Common Anxiety-Related Issues Children Face

Posted on

When it comes to anxiety disorders, children often suffer more than many adults realize. Anxiety can impact every aspect of a child's life, from learning at school to behaving at home. Many children live with anxiety disorders, and each can play a different role in a child's life.

Are you looking for information about children's anxiety disorders? These are some of the most common anxiety-related issues that children experience.

Separation Anxiety

For many children, separation anxiety is very prominent. This type of anxiety is common when children have intense fears of being separated from their parents, friends, teachers, siblings, or caretakers. Children may need to learn to be without a caretaker for hours at a time, and therapy may be necessary.

Phobias

Children can develop phobias, just like adults. They might be afraid of taking a bath, petting a cat, or seeing certain bugs. This can be a problem that can affect a child as they grow, so treating phobias earlier is often best.

Social Anxiety

Fears of social situations can be prominent in children as well. Social anxiety can impact your child in years to come, making it more difficult to make friends, secure employment, and succeed in hobbies. Treatment may address the child's anxieties about social situations.

Generalized Anxiety

General anxiety can also indicate an anxiety disorder. Your child may fear daily activities as well as unlikely scenarios, such as a natural disaster or sudden death. A child may benefit from cognitive-behavioral therapy that helps them see the world differently, in a more positive light. Medication may also help children with this kind of anxiety.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, is also related to anxiety. Children may experience OCD that gives them a combination of obsessive thoughts and compulsions they feel the need to act on. For example, you may notice that your child must perform very specific activities in a specific way, or else they become anxious. Addressing these issues earlier is better than trying to do so later.

Speak With a Professional Counselor

Anxiety disorder treatment may involve talk therapy, exposure therapy, and cognitive-behavioral therapy. Medication may also be part of your child's treatment, but the goal is to make a treatment plan that best addresses your child's anxieties.

Counselors provide children with a variety of different treatment options. They can help your child through individual, group, or family therapy that helps your child work through anxiety treatment. For more information about anxiety disorder treatment, contact a local therapist's office.


Share