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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 for herself
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. If left untreated, they are at a hig
her risk of performing poorly in school and of having less-developed social skills.
Some disorders
Separation Anxiety 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. Separation anxiety when a child starts pre-school is common. 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, avoids initiating conversation, does not perform in front of others. 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.
Symptoms: The person has difficulty controlling his anxiety, is easily fatigued, has difficulty concentrating; his mind goes blank, he is irritable, and finds it difficult to sleep.
Panic Disorder: 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 30 minutes.
Symptoms: Palpitation or increased heart rate; sweating, 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.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Defined by persistent obsessions and/or compulsions that are found unreasonable and excessive.
Symptoms: The most common obsessions concern dirt and contamination, repeated doubts, need to have things arranged in a specific way and disturbing sexual imagery. The most frequent compulsions involve repetitive washing of hands or using tissues to touch things, checking drawers, locks, windows, and doors, counting rituals, repeating actions and requesting reassurance.
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder: Individuals suffer this when they experience, witness, or are confronted by events that involve actual or perceived threat of death or serious bodily injury. Their response to such situations is that of intense fear, helplessness, or horror.
Symptoms: The traumatic event is continually re-experienced in the following ways: recurrent and intrusive distressing remembrances of it involving images, thoughts, perceptions or distressing dreams, acting or believing that the event is recurring; intense anxiety and distress when exposed to situations that resemble the traumatic event.
It is necessary to seek professional help when symptoms of these disorders are observed, especially if the parent senses that the anxiety is not within in the normal threshold but seems to be at a pathological level.
JAISHRI RAMAKRISHNAN
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Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
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Kochi
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Visakhapatnam
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