Anxiety in children – What you need to know

It is very normal for children to go through bouts of fear and worries in their lives, especially when they are faced with new experiences. Such fear and worries should ideally subside over time. In some children though, the fear and worries manifest themselves in such a manner that they affect studies, social behavior, and everyday functioning. In that case, these fears can turn into anxiety in children.

Anxiety in children is, unfortunately, becoming a common problem that psychologists and psychiatrists are having to deal with. To know more about it, read on.

What is anxiety?

Anxiety involves excessive worry and fear about normal things that can lead to stress and interfere with everyday activities. Anxiety can lead to symptoms like a high heart rate, unexplained aches, shortness of breath, and recurrent thoughts that can affect normal functioning.

How can you say if your child has anxiety?

Seeing your child go through fears can be very challenging as a parent. However, you must distinguish normal everyday fears from recurrent anxiety. If specific fears prevent your child from going through everyday activities or interfere with their usual behaviour, talk to a specialist to find out if this could be because of anxiety. Anxiety in children can become a bigger problem and completely change their childhood experiences and adult life. Here is what you can do.

Handling anxiety in children

Do not try to undermine the fears

The first thing that parents do wrong when they find their child fearing something is undermining the feeling. They might say ‘are you a baby to be afraid of darkness’, or ‘go and get things done. This is nothing to be afraid of’. It is impossible for you to be in the child’s shoes and understand the extent of the fear. Undermining this is going to make the condition worse. Instead, accept that theparticular feeling is intense and sit with the child until the anxiety has passed.

Don’t try to worsen the fear

Some parents, unintentionally, may make the fear worse by reinforcing it. Let’s say a child tried to jump from a piece of furniture and got hurt. Some parents make it a point to tell the child to be careful every time they climb up high and remind them of that one incident. It could be while climbing stairs or while playing in the park. Trying to reinforce and remind the child of the fall can make an already anxious child dread heights. This could turn into a full-fledged mental health condition with time.

Try to be empathetic

It is very important to be empathetic to handle the condition in young individuals. Always be ready to listen to the same things multiple times a year. Acknowledge the fear and the fact that the child is struggling. This will help handle the condition better and bring down episodes of anxiety attacks.

Don’t try to fix things yourself

You might mean well, but do remember that you are no expert when it comes to handling a mental health condition like anxiety in children. If you think your child may have anxiety, then the first thing to do is visit a professional and get a diagnosis. There are different kinds of anxiety disorders and only an expert will be able to identify the exact problem and offer the right solution.

Have realistic expectations

Unlike physical conditions like a broken bone or fever, mental health conditions are not straightforward enough to recognize, treat, or monitor. As a result, parents need to have realistic expectations about the condition and the progress of whatever mode of treatment they choose. If in doubt, always talk to the doctor.

Be a role model

Children mirror the feelings of parents in most cases. If you are always anxious about things, then kids mirror this and end up feeling the same levels of anxiety themselves. As a parent, identify your problems and get help for them. This is a positive sign for the child to relax and take help too. Anxiety can be a challenging problem to handle, especially when a child is growing up. Children feel all emotions very strongly, and fear, when left unattended, can become bigger than what it is. The faster you identify the problem, the easier it will be to treat it.