Although anxiety in children can be a common occurrence, when it is constant and disrupts their usual routine, then it becomes apparent that there is an underlying issue that needs to be addressed. Some symptoms of childhood anxiety disorder include having no desire to form friendships, hate attending school, and suffering from insomnia.
Generally, anxiety in children can be handled by mere encouragement and a feeling of security from their loved ones. However, childhood anxiety disorder needs to be attended to by a doctor if the child is to live a mentally healthy life. One such childhood anxiety disorder is obsessive compulsive disorder or (OCD). The symptoms of this disorder includes them doing something in a constant and repetitive fashion, like washing their hands over and over or having to be checking if a door is closed over and over in an obsessive way.
There is also Generalized Anxiety Disorder or (GAD). This form of childhood anxiety disorder sometimes causes the child to strive fanatically to be faultless in all areas of their life. They worry overly about their marks at school, how they perform in extra- curricular activities, how they look, and also about always being early; all in an effort to maintain what they consider to be a perfect existence.
In addition to the other disorders, there is also separation anxiety disorder. This type of disorder usually manifests itself during their preschool years. However, it is not specific only to that age group and therefore can and does extend to their later childhood years.
Children go through this form of anxiety when faced with an unfamiliar situation and people they are not accustomed to. They react in a very negative way when they are separated from their loved ones, and are sometimes inconsolable when they have to be out of their presence, especially for an extended period of time.
Some childhood anxiety disorders manifest themselves as specific phobias. They are afraid of such things as darkness, blood, heights, and thunderstorms.
Children sometimes suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder as well. This occurs when they either have observed or have personally been through something disturbing such as a burglary or automobile accident. The symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder includes anxiousness, bad dreams, insomnia, and constant reminders of the occurrence. The child may also become reserved; avoiding the people, places and activities they would usually be interested in. They will need psychoanalysis to stop them from reliving these occurrences.
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