There are 8 common types of anxiety disorders in children and their symptoms

The above is the audio of this article, if necessary, you can click to listen

It is normal for many parents to worry about the anxiety symptoms that their children may have, but sometimes it can be difficult to identify these anxiety symptoms or to identify whether their child has an anxiety disorder.

In fact, if you're wondering if certain of your child's behaviors are a sign of an anxiety disorder, you may need to consult a mental health professional who can help you explore the possible reasons behind your child's behavior and attitudes.

You may even blame yourself for your child's anxiety. However, the causes of anxiety in children can be the result of a combination of factors, many of which you cannot control.

Nonetheless, your child's anxiety symptoms can be controlled, and the underlying pain they may be experiencing can be relieved and addressed.

So, what are some of the common anxiety disorders in children? What are the symptoms? Next, let's take a look at it with Professor Rong Xinqi, an expert in new concept psychology!

General symptoms of anxiety in children

Everyone experiences anxiety from time to time, but not everyone experiences it the same way, and children are no exception.

In some cases, children's anxiety is associated with specific events they are afraid to face. For example, an upcoming big exam or a big speech at a school. Other times, your child may feel anxious all the time in most cases.

When anxiety symptoms persist for a period of time and are not resolved, they may develop into "childhood anxiety disorders".

According to the American Association of Anxiety Disorders (ADAA), the average age at which an anxiety disorder is diagnosed is between 4 and 8 years old. This usually coincides with when your child starts school, but it's not the only time a child may experience symptoms of anxiety.

Younger children may not know how to express their emotions, and older children may feel like you won't understand them, even if they try to explain their situation to you. This is very common.

Learning to recognize specific symptoms of anxiety in children can help you provide the help and support they need when they need it.

There are several common types of anxiety disorders, each with its own symptoms. Common anxiety disorders in children include:

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD);

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD);

Social anxiety disorder;

Specific phobias;

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD);

Panic disorder;

Selective mutism;

Separation anxiety, etc.

Some children will develop symptoms of one or more anxiety disorders, but that doesn't mean they have the condition. If the symptoms are temporary, they may not be anxiety disorders. In general, symptoms of anxiety in children may include:

Bedwetting;

Constant comfort is needed;

complaining of stomach pain or other pain, especially before a specific activity or event;

Avoid everyday situations such as school or social activities;

Difficulty eating or sleeping;

Tears for no reason;

Clinging (especially if this is a new behavior in the child);

Outbursts of anger;

Irritability or inability to rest;

Difficulty concentrating;

Difficulties in doing housework or academics;

Physical symptoms such as tremors or flushing.

These symptoms may or may not be part of an anxiety disorder. Only a mental health professional can provide a correct diagnosis.

1. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Children and adolescents with GAD may feel persistent and serious concerns about situations where there is no specific situation or problem. These concerns are mostly about themselves and how they behave in life, from school events to family gatherings to friend gatherings, where anxiety symptoms can suddenly appear for no apparent reason.

Some symptoms of GAD may also appear in other anxiety disorders, which can make the diagnosis more difficult and complicated. Symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder in children and adolescents may include:

Completely avoid new environments and new situations;

Worrying about the future in unrealistic ways (e.g., worrying about academic failure even if you are doing well, or worrying about sudden death even if your loved ones are healthy);

Intense and excessive attention to everyday things related to them, such as academic or athletic performance;

Strong sense of self;

Fear of rejection and fear of not meeting the expectations of others, which in some cases may seem likable;

Constant need for exact assurance;

Impatience, irritability and inattention;

Frequent discomfort and pain without obvious causes.

2. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Children may develop PTSD after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. However, not every child or adolescent who has experienced a traumatic event will develop PTSD.

Traumatic events can have an impact, but they can also be something that your child thinks is important. This may include witnessing or experiencing:

Natural disasters;

War or violent crimes;

Serious accidents;

Loss of a loved one;

Assault or abuse;

Serious illness or injury;

Long and intense parental divorce;

Sudden neglect and abandonment, etc.

PTSD symptoms in children can take several months to appear, which can make it difficult for you to recognize. Some of the possible symptoms are:

Avoid triggering (anything that can alert them to events);

Sweating, shaking, or any other strong reaction when remembering an event;

Panic attacks;

Intense sadness;

Nervousness in noisy sounds;

Stay away from loved ones or best friends;

Sudden anger or irritability;

High vigilance (e.g., high vigilance against your surroundings)

Denial of events;

Nightmares;

Difficulty concentrating on one task;

Irritability and hyperactivity, etc.

3. Social anxiety disorder

Symptoms of social anxiety in children and adolescents may include fear of rejection and embarrassment in front of others. For example, they may appear too concerned about what others think or opinions about them; they may appear anxious and nervous about social situations with adults or other children (such as birthday parties or school); and they may be afraid to talk to others, meet new people, or even appear in front of others.

Other symptoms of social anxiety in children may include:

Shivering, sweating, wetting yourself, blushing, or panting in social situations;

Avoid all social situations, including school;

Being attached to a parent or loved one at a social event or when going out;

Very quiet or silent, especially when being noticed;

Fear of public speaking or performing (such as playing in front of others);

Worry about their stature and appearance, etc.

4. Specific phobias

Phobias are intense fears of a particular object or situation. You may not understand it at first because it may be an ordinary object or place. However, for your child, this can be a source of intense fear.

Common phobias in children include: animals (specific animals or all animals), darkness, lightning, height, syringes, specific people or types of people (e.g., doctors and nurses), specific situations, specific places (such as elevators or basements), etc.

Children are afraid of these situations that they perceive as a threat or something they don't understand, which is common in young children. But as we age, our knowledge reserves, and our social experiences, these conditions usually fade away.

However, phobias are more like the fears your child experiences when exposed to certain things. You may not have much effect in trying to calm them down, and as your child gets used to the object or situation, their anxiety symptoms don't diminish.

As a rule, a child's phobia can last for 6 months or more.

5. Obsessive-compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Sometimes, behavior and obsession may not have a clear correlation. For example, your child may be obsessed with the death of a loved one, and they have been thinking about it, which has caused them great pain. As a result, they insisted on washing shoes, even brand new.

This association may not make sense to you, but washing your shoes may make your child feel safer and more comfortable, or they think it will prevent anything from happening to you. This association may not even be obvious to your child, who just wants to shine their shoes again and again, especially when they're in pain.

Some of the obsessions your child may have include making mistakes, being contaminated by something in the environment, asymmetry, safety, the safety or health of a loved one, matching clothes, or everything.

Some accompanying compulsive behaviors may include: washing, cleaning, and tidying up, redoing things, repeating words or actions, constantly checking the state of something (is the door closed?). Is the light off? ), organize things according to specific patterns (color or size), avoid specific numbers, etc.

Some children may have difficulty talking about their intrusive thoughts or fears. When you're nearby, they may also try to hide their rituals, or make them less obvious. This is because even if they experience these emotions, they may not be able to understand them, which in turn makes them feel guilty or ashamed.

Other symptoms of OCD in children may include:

social withdrawal;

Irritability or eruption;

Difficulty making decisions or choosing between options;

Feeling overwhelmed when asked to choose;

Look anxious or angry when something in their room has been moved or altered;

Spend a long time preparing or doing other activities;

Ask others to use specific words or skip certain numbers or positions, etc.

6. Panic disorder

Panic disorder is characterized by recurrent and unexpected intense fears and physical symptoms called panic attacks.

This is possible but not common in young children.

If your child has panic attacks, they may experience: frequent panic attacks; constant fear of future panic attacks; fear of doing certain things, such as going to school or partying, because they are afraid of panic attacks, etc.

Symptoms of a panic attack may include: sweating, shaking, shortness of breath or a feeling of suffocation, chest pain, nausea, dizziness, fear of death, numbness or tingling in the whole body, chills, intense fear or fear without a specific cause, etc.

7. Selective mutism

If your child suffers from selective mutism, they may feel unable to speak in some cases or in front of certain people. On the other hand, when they feel safe, they communicate effectively.

Selective mutism is sometimes part of the symptoms that children with social anxiety disorder will exhibit. Many children with this anxiety disorder communicate, express, play, and be active in an environment they consider safe. However, when exposed to social situations, they may become silent or begin to whisper only to specific people.

Of course, this is not a conscious choice for children, and remaining silent is their way of coping with the pain they experience in this situation.

Aside from selective silence, not every child will show the same symptoms, but some of the other possible signs include: motionlessness, trembling and sweating, hiding, losing all facial expressions, clinging to a person, replacing verbal communication with gestures or head movements, etc.

The main hallmark of selective mutism is a significant change in behavior in social situations, especially a lack of verbal communication. As a rule, selective mutism affects children aged 4-10 years.

8. Separation anxiety disorder

Children with separation anxiety who have a strong fear of being far away from home or to a loved one.

In social situations, your child may be more attached to you or other caregivers. They may also try to avoid situations where they will stay away from you, such as school.

Common symptoms of separation anxiety in children may include:

Difficulty falling asleep;

Refusing to be alone even in one's own room;

Excessive and intense fear of what is happening to a loved one;

Difficulty separating from parents or caregivers, even for a short period of time;

When you are away from home or loved ones, you experience various physical symptoms such as nausea, abdominal pain, headaches, etc.

For these symptoms to be considered separation anxiety, they must persist for at least 4 weeks and be unrelated to a specific event (e.g., illness or injury suffered by the caregiver).

If you don't understand what's going on, children's anxiety symptoms can be worrying, and it's natural and common to feel that way. Because there are many types of anxiety disorders in children, there is no unique list of symptoms. Most children with anxiety disorders behave differently in social settings or in specific situations.

Observing your child's behavior at home and when they are out and about can help you identify some signs of anxiety. This, in turn, may make it easier for health professionals to pinpoint the cause of your child's behavior.

If your child's anxiety persists, is severe, or affects their daily life, seek help from a mental health professional in a timely manner.

| personality color test can pay attention to the reply of this public account: personality color test.

| depression self-test can pay attention to the reply of this public account: depression self-test for testing.

| anxiety disorder self-test can pay attention to the reply of this public account: anxiety disorder self-test for testing.

| bipolar disorder self-test can pay attention to the public number reply: bipolar self-test for testing.

Sweep away the attention