Children, just like adults, go through psychological states that make them not normal. You may notice certain changes in your child’s behavior, behavior, and expressions that may be due to his feeling of anxiety. Learn about Anxiety in children And its causes, symptoms and methods of treatment.

What is anxiety in children?

It is normal for children to go through a certain type of anxiety, which is a natural development with each stage of growth, but if this anxiety affects his life and studies here, you should seek help from specialists.

For example, children from 6 months to 3 years old may suffer from a type of anxiety disorder called Separation anxietyIt is also common for pre-school children to have a certain type of phobia, such as fear of insects, animals, storms, heights, and water. This phobia often disappears on its own as it grows. A child’s anxiety may also develop with certain incidents and changes in his life.

Types of anxiety in children

There are several types of anxiety that may appear in your child, including:

Symptoms of anxiety in children

Here comes the question, if he doesn’t talk to your child about how he feels how will you know he has an anxiety disorder so that you can help him? There are signs your child may be showing anxiety, including:

• Unusually irritable and nervous.
• Feeling restless and restless.
• Inattention and distraction.
• He constantly complained of physical symptoms such as headaches or abdominal pain.
• Isolation and avoidance of meetings and gatherings.
• Frequent outbursts of anger.
• Crying for no reason.
• He refused to go to school.
• Feeling nervous about anything before going to school, such as his clothes, shoes, and hair.
• Feeling nervous after returning from school about his homework.
• Asking you to help him do things he can usually do on his own.
• Suddenly feeling afraid of the dark, dogs, injections, germs, etc.
• Difficulty going to sleep without one of his parents by his side.
• Dealing impolitely with parents.

Causes of anxiety in children

There are several possible causes for your child’s anxiety, such as:

• A child may inherit anxiety genes from his parents if there is a family history of anxiety disorders.
• An imbalance of brain chemistry (neurotransmitters) and an imbalance in it may lead to a child’s anxiety and depression.
• Some situations and events that a child goes through may lead to illness, such as the death of a close person, conflicts between parents, moving frequently to a new home or school, serious illness or accident, exposure to bullying at school, or difficulty in dealing with exams. Exposure to violence and abuse.
• It is also possible for a child to develop fear and anxiety by being taught and raised by people with the same type of anxiety disorder.

Diagnosis of children’s anxiety

If you notice the previous symptoms of your child and they are getting worse over time so that they start to affect his daily activities and his academic achievement, then you must go to a psychologist to evaluate your child’s condition, where the specialist will ask about the symptoms and the extent of their recurrence, and he will talk with the child about what he feels and the fears he has. And when exactly he feels it.

Children who always feel symptoms of physical anxiety should also undergo a medical examination periodically to ensure that these symptoms do not have another pathological cause.

Treating anxiety in children

Anxiety treatment here depends on the child’s condition, age, and the cause of his anxiety. Treatment includes the following:

Talk to the doctor

Through it, the child can express what he feels and the things that cause him fear. In this way, the doctor will help him get rid of his fears and provide means to help him overcome them.

Cognitive behavioral therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy also depends on talking to the child, but by trying to push him to face his fears, and convince him that avoiding what causes him anxiety and fear will make his problem worse, and teach him ways in which he can live with his anxiety and overcome it, and this treatment is also applied to parents to teach them how to respond their child’s anxiety attacks and how to deal with them.

Anxiety medications

A doctor may prescribe anti-anxiety drugs for a child if his condition becomes severe and cannot be controlled with cognitive behavioral therapy, but this must be done by a pediatric psychiatrist, not a psychologist or behavioral modification specialist.

How do I deal with my anxious child?

There are several tips and steps that you can follow to properly deal with anxiety in children, such as:

• Teach your child how to identify their own symptoms of anxiety so that they first realize they are having an anxiety attack.
• Encourage your child to face his fears, control them, and ask for help when he needs it.
• Following a regular daily routine may help calm him down if he has been through an accident or situation that caused him anxiety.
• If there is a specific change planned, such as moving to another house, for example, you must talk to your child a while in advance and prepare him morally for this change and involve him in this planning.
• Distraction and distraction can help your child. For example, if he has an appointment with the doctor that causes him fear, you can bring a game with you that will help him forget his fears so that the appointment passes peacefully.

Finally, you should know that anxiety in children is normal, and you yourself should not become anxious and irritable while your child is going through an anxiety attack. Rather, you must calm yourself down and control your emotions so that your child derives strength and courage to overcome his fears, and if you have any questions, you can consult with someone. Our doctors are from here.