. If you suspect your child is affected, keep a close eye and monitor their behavior.
"There's this idea that kids will outgrow these problems [related to anxiety], but the evidence doesn't support that." Without treatment, childhood anxiety is likely to persist, negatively affecting a child's social and family functioning and overall quality of life.
While there are symptoms that overlap, it's important to note that anxious children display more perfectionist behaviors and worry about socializing with others, while ADHD kids struggle with impulse control and organization.
A 2014 study in The Journal of Child Development demonstrated that yelling produces results similar to physical punishment in children: increased levels of anxiety, stress and depression along with an increase in behavioral problems.
Causes of Anxiety
The peak ages for anxiety are typically between the ages of 5-7 years old and adolescence. However, everyone is different, and your anxiety can peak at various times, depending on what triggers it initially.
Separation anxiety is the most common anxiety disorder in children younger than 12.
People with social anxiety have an intense fear of social situations, often fearing others' judgment. People with autism often have difficulty reading social cues. Interventions can include social skills training, occupational therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy.
Some anxiety disorders – including generalized anxiety disorder -- can be hard to spot in children because symptoms include internal thoughts and feelings that don't always result in outward behavior. Some symptoms of anxiety – such as restlessness and poor concentration – can also be misdiagnosed as ADHD.
On the surface, ADHD and anxiety can look similar. It's not uncommon for people with anxiety to be misdiagnosed with ADHD, or vice versa. Take trouble with paying attention, for example. Both anxiety and ADHD can cause people to tune out and get caught up in their emotions — just for different reasons.
Overcontrolling parents may increase levels of worry and social anxiety in children as this parental behavior may communicate to youths that they do not have the skills to successfully navigate challenges in their environment, generally or in social situations, thereby causing the child to worry about his/her abilities ...
Anxiety disorders are the most common of mental disorders and affect nearly 30% of adults at some point in their lives. But anxiety disorders are treatable and a number of effective treatments are available.
Everyone, including children, has bouts of anxiety once in a while. But when constant fears and anxieties disrupt your child's day-to-day life, that's a cause for concern. Kids of all ages experience fears and worry.
For the majority of people with undiagnosed or untreated anxiety disorder, there are many negative consequences, for both the individual and society. These include disability, reduced ability to work leading to loss of productivity, and a high risk of suicide.
It can make them behave badly or get physically sick. Children react to angry, stressed parents by not being able to concentrate, finding it hard to play with other children, becoming quiet and fearful or rude and aggressive, or developing sleeping problems.
Kids need some way to figure out how to filter for the important things! Often, yelling becomes an easy way to distinguish between a real command and a choice. The other reason yelling is "effective" is because we don't follow up commands to ensure kids follow through.