Childhood Anxiety

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

If your child has generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), they may worry excessively about a variety of things such as grades, family issues, relationships with peers, and performance in sports.

Children with GAD tend to be very hard on themselves and strive for perfection. They may also seek constant approval or reassurance from others.

Panic Disorder

Panic disorder is diagnosed if your child suffers at least two unexpected panic or anxiety attacks—which means they come on suddenly and for no reason—followed by at least one month of concern over having another attack.

 Separation Anxiety Disorder

Many children experience separation anxiety between 18 months and three years old, when it is normal to feel some anxiety when a parent leaves the room or goes out of sight. Usually children can be distracted from these feelings.

It’s also common for your child to cry when first being left at daycare or pre-school, and crying usually subsides after becoming engaged in the new environment.

If your child is slightly older and unable to leave you or another family member, or takes longer to calm down after you leave than other children, then they be experiencing separation anxiety disorder. This is most common in kids ages seven to nine.
When separation anxiety disorder occurs, a child experiences excessive anxiety away from home or when separated from parents or caregivers. Extreme homesickness and feelings of misery at not being with loved ones are common.

Other symptoms include refusing to go to school, camp, or a sleepover, and demanding that someone stay with them at bedtime. Children with separation anxiety commonly worry about bad things happening to their parents or caregivers or may have a vague sense of something terrible occurring while they are apart.

Social Anxiety Disorder

Social anxiety disorder, or social phobia, is characterized by an intense fear of social/performance situations and activities such as being called on in class or starting a conversation with a peer.

This can significantly impair your child’s school performance and attendance, as well as their ability to socialize with peers and develop and maintain relationships.

Selective Mutism

selective mutism is when children refuse to speak in situations, where talking is expected or necessary, to the extent that their refusal interferes with school and making friends.

Children suffering from selective mutism may stand motionless and expressionless, turn their heads, chew or twirl hair, avoid eye contact, or withdraw into a corner to avoid talking.

Although, children can be very talkative and display normal behaviors at home or in another place where they feel comfortable. Parents are sometimes surprised to learn from a teacher that their child refuses to speak at school.

The average age of diagnosis is around 5 years old, or around the time a child enters school.

Support, guidance and assistance of a therapist is fundamental for a child to overcome panic, anxieties and meet developmental mile stones. If you or someone you know match the symptoms listed above, I am confident that I can help and invite you to contact me today for a free consultation.