Children Experience Anxiety Too

Children experiencing anxiety as a part of their daily lives, fear at a young age is commonplace, but there is a need for parents to know what is normal childhood fears and what maybe a fear. Small children often have a fear of going to the doctor, or sleep in the dark, in a slightly older age, they may suffer anxiety when they first start kindergarten or the first day of school. This is normal, but if the fear interferes with their daily lives, it should be treated as soon as possible.

Anxiety can start as early as six months old, babies fear large objects, percussion or separation. With toddlers and preschool children may include fear being alone and dark. Children of school age may fear ghosts, failures, criticism and tests as adults actually physical harm and threats. Younger children do not worry like an adult or older children because they do not have mechanics to imagine future events or bad things associated with the future.

Children often react to changes, whether it be moving house, a break up of their parents' relationship or death of person close. It is important that parents take a child's fears seriously, and then help manage change in a caring and positive manner. Children with anxiety quite often have the same symptoms as adults, but have more difficulty expressing how they feel, and often a child will act when they are needy. If parents see a change in their child's behavior they should get a professional opinion.

Although physicians may have difficulty in diagnosing anxiety in children and often parents do not recognize symptoms either so if parents feel their child is acting differently than normal, they can talk to their children openly and see if there is something to stress them. Listen and then act accordingly, because if your child develops a fear that they will need treatment immediately.

Children with untreated anxiety often develop poor social skills are in great risk of not doing well in school and when they get older may self-medicate with drugs or alcohol. That is why treatment is essential, once they begin to show signs of anxiety, if it is necessary to have more than one medical opinion.

I remember being afraid when I was younger, and through my teenage years, and most of my adulthood, when I was a child anxiety was not a disorder and anxiety was just scared. We did not get professional help if it was a physical injury or illness. Mental illness was not talked about as it is today, had it been I might have learned to control my anxiety a lot earlier and had a different and happier lives.

I do not blame anyone for my anxiety, I wish my mom knew what to look for, and had more information about mental illness. I urge all parents to look for signs of anxiety in your child, it may just be normal childhood fears, which can be helped with love and support, but it can not, and can become an anxiety. Even if you are not sure it would not hurt to find out for sure from a professional.