Anxiety

It’s normal for children to feel anxious on occasion, but when anxiety begins to disrupt a child’s daily life, it’s a sign that treatment is needed. While anxiety in children manifests differently than it does in teenagers and adults, you may notice that your child’s fear causes changes in their overall mood, behavior, sleep patterns, and appetite.

Signs That Your Child Is Anxious

Young children aren’t always able to articulate their feelings, which can make anxiety difficult to diagnose. Some signs to be aware of include:

• Clinging to parents more than usual
• Difficulty concentrating and focusing on schoolwork
• Insomnia or bad dreams
• Changes in appetite
• Irritability
• Worrying thoughts
• Frequent crying
• Feeling tense
• Stomach aches and other physical complains with no identifiable cause

As a parent, it can be difficult to see your child struggling with anxiety and you might blame yourself. It’s important to understand that anxiety is often a matter of genetics, not parenting—some children are simply more anxious than others. The good news is that seeking treatment early can give your child the tools they need to overcome their anxiety even into adulthood.

Anxiety Disorders in Children

Anxiety can take many different forms. These include:

• Generalized anxiety disorder, which involves worrying about any number of bad things that might happen; a child may have a number of different fixations and once one is resolved, another worry quickly replaces it.
• Separation anxiety disorder, or feeling anxiety when apart from parents or away from home.
• Social anxiety disorder, sometimes known as social phobia. Not to be mistaken for shyness, social anxiety disorder involves a fear of what others will think or say about them, causing children to freeze or panic in social situations. Extreme cases of social phobia can cause selective mutism.
• Specific phobia, or a fear of one specific thing, place, or situation.

Treating Anxiety in Children

Your child’s pediatrician can help coordinate treatment for your child’s anxiety. The best approach to childhood anxiety is a holistic one that involves optimizing sleep, diet, and exercise, and includes therapy for your child and your family so you can learn how to best support your child as they work to manage their anxiety. 

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is very successful when it comes to treating anxiety. CBT focuses on teaching children coping skills to help them face their fears. 

It’s not common to prescribe medication for young children with anxiety, but in some cases, it may be needed if therapy is not successful.

Frequently Asked Questions About Anxiety

How do you help a child with anxiety?

The best thing you can do for a child with anxiety is to be a loving source of support and comfort. This means that instead of allowing your child to avoid the things they’re fearful of, be their biggest cheerleader as they confront their fears. Praise them when they make progress, but never punish or scold them for how they feel. It’s also important to talk to your child’s pediatrician about their anxiety. Being proactive and consistent with treatment is critical.

Does childhood anxiety go away?

Some children outgrow anxiety disorders on their own, but others will grow up to have anxiety disorders as adults if they don’t get appropriate treatment.

What triggers anxiety in a child?

If you or your spouse have anxiety, your child is more likely to have anxiety as well, both because of genetics and due to learned behaviors. Trauma is also a trigger for childhood anxiety. Even life and family changes, like a new sibling or changing schools, can lead to anxiety in children who are predisposed to it.