Children also have anxiety in their lives, and can suffer from the same disorders. Stressful times, like starting school, the loss of a parent, or moving, can cause an anxiety disorder, especially if such events happen in conjunction or rapid succession, but disorders can develop with no apparent catalyst as well.
Children are susceptible to all of the recognised anxiety disorders, but some are more common in childhood, and a few can be specific to certain ages. Separation Anxiety Disorder and Specific Phobia are more common in children of about 6-9 years old. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Panic Disorder and Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) are inclined to manifest in middle childhood and adolescence. Depression is also common in children, especially teenagers.
Children display and react to Anxiety Disorder symptoms differently to adults, and this can make it difficult to diagnose. Such symptoms are often dismissed as a phase brought on by puberty, which makes it hard to ascertain if the problem is actually a disorder.
Social Anxiety Disorder is most often diagnosed in the mid-teens, but can occur in preschool or grade school children. Left untreated, SAD can continue into adulthood, bringing with it an increased risk of depression and alcohol abuse.
Signs may include an unreasonable fear of at least one social or performance situation. An obvious dread of dealing with peers or interacting with adults. The symptoms are sweating, racing heart, stomachache, dizziness, crying, tantrums, and freezing. The child will tend to avoid or have intense dread of feared situations. Poor performance at school and bad attendance, a lack of ability to handle social situations with peers or develop and maintain friendships. Childhood SAD can appear as Separation Anxiety Disorder, Selective Mutism or School Refusal/Avoidance.
Phobias – illogical yet powerful fears – affect more than one in eight Americans at some time. Phobias are the most common kind of anxiety disorder. If you suspect that you might suffer from a phobia, complete the following self-test and show the results to your health care professional.
Do you suffer from a phobia? Answer the questions below to find out.
Do you suffer from a shortness of breath or rapid heart beat with no obvious cause?
Do you have a strong, ongoing dread of social interactions with strangers?
Can you travel without a companion?
Do everyday situations or domestic animals frighten you?
Are you afraid of places or situations in which finding help or escaping the situation would be difficult, like crowds or boats?
Are you afraid of anything which other people don’t seem to have a problem with?
People who have more than one illness are difficult to diagnose and treat, depression and substance abuse commonly complicate phobias, and should be taken into account when answering the next set of questions.
Have your sleeping or eating habits changed at all?
Do you often feel sad or depressed?
Do you lack interest in life or feel worthless or guilty?
In the recent past, has the abuse of alcohol or drugs caused you to :
Fail at work, school, or family?
Endanger your life?
Be arrested?
Continue even though it caused problems for you and/or your family?
Answering yes to most of these questions would indicate an underlying problem, and you should seek medical help.