Anxiety disorders in children can have a dramatic effect on the health of your young child. The constant worry and fear can cause significant emotional problems that can manifest themselves physically. The physical effects of anxiety disorders in children include sleeping problems, stomach upset, headaches and stomach pain. This is because anxiety triggers the same responses in our bodies as it does in adults increased heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature. These bodily responses can then cause the body to be exhausted both during the day and at night. This is why anxious children often feel exhausted all the time.
It’s important to identify the symptoms of an anxiety disorder in children so that you can get help for your child. The symptoms typically involve trouble breathing, a racing heartbeat, dizziness, or an upset stomach. You may also notice that your child gets very irritable or talkative-he/she might snap at other kids for no apparent reason and get angry outbursts whenever they do something wrong. If you notice any of these things in your child, you need to get help for your child.
Children who suffer from anxiety disorders also worry excessively about everyday events. They worry about what the school will do, who will get their next car, or what they are going to eat for lunch. These worries and concerns are usually exaggerated but cause significant mental health and emotional issues. The more a child worries and obsesses about everyday events, the more the child feels anxious about those events. Anxiety disorders in children might even cause them to develop depression later on in life.
When dealing with anxiety disorders in children, parents need to take an active role. For example, if a child worries that his/her seat won’t be comfortable in a car, then the parent should encourage the child to go shopping for a new one. This will teach the child that things are more comfortable when they can move around. It will also teach them that their bodies are their own and they don’t have to rely on anyone else. Of course, encouraging the kid to move on with their worries is easier said than done. Some kids just don’t want to go anywhere without their parents so encouraging them to get over their worries requires some difficult work.
Other ways to help a child deal with anxiety are changing his/her environment and increasing his/her social skills in a new area or even starting school in a new area. Children feel a lot more secure when they are in a new environment and going to school in a new area can help them feel relaxed. The child should also learn to distract himself from his worries by doing his homework or talking to his friends. This will allow him/her time to think about his worries without dwelling on them. This may sound too simple but it really works because the child starts to look forward to anxiety-free days instead of feeling anxious and fearful about starting school.
Getting professional help for anxiety disorders in children is definitely a good option. You have to make sure though that you seek help from professionals who are fully trained in dealing with this kind of disorder. Professional help must come from a qualified and experienced therapist. There are many psychotherapy and counseling centers around the country that are specially geared towards helping children with anxiety disorders. If you are lucky enough to find one then you must see to it that you take good care of the therapist and make sure that he/she treats your child well so that he/she gets better faster and for a longer period of time.