Children Experience Anxiety Too

Children experience anxiety as part of their everyday life, fears at a young age are common, but there is a need for parents to know what is normal childhood fear, and what maybe a Anxiety Disorder. Young children often have a fear of going to the doctors, or of sleeping in the dark, at a slightly older age they may suffer anxiety when they first start kindergarten or their first day at school. This is normal but if the anxiety interferes with their everyday life, it should be treated as soon as possible.

Anxiety can start as early as 6 months old, babies may fear large objects, loud noise or separation. With toddlers and pre-school age children the fears may include being alone and darkness. School age children may fear ghosts, failure, tests criticism and like adults actual physical harm and threats. Younger children don't worry like adult or older children, as they don't have the mechanics to imagine future events or bad things associated with the future.

Children quite often react to change, whether it be moving house, a break up of their parents relationship or the death of someone close. It is important parents take a child's anxiety seriously, and help then cope with change in a caring and positive manner. Children with Anxiety quite often have the same symptoms as adults, but find it harder to express how they are feeling, and often a child will act out when they are distressed. If parents see a change in their child's behavior they should get a professional opinion.

Even doctors can have trouble diagnosing anxiety in children, and often parents don't recognize the symptoms either so if parents notice their child is acting differently than normal, they can talk to their child openly and see if there is anything that is stressing them. Listen and then act accordingly, because if your child develops an Anxiety Disorder they will need treatment promptly.

Children with untreated anxiety often develop poor social skills, are at a high risk of not doing well at school and as they get older may self medicate with drugs or alcohol. That's why treatment is vital when they first start showing signs of anxiety, if necessary get more than one doctors opinion. I remember being scared when I was younger, and through my teenage years and most of my adulthood, when I was a child anxiety wasn't a disorder and fear was just fear. We didn't get professional help unless it was a physical injury or illness. Mental illness wasn't talked about like it is today, had it been I may have learned to manage my anxiety a lot earlier and had a different and happier life.

I don't blame anyone for my anxiety, I just wish I my mother knew what to look for and had more information about mental illness. I urge all parents to look for the signs of anxiety in your child, it may just be normal childhood fear which can be helped with love and support, but it may not and can turn into an Anxiety Disorder. Even if you are not sure it won't hurt to find out for sure from a professional.