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Worried and woeful
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Is your child suffering from an anxiety disorder? Read on…
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WATCH OUT The child’s behaviour is an indicator
Just as adults experience anxiety, children and teens too suffer anxiety disorders. Stressful events such as starting school, peer pressure and separation from or loss of a parent can trigger an anxiety disorder.
Anxiety is a subjective sense of worry, apprehension and distress. While it is normal to experience these sensations on occasion, it is also important to distinguish between normal levels and unhealthy or pathologic levels of anxiety.
It should, however, be understood that a specific stressor need not be a precursor to the development of a disorder. Research has shown that if an anxiety disorder in a child is left untreated, he is at a higher risk of performing poorly in school and of having less-developed social skills. Although children experience anxiety symptoms in much the same way as adults, they display these symptoms differently. This can lead to difficulties in diagnosis. It can be difficult to determine whether a child’s behaviour is just a passing phase or whether it constitutes a disorder.
Some disorders in children, adolescents
Separation Anxiety Disorder: About 4 per cent of children suffer from this disorder. Many experience separation anxiety between 18 months and three years of age. Initially, a child may also experience stranger anxiety — an infant cries when it meets or is held by an unfamiliar person. It is normal for a child to feel anxious when a parent leaves the room or goes out of sight. Usually he/she can be distracted from these feelings. Separation anxiety when a child starts pre-school is common. The child stops crying when he/she becomes engaged in various activities.
Symptoms: The child may try to avoid going to places by themselves, refuse to go to school, follow a parent around and demand that someone stay with them at bedtime.
Social Anxiety Disorder: Social anxiety disorder is characterised by intense fear of social and performance situations.
Symptoms: The child is hesitant to be in the limelight and feels uncomfortable if pushed into it. He avoids initiating conversation, does not perform in front of others or hesitates to make phone calls even regarding simple things such as homework. He avoids eye contact while speaking to strangers, speaks softly or mumbles. Generalised Anxiety Disorder: Defined as excessive worry, apprehension, and anxiety occurring on most days for a period of 6 months or more over a number of activities or events.
Symptoms: The person has difficulty controlling his anxiety. He is easily fatigued, has difficulty concentrating; his mind goes blank, he is irritable, and finds it difficult to sleep.
Panic Disorder: Different from Panic Attacks; Panic Disorder is defined as sudden, discrete episodes of intense fear and/or discomfort accompanied by four out of 13 bodily or cognitive symptoms, often manifesting itself as an intense desire to escape, feelings of doom or dread, and impending danger. These symptoms peak within 10 minutes and subside within 20-30 minutes.
Symptoms: Palpitation or increased heart rate; sweating, trembling, shortness of breath, choking sensation, chest discomfort or pain, nausea or abdominal distress, feeling dizzy or light-headed, being detached from oneself, fear of losing control, fear of dying, numbness or tingling sensation, chills or hot flushes.
JAISHRI RAMAKRISHNAN
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Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Mangalore
Puducherry
Tiruchirapalli
Thiruvananthapuram
Vijayawada
Visakhapatnam
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