I know. It's a little strange to think of our kids as having anxiety. I mean, it seems more like the sort of thing characters in a Woody Allen film complain to their psychiatrists about than something your seven year old might be feeling. It's a complicated emotion after all. It requires a very developed imagination and a strong sense of possible futures.
But, yes, our kids - even our very young kids - have anxiety disorders too. This is especially likely if you suffer from anxiety disorders. Grade school is not too early to consider the possibility of childhood anxiety disorders.
Separation Anxiety
Typically, one of the earliest occurring childhood anxiety disorders is separation anxiety. Almost all young children feel a mild version of separation anxiety when they are separated from their parents for the first time. Most children will have fears and a bit of anxiety about going to school during the first week of kindergarten or pre-school.
When a child suffers from separation anxiety, however, these feelings of anxiousness and fear are on a whole new level. It is as if you have taken the mute off of your child as compared to the other children in his class. Separation anxiety children will typically cry and beg not to be left. They will have a longer more difficult adjustment period. And they will need more attention than the other children.
If the child's condition is very severe, they may even become violent or disruptive.
Adopted children are more likely to suffer from separation anxiety than most children since being left at an institution may remind the child of their original abandonment. Such children need to be constantly reassured that the parent will return. Sometimes some sort of a totem, like a rabbit's foot or picture of the parent, can help the child cope with the stress of the situation.
Phobias
As children begin to get older and develop their imaginations, those prone to anxiety may develop phobias. A phobia is an irrationally intense fear of a creature or object. Typically children will develop an intense fear of spiders or snakes or other creepy crawlers.
Although most children develop such fears, children suffering from phobias will have much more intense and prolonged reactions to the thing they fear. They may even suffer from panic attacks at the thought of such creatures. If the child fears spiders for example, they may come to see every spec as a potential spider. For such children, the bedtime ritual may be an especially trying time. The darkness will often make it easier for them to imagine their hobgoblins everywhere about them. For this reason it is important to observe regular rituals during bedtime.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Finally, if you suffer from generalized anxiety disorder, there is good chance your child will as well. Scientists believe this is both because of your genes and role modeling.
Children with GAD are constant worriers. Every opportunity for worry will be fully exploited. If you tell them about summer camp during Christmas break, you will hear their worries about it in January, in February, in March, etc.
GAD children often have headaches, stomachaches, nausea, and other minor afflictions. They will often feel physically ill on stress filled days. School is often the focus for this anxiety and so their symptoms more on school days than when they are just lounging around the house during the summer.
Later Anxiety Disorders
Although it is possible to have other anxiety disorders in early youth (like social anxiety disorder, for example) the three I've gone over are the most common childhood anxiety disorders. The good thing about detecting these anxieties in early childhood is that it gives your child a head start in dealing with his or her affliction. Many of us suffer for years before we finally seek the help we need for our anxiety disorders.
Tom Tait is focused on helping those with panic attacks. Here is more information on Anxiety and Depression disorders. There is even more information about Panic Attacks on the website Panic Attacks.
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