Understanding and Managing Anxiety in Children

Anxiety is a common aspect of life that can affect people of all ages.

However, when worry becomes chronic and interferes with a child's everyday life, it might be cause for concern.

As parents or carers, we should always do our best to ensure our children are living a life of joy, happiness and positive experiences.

So it is critical to recognize and handle anxiety in children in a caring and effective manner if it does pop up.

Understanding the Different Types of Anxiety

There are several sorts of anxiety that children may feel, and it is important to recognize the various types of anxiety in order to give appropriate care.

These are some of the most common types of anxiety in children today:

Generalized Anxiety Disorder(GAD): Children with GAD exhibit excessive and uncontrollable concern about a variety of everyday circumstances.

Some of these can be school, social activities, and family issues.

Physical symptoms of GAD in children include headaches, stomachaches, and muscular tension.

Separation Anxiety Disorder: Children with separation anxiety disorder experience extreme dread or anxiety when they are separated from their carer.

Missing your caretaker is common, however, when a child cannot function or is trembling with fear, there is cause for concern.

This will make going to school or sleepovers challenging, and they may have nightmares about separation.

Social Anxiety Disorder: Children with social anxiety disorder experience extreme fear or anxiety in social circumstances, such as speaking in front of people or taking part in group activities.

Because of this, these children will often prefer to isolate themselves or even refuse to take part in any group setting.

With most schools requiring attendance, it's very important to help your child, in this situation, to feel more comfortable and encourage them to interact in social settings.

Specific Phobias: Children with specific phobias experience extreme fear or anxiety in response to certain things or circumstances, such as animals or heights.

This might lead to avoidance of the object or circumstance, which can have an influence on daily life.

Phobias can cover the whole spectrum of objects and entities.

Common phobias are clowns, animals, insects, blood, and heights.

Knowing these will help you to understand and manage the anxiety of children.

Telling Anxiety Symptoms Apart

To provide proper care, it is critical to recognize anxiety symptoms and differentiate between different forms of anxiety. You wouldn't want to give a snake bite patient cough drops, would you?

The same idea applies to how you should handle your child's specific type of anxiety.

Common anxiety symptoms in children include:

• Excessive anxiety or dread
• Avoidance of particular situations
• Headaches, stomachaches, and muscular tension are examples of physical symptoms.
• Sleeping difficulties or nightmares
• Irritability or agitation
• Excessive reliance on reassurance

To distinguish between different forms of anxiety in children, it is necessary to first identify the unique triggers that create worry.

For example, if a youngster has extreme dread or worry while separated from their carer, they may be suffering from a separation anxiety disorder.

A child may develop social anxiety disorder if they experience excessive fear or anxiety in social situations.

Similarly, if a child seems to specifically feel anxious around a specific object or setting, they may have a phobia.

Causes of Childhood Anxiety

For many kids, anxiety can start at a young age and have various sources - be it inherited mental health issues or environmental circumstances. 

In families where one member suffers from an Anxiety Disorder, children are likely to also experience signs of distress as well.

Children exposed to trauma such as natural disasters may develop anxious symptoms later on in life too. 

Certain life events like starting school or the arrival of a new family member can likewise trigger feelings of apprehension in youngsters that could lead to more long-lasting anxieties if left unchecked.

Anxiety in children can result from many different reasons, a few are genetic predispositions, environmental circumstances, and life experiences.

How to Manage a Child's Anxiety

Anxiety management in children needs a sympathetic and individualized approach as every case is different, and talking to a professional is always best.

Here are a few ways to address the problem of their anxiety

Create a Safe and Supportive Environment: 

It is critical that children feel safe and supported in their surroundings.

This might involve establishing a consistent schedule, fostering a quiet and serene atmosphere, and offering emotional support.

Encourage Positive Coping Methods: 

Positive coping methods can assist children in managing their anxiety.

Deep breathing techniques, mindfulness, and positive self-talk may all be part of this.

Provide Emotional help: 

Anxious children may require emotional help to cope.

This might involve reassuring and validating their sentiments.

Seek Professional treatment: 

If your anxiety is interfering with your everyday life or is severe, you should seek professional treatment.

This might include treatment, medicine, or a combination of the two.

Working with a healthcare expert to establish the best course of action for the kid is critical.

Build Resilience: 

Teaching children resilience can help them cope with worry in the long run. Teaching problem-solving skills, fostering self-care, and building strong connections with family and friends are all examples of this.

Self-Care as a Carer: 

Caring for an anxious kid may be difficult, and carers must practice self-care to manage their own stress and worry.

This might include taking some time for yourself and not always putting all of your attention towards your child.

You can balance your caretaking life with your personal life.

It's good to have hobbies, go on dates and experience life outside of raising your child.

Conclusion

Most importantly, recognizing and controlling anxiety in children necessitates a caring and personalized touch.

Each child is completely different and unique, so we must recognize it takes time and patience to help.

First, it is critical to recognize the different forms of anxiety and what is the root of the problem.

Then we can work on creating a secure and supportive environment.

Next, we try promoting positive coping methods and offering emotional support.

If those aren't working well we should start obtaining professional assistance.

This will help us with building resilience in the child.

We should always remember that practicing self-care as the caretaker is a crucial step for ensuring the proper understanding and management of anxiety in children because we won't convey health, happiness, and peace if we, as their leaders don't feel it.

Children are highly perceptive, as we all know.

These same children can and will learn to control their anxiety and live happy and healthy lives with the correct help.

Keep loving, learning, and caring for your child, brighter days are always around the corner.

Resources 

https://# (resource links here)https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/children-and-young-adults/advice-for-parents/anxiety-in-children/

https://www.youngminds.org.uk/parent/parents-a-z-mental-health-guide/anxiety/

https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/anxiety-disorders.html