Anxiety Disorders

WHAT IS ANXIETY DISORDER?

Anxiety disorders are the most common type of mental health disorder in children, affecting as many as 10% of young people. Anxiety has been found to be one of the most common causes of distress in children and young people. There are a number of different types of anxiety disorder e.g. school phobia, separation anxiety, fear of new foods, specific phobias etc.

Anxiety is a sense of worry, apprehension, fear and distress. Symptoms typically fall mainly into two groups: physical symptoms e.g. headache, feeling sick, and emotional symptoms such as nervousness and fear. Anxiety can affect a child’s thinking, decision-making ability, perception of the environment, learning and concentration.

Anxiety disorders can raise blood pressure and heart rate and can cause vomiting, stomach pain, ulcers, diarrhoea, tingling, weakness and shortness of breath, amongst other things. Persistent and intense anxiety that disrupts daily routine requires intervention.

EXAMPLES OF ANXIETY DISORDERS

School Phobia
Children with school phobia find attending school makes them feel very anxious and distressed. School phobia can cause problems for young people as they will try to avoid the feared situation which can cause unauthorised absence from school as well as the child falling behind in their school work.

Often a supportive teacher or school nurse is needed who can understand and explain the situation to other relevant staff and to help to implement a phased return to school. They may also be able to arrange for work to be sent home for the child to do in the interim period so that the child is less likely to fall behind.

Separation Anxiety
Separation anxiety is particularly common in younger children and is thought to be the most common disorder found in children under the age of 12. It is a term used to describe a feeling of anxiety or stress when away from parents/guardians/family. It affects how children act towards other people as they may only feel comfortable at home.

Children with separation anxiety may also feel afraid of going to sleep alone and, when they do get to sleep, they may have nightmares about being apart from their parents/guardians/family. Often children with separation anxiety create excuses, such as that they don’t feel well, to avoid being away from home. Often this anxiety also stems from the child’s concern that something bad will happen to him/her or his/her parent/guardian during the time that they are separated.

Fear of New Foods
Some children, mainly boys, may only eat a very narrow range of foods and show extreme anxiety if they are expected to try new foods. Usually the foods that they are able to eat are beige, dry carbohydrates, such as biscuits or bread; dairy products such as milk or yoghurt; and chocolate. It is not harmful to the child to only eat from an acceptable range of foods and they will still grow normally.

This fear of new foods stems from a normal development stage that occurs at around the age of two where children narrow down the foods acceptable to them and refuse foods that they do not look like the look of. Most children grow out of this stage but some do not. The consequent reluctance to try new foods becomes a fear, whereby all new foods trigger a disgust response. If the child is then forced to eat foods that they cannot accept they may vomit or show a gag response.

Generalised Anxiety Disorder
Children with Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) have recurring fears and worries that they find difficult to control. They worry about almost everything e.g. school, sports, being on time, even worrying about worrying etc. They may be restless, irritable, tense or easily tired, and they may have trouble concentrating or sleeping.

Children with GAD are usually eager to please others and may be dissatisfied if they have a less-than-perfect performance. Children with GAD worry both about events that took place in the past and events that will take place in the future. They also worry about conversations, actions, health, performance at school, performance in after school activities, friendships and even current affairs.

Often this anxiety can interfere with their daily lives and sleeping patterns. The anxiety is not as a result of any specific trigger, but those children with this type of anxiety feel that they are ‘on edge’ all the time for no specific reason.

Social Phobia
Children with Social Phobia have a constant fear of social situations or situations when they have to perform, such as speaking in class or eating in public. The fear is often accompanied by physical symptoms such as sweating, blushing, heart palpitations or shortness of breath.

Children with social phobia tend to respond to these feelings by avoiding the feared situation. They are often overly sensitive to criticism, have trouble being assertive and suffer from low self-esteem. Social phobia can be limited to specific situations so that a child may fear social events but still be confident in academic situations.

HOW ARE ANXIETY DISORDERS MANAGED OR TREATED?

There are a number of things a parent of a child with an anxiety disorder can do to assist a child. These range from self-help tips, to liaising with the child’s school or finding appropriate professional support. The best way to support a child with an anxiety disorder is to find out as much as possible about their condition and listen to them.

Importantly, anxiety disorders are treatable. Children who show persistent symptoms of an anxiety disorder can be referred to a Clinical Psychologist. Effective treatment for anxiety disorders may include psychotherapy, behavioural therapy, cognitive behaviour therapy or medications.

For further information click here

To Download This Page As An MP3 File click here

Back to top

*****

Please note that every care is taken to ensure that the information included on this webpage is accurate. However, should you discover any information which you believe to be inaccurate please Contact Us as soon as possible.

Although the information we have provided here is meant to be helpful to you, Douglas Silas Solicitors cannot be held responsible for any damage or loss caused by any inaccuracy or reliance placed upon it. If you have any concerns about your child, you should seek professional educational or healthcare advice as soon as possible.