Childhood Anxiety

Anxiety is a problem that not only adults deal with but children also. It is estimated in some studies that as many as 3% to 17% percent of children may be experiencing anxiety of some kind. There are many kinds of anxiety including obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety, specific phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder, and a very common one for children, separation anxiety disorder. It should also be noted that many times when children have anxiety, often they have a parent who suffers from some kind of anxiety also.

Now it should be remembered that some anxiety is normal in children development. For example, many toddlers experience some anxiety when separated from their parents and this anxiety peaks when the child is about 18 months. Also, many children have vague fears such as fear of the dark or of bugs, etc. The point at which it becomes a disorder is if the fear is excessive beyond what would be expected for the child’s developmental level and whether it significantly affects the child’s functioning. It should also be noted that very common symptoms of anxiety are physical complaints such as stomachaches and headaches. The pain experienced is real; they are just caused by psychological factors.

In my own experience, I have found that a main factor that maintains the anxiety for people (both kids and adults) is avoidance. In other words, as people avoid their fears, or avoid what is causing them anxiety, the worse the anxiety gets. Conversely, I have also found that as people face their fears, or in other words, do what they are afraid of, the anxiety will improve. This is often called exposure, and when combined with other techniques, like developing good coping strategies, relaxation and breathing techniques, and support from others, people can usually cope and overcome.

A good example of this comes from my own life. While growing up, I was really afraid of spiders (no thanks to my older sister who held me down and threw spiders on me!). Whenever I was faced with a spider, I would avoid it and subsequently this fear continued until I was a young adult. Then, I married a woman who made me go and kill spiders rather than avoiding them. Anyway, I had to face my fears and subsequently spiders don’t bother me much anymore. The take home message is the same: face your fears!