Anxiety Disorder in Children is More Common Than You Might Think

While most of us have heard about adult anxiety disorder, you may not know that anxiety disorder in children is being diagnosed more frequently than ever before. This is amazing when you stop to think about it. Children should not have the worries that adults do. Childhood should be a time of enjoying school, friends and playtime. So, what is this condition and what are the symptoms you should be looking for?

It is impossible to know the exact number of cases of anxiety disorder in children due to the fact the condition can easily go unnoticed or even undiagnosed by the family and doctors. This can go on for many years and right into adulthood if left untreated. In many instances it may never be treated.

Why is it so difficult to diagnose? The biggest reason why anxiety disorder in children is tough to diagnose is because it is so similar to regular childhood feelings. By that I mean a child can experience feelings of worry, fear and anxiousness on a regular everyday basis and this is not considered abnormal. They can have feelings like that for most all of their childhood. I'm sure you had some of the same ones yourself.

Where the real issue of anxiety disorder comes in is that these feelings are so much stronger and more powerful than those of other children. As a parent you will need to look at their feelings and see if they are normal, or if they are more severe. The next most logical question would be what are the symptoms that would tend to indicate an anxiety disorder?

When your average child becomes worried or anxious they may have symptoms such as a headache, sweating or even some nausea. While this is not something we like to see in our children, it is considered normal feelings when faced with these types of situations.

For children with an anxiety disorder the feelings become much more intense and severe. For instance, your child may become so worried that they shake uncontrollably, or have severe headaches that just won't go away with treatment. Learning can become impaired as they simply can not concentrate on anything other than the problem. They may even vomit because of their anxiousness.

The good news with this type of disorder is that it is treatable. If you suspect your child may have an anxiety disorder, talk to a doctor about it. Let them know specific instances and discuss it with them. You don't have to let and anxiety disorder ruin your child's ability to learn and enjoy a more carefree childhood. You simply need to keep an eye on the symptoms and detect it in time.