Anxiety disorders can cause changes in your child’s behavior, sleep patterns, eating habits, and mood. These changes are caused by extreme worry and fear and can affect children of all ages.
Different anxiety disorders can affect children in many different ways, for one reason or another. Anxiety maybe inherited or present itself after a trauma, separation, life experience, or even after watching modeled behavior from a family member or loved one. The disorder can take form and become more extreme in time if it is not recognized and properly treated. Determining what type of anxiety disorder your child has, is the first step in helping them cope, and overcoming the sometimes, crippling affect anxiety can have on their lives.
Separation Anxiety
The bond a child forms with a parent during infancy is strong enough to make the child feel safe, but also strong enough to cause the child stress when removed from the parent. You may notice this in your infant, or even in your toddler when they attend daycare, school, or a visit to grand-moms. This is a situation that most children experience at one time or another. It is normal for a child to feel anxious when a separation from their parent occurs. But soon they should find comfort in their environment, teacher, babysitter, etc. If a child does not outgrow that fear of separation from their parent or even from being away from home, they may suffer from separation anxiety disorder.
Separation Anxiety Disorder, also known as SAD, is when an individual does not outgrow the fear of leaving a parent or being away from home. If your child is experiencing symptoms of this disorder, you may notice that they are clinging to you more than what is considered normal, refusing to join in any activities that require leaving you or your home, such as; school, sleepovers, playdates, sleeping alone or even being in a room alone. This can take a toll on the child, but the parent as well.
Social Anxiety Disorder
Social phobia is a social anxiety disorder, that causes children to feel afraid of what others will think or say about them. It is a fear of being embarrassed of something they might say or do, or what others might say or do. They do not like to have focus on them. They prefer to blend in and avoid being the center of attention. Other signs and symptoms you my notice if your child is experiencing social phobia, is that they may try to avoid school in fear of being called on or having to present in front of the class. For someone with social phobia, this can cause extreme fear and panic. You may also find that your child is not forming friendships and tends to surround themselves with the familiar, like family and the confinement of their home or bedroom.
Selective Mutism
Extreme social phobia, known as selective mutism or SM, is when a child is so afraid of speaking in a social setting that they will not talk at all. The only place they may feel comfortable expressing themselves is at home or with family members they feel a close attachment to.
Specific Phobia
Specific phobia is when a child has extreme fear of something specific, like the dark, needles, animals, fireworks, costumes and characters, and more. When a child suffers from a specific phobia, the fear is intense, and their actions extreme. If they encounter the phobia they fear most, you may find you cannot console them or reason with them. For example, my twin daughters were terrified of costumes and characters. So, whether we went to Disney to see the princesses or a small birthday party at Chuck E Cheese, they cried and screamed uncontrollably until I removed them from the situation. Their cry was one of terror. You can tell the difference between a child scared to sit on Santa’s lap and child that thinks extreme harm will come to them at the hands of this person or thing. As a parent, it is unsettling to watch.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Children with generalized anxiety disorder, or GAD, worry daily about more than one thing. Most kids worry about several things throughout their day, like homework, tests, riding the school bus, playing with friends, trying something new, and so much more. They may even worry about bigger things that are happening in the world like war, gun safety, the weather, and the future of the planet. Their worry can change form from day to day and events that happen in their life, the lives of people around them and the world as a whole.
Children that have GAD can find it difficult to focus or relax. Being overwhelmed with worry can affect performance in school, capacity to learn, and their functionality in their daily routine. Some children keep the worry bottled up and do not speak about it, while others may turn to a loved one or even a teacher. While opening up about the worry they are experiencing is good, it may not give someone with GAD much comfort. It is often hard for them to feel safe and free of worry, no matter what a loved one says to help relieve their fear.
Seeking Out A Therapist
When your child is suffering, you want to do everything in your power to make them feel better. Whether that means physically or emotionally, finding the right course of action to treat their symptoms, or disorder, is essential to their well-being. You may not suffer from a mental illness and find it hard to relate, but that means you need to read up and ask for help. Understanding what your child is going through can help aid in their treatment.
Call your healthcare provider to find out what mental health options are available in your area. You may find that seeking out a therapist is the first step in helping your child, but there are also other non-traditional ways that you can assist from home.
Other Forms of Treatment
Art has proven to calm anxiety. There are several options to consider such as; painting, coloring, drawing, as well as sewing, doing puzzles, ceramics and many more crafts that act as a calming method. Try some of these activities at home in addition to scheduling an appointment with a therapist that specializes in the treatment of anxiety. You may even want to consider another option, such as getting your child a champion, maybe a dog or cat.
Paying for Treatment
If you are open to any treatment options that will help your child, but struggling to find the extra money to see it through, look at your options. Can you find money in your budget? Do you have family members that can provide the extra money needed for co-pays or art supplies? Can you get loan assistance with your credit? If not, using the value of your vehicle to get title loan cash may be an option you can consider.
As a parent, I know how hard it can be to keep your head above water. Remember to stay strong, you can do this!