With more exposure than ever to the news and current events, our children and adolescents have plenty to worry about. According to the American Psychiatric Association’s DSM-V, anxiety is anticipation of future threat.1 While at times this serves as protection from questionable places, people, and situations, it can be overused and become detrimental to our child/teen’s mental health.
Anxiety is a serious medical condition and is experienced by children and young people as well. According to the CDC, anxiety is one of the most commonly diagnosed mental disorders in children and has been diagnosed in nearly 7.1% of children aged 3-17yo.2 Data and statistics suggest a continued rise in anxiety among children and teens.
Anxiety may include:
- Excessive fear or worry that interrupts work or school performance
- Appearing on-edge or restless
- Difficulty concentrating or completing tasks
- Sleep changes or difficulties
- Increased irritability
- Describes feeling of panic with no present danger, may experience panic attacks
- Recurrent symptoms of headaches, stomachaches, nausea but has no known physical illness
- Reluctance to engage with others, leave home, or be away from caregivers
If any of the above describes what your child or teen is experiencing, counseling may be beneficial. In counseling, your child or teen is afforded a confidential space to speak freely and process their feelings. Children and young people are often looking for someone to understand and just listen, which is what our professional counselors can provide. Through a safe and non-judgmental approach, underlying causes for the anxiety are discovered and can be addressed. We can also help your child or adolescent develop coping skills and self-soothing strategies to better manage their heavy feelings.
What Causes Anxiety Disorders in Children?
Some children can’t cope with stress as well as others and are naturally more anxious. When they have parents or other people in their lives who are anxious, they may pick up on those behaviors. Children who grow up with their parents fighting, or experience the trauma of frequently moving or the death of a loved one, are more likely to have anxiety. School-related issues and abuse or neglect can also trigger anxiety in children.
Children who have autism spectrum disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) tend to have a greater chance of being anxious.
What Children and Teens Are at Risk for Anxiety Disorders?
Children with parents who suffer from anxiety have a greater likelihood of developing generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). A child who seems more restrained during their toddler years may have a tendency toward GAD.
What Are the Symptoms of Anxiety in a Child or Teen?
Adults may often understand that their fears are sometimes irrational. However, children and teens may not recognize that their anxiety and emotions are more intense than the situation warrants.
Anxious children tend to require more reassurance from adults than kids who don’t have an anxiety disorder.
While symptoms of anxiety manifest differently from child to child, some of the more common ones include:
- Worrying about things before they happen
- Constant fears about their or their parents’ safety
- Worrying about school, friends and activities
- Having frequent headaches or stomach aches
- Muscle aches
- Sleep problems
- Problems sleeping away from home
- Fatigue
- Difficulty concentrating
- Irritability
- Inability to relax
Some other health problems mimic anxiety symptoms, so you may also want to discuss your child’s issues with their healthcare provider.
When Is Anxiety a Problem for a Child?
While anxiety differs for each person, some children are more anxious than others. These worries can interfere with their daily lives. An anxious child may react more strongly than called for when they believe a situation is threatening. Mentally, the individual may have thoughts of looming danger and experience physical symptoms, like rapid breathing or an increased heart rate. Some children practice avoidance to stop those worries.
Anxiety counseling for kids and teens in St. Louis may be necessary when distress interferes with the child’s schooling and daily activities. Anxiety may be an issue if the child isn’t sleeping or is experiencing panic attacks, separation anxiety or has developed social anxiety disorder.
What Causes Anxiety Disorders in Children?
Some children can’t cope with stress as well as others and are naturally more anxious. When they have parents or other people in their lives who are anxious, they may pick up on those behaviors. Children who grow up with their parents fighting, or experience the trauma of frequently moving or the death of a loved one, are more likely to have anxiety. School-related issues and abuse or neglect can also trigger anxiety in children.
Children who have autism spectrum disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) tend to have a greater chance of being anxious.
What Children and Teens Are at Risk for Anxiety Disorders?
Children with parents who suffer from anxiety have a greater likelihood of developing generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). A child who seems more restrained during their toddler years may have a tendency toward GAD.
What Are the Symptoms of Anxiety in a Child or Teen?
Adults may often understand that their fears are sometimes irrational. However, children and teens may not recognize that their anxiety and emotions are more intense than the situation warrants.
Anxious children tend to require more reassurance from adults than kids who don’t have an anxiety disorder.
While symptoms of anxiety manifest differently from child to child, some of the more common ones include:
- Worrying about things before they happen
- Constant fears about their or their parents’ safety
- Worrying about school, friends and activities
- Having frequent headaches or stomach aches
- Muscle aches
- Sleep problems
- Problems sleeping away from home
- Fatigue
- Difficulty concentrating
- Irritability
- Inability to relax
Some other health problems mimic anxiety symptoms, so you may also want to discuss your child’s issues with their healthcare provider.
When Is Anxiety a Problem for a Child?
While anxiety differs for each person, some children are more anxious than others. These worries can interfere with their daily lives. An anxious child may react more strongly than called for when they believe a situation is threatening. Mentally, the individual may have thoughts of looming danger and experience physical symptoms, like rapid breathing or an increased heart rate. Some children practice avoidance to stop those worries.
Anxiety counseling for kids and teens in St. Louis may be necessary when distress interferes with the child’s schooling and daily activities. Anxiety may be an issue if the child isn’t sleeping or is experiencing panic attacks, separation anxiety or has developed social anxiety disorder.
If you believe your child or teen is struggling with symptoms of anxiety and needs support, our affiliated professional counselors are here to help. They practice child-friendly evidence-based techniques such as play, art, and sandtray in their therapy. They may also utilize Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Solution-Focused approaches. Give our office a call today and let’s schedule a time to talk.
1Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fifth Edition)
2 https://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/data.html