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<\/p>\nAnxiety is a normal part of human behaviour. It\u2019s a fundamental aspect of our \u201cflight or fight\u201d response. Back in the days when we lived in caves and were regularly chased by lions, tigers, and indeed, bears, anxiety helped us survive through ensuring we didn\u2019t take unnecessary risks and remained on alert for danger.<\/p>\n
Anxiety in children is common, and part of growing up. Children might be afraid of the dark, or worried about starting a new school, or too fearful to take the stabilisers off a bike. All of this is a normal part of childhood, but when that anxiety is impossible to overcome, and when it stops us from taking part in activities and joining in the fun, it becomes a problem.<\/p>\n
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Whilst anxiety is a normal part of growing up, anxiety that is having an impact on your child\u2019s day to day activities and social interactions can be harmful to their mental health. Often, it is difficult to identify why a child is struggling with anxiety, but there are certain factors that can contribute to the problem.<\/p>\n
Having a close family member who suffers from an anxiety disorder is thought to be one factor. It is possible that genetics may make a child more prone to anxiety. In addition, anxiety can be a learned behaviour, so if the child regularly witnesses a parent or older sibling being anxious, they may learn to become afraid, as well.<\/p>\n
Anxiety may also be caused by events and situations that the child witnesses. It could be a family or pet bereavement that brings home the idea of death and loss to a child. It might be a car accident, that, even if it was only a minor \u201cbump\u201d, could still have been a very frightening experience for the child. A child who overhears something terrible happening on the news, such as a bombing or plane crash, might become anxious about it happening to them.<\/p>\n
Anxiety in children can even be triggered by situations that you might think were fairly benign, such as a grandparent going into hospital for a routine operation. Often, anxiety in children is caused when children witness events, but lack the capacity to fully understand the situation and context. They may use their imagination to fill in those gaps in understanding, resulting in them becoming more fearful.<\/p>\n
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Whilst adults and teenagers are able to express their feelings through words, children often find it much harder to do so. They may not fully understand what they are feeling and lack the ability to put those feelings into words. Anxiety in children can manifest in a number of different ways, and many of the symptoms may be attributed to other disorders or illnesses, or even be dismissed as a sign of their immaturity. For this reason, anxiety in children can easily be missed.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s worth bearing in mind that anxiety has a physical response in the body. When we encounter a scary or stressful situation, our natural \u201cflight or fight\u201d response is triggered, releasing stress hormones into the body that raise the heart rate, tense the muscles, and reduces blood flow to your stomach.<\/p>\n
If your child regularly complains of stomach ache, you might be wondering if they have developed a food intolerance, and whilst this may be the case, it is also worth considering if anxiety could be the cause. Stomach ache is one of the most common complaints that children with anxiety have. The physical changes that the stress hormones create can cause issues with their digestive system. Their stomach muscles may cramp, they may feel sick or even be sick, they may develop acid reflux that leads to a tight feeling in their chest (another possible complaint your child may make), and they may develop diarrhoea. As a result of these changes to their digestive system, your anxious child may lose their appetite. You may even notice a pattern, for example, before school they may refuse to eat breakfast.<\/p>\n
You may also notice that your child is fidgety, restless, and rarely sits still. It might be tempted to think that they have a disorder, such as ADHD, and whilst that is a possibility, it could also be that anxiety is the cause. The stress hormones make our muscles tense and our heart beat faster, so that we are ready to run, or fight if needed. If a child is anxious, they may be experiencing that physical response throughout most, if not all of the day, making it much harder for them to relax and sit still. Come bedtime, those same hormones make it harder to fall asleep, so your anxious child may be suffering from insomnia.<\/p>\n
If your child regularly complains of headaches, this too may be caused by anxiety. Again, muscle tension and hormonal changes can cause both tension headaches and migraines. If your child is experiencing these symptoms on a regular basis it is, of course, always best to get them checked by a medical professional to rule out any other illnesses and disorders.<\/p>\n
Sometimes anxiety is missed in children because their behaviours are often misinterpreted as being caused by something else. A child might be described as \u201cimmature\u201d, \u201csensitive\u201d, or even \u201cnaughty\u201d. Sometimes the behaviour of an anxious child might cause the parent to consider other disorders, such as autism, ADHD, OCD, or Oppositional Defiant Disorder.<\/p>\n
Of course, a diagnosis is impossible without a medical professional, which is why if your child is exhibiting any of these symptoms on a regular basis and these are having a negative impact on their well-being, you should seek professional help.<\/p>\n
An anxious child may:<\/p>\n
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If your child\u2019s anxiety is severe, it\u2019s important to seek help from your GP. They may refer your child onto the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) in your area for an assessment and treatment, or they may be able to signpost you to other local organisations and charities that can offer support.<\/p>\n
There are lots of steps you can take at home to support your child with anxiety. You can enable them to develop a healthy approach to stressful situations through a number of ways.<\/p>\n
Mindfulness is a useful tool for helping to manage anxiety. When we are anxious, we tend to have all of our focus turned inwards, and mindfulness seeks to reverse that. A simple activity to do with children is to get them to lie down and ask them to tense and then relax each part of their body in turn, starting with their toes and then working up the body through their legs, hips, stomach, shoulders, arms and hands. You could make it more fun by getting them to pretend they are trying to find a hidden superpower in their body.<\/p>\n
When out and about you could set them challenges that gets them to focus on the world around them, rather than on their own thoughts. For example, ask them to count how many red cars they spot, or get them to look for ladybirds in the plants they pass.<\/p>\n