Recognizing Anxiety Behaviors in Children

Author: Sandrine Alouidor

Editor: Paul Privateer

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety is a feeling of dread or uneasiness. It is the human body’s natural reaction to stress or danger. In fact, certain levels of anxiety are beneficial.

Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety disorders affect a person’s level of anxiety. Children with anxiety disorders experience levels of anxiety that make daily life difficult.

Prevalence

What causes Anxiety Disorders?

Researchers aren’t sure, but believe anxiety is caused by a mix of environmental factors, genetic factors, and brain chemistry.

Symptoms of anxiety disorders:

Generally, children with anxiety disorders experience these symptoms for six months or more:

● Feeling nervous, restless or tense

● Having a sense of impending danger, panic or doom

● Having an increased heart rate

● Breathing rapidly (hyperventilation)

● Increased or heavy sweating

● Muscle twitching

● Feeling weak or tired

● Trouble concentrating or thinking about anything other than the present worry

● Having trouble sleeping

● Experiencing gastrointestinal (GI) problems, such as gas, constipation, and diarrhea

● Having difficulty controlling worry

● Having the urge to avoid things that trigger anxiety

● Obsession over certain ideas (a symptom of OCD)

● Performing certain actions over and over

● Anxiety over a certain life event or experience (associated with PTSD)

Children with anxiety disorders can also experience panic attacks, which have the following symptoms:

● palpitations

● sweating

● shaking or trembling

● feeling shortness of breath or smothering

● sensation of choking

● chest pains or tightness

● nausea or gastrointestinal problems

● dizziness, light-headedness, or feeling faint

● feeling hot or cold

● numbness or tingling sensations (paresthesia)

● feeling detached from oneself or reality, known as depersonalization and derealization

● fear of “going crazy” or losing control

● fear of dying

Panic attacks usually last for ten minutes. They can happen suddenly, usually as a response to a certain stimuli and be debilitating for the sufferer.

Some children may suffer from panic disorder which causes sudden, often severe panic attacks.

When to See a Pediatrician/Doctor:

Often, raised levels of anxiety are situational, rather than caused by a disorder. See a doctor if:

Your level of anxiety is making daily tasks, such as hygiene, school, work, or social life difficult.

You cannot control your distress or worry.

You feel depressed or are using alcohol or drugs to cope

If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts or are considering sucide(If so, seek immediate medical attention by calling 911 or this number: 800-273-8255)

References

Anxiety and Depression Association of America. (2020). Facts and Statistics. Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Retrieved June 24, 2021, from https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/facts-statistics

CDC. (2021, March). Anxiety and Depression in Children. Centers of Disease Control. Retrieved June 24, 2021, from https://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/features/anxiety-depression-children.html

Cirino, E. (2018, September). Everything You Need to Know about Anxiety-Symptoms [Fact sheet]. Healthline. Retrieved June 3, 2021, from https://www.healthline.com/health/anxiety-symptoms#types

Holland, K. (2020, September 3). Everything you need to know about Anxiety. Healthline. Retrieved May 4, 2021, from https://www.healthline.com/health/anxiety#_noHeaderPrefixedContent

Jovanovic, T. (Ed.). (n.d.). What is Anxiety? Anxiety.org. Retrieved May 4, 2021, from https://www.anxiety.org/what-is-anxiety

Mayo Clinic Staff. (2018, May 4). Anxiety Disorders [Fact sheet]. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved May 4, 2021, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anxiety/symptoms-causes/syc-20350961

Author: Sandrine Alouidor /Editor: Paul Privateer