anxiety disorders

Anxiety is a normal response to a danger. It becomes a problem when it lasts too long, is very intense or appears before something harmless.
Anxiety is a normal response to a possible danger, and serves a protective function. However, anxiety becomes a problem when it lasts too long, is very intense or appears before a harmless stimulus (which the person perceives as dangerous).
Children suffer "normal fears", which change according to age, such as the fear of:

0-2 years: loud noises, unknown.
2-4 years: separation from their parents, something happens to their loved ones, storms, darkness, animals.
4-6 years: death.
6-12 years: accidents, natural phenomena, criminals, imaginary beings.
Teenagers: be popular with your friends, school performance.
What are the symptoms of anxiety disorders?
The manifestations of anxiety vary widely and depend on the child's age, level of development and ability to explain feelings. The symptoms of anxiety can be:

Emotional: fear, anguish, internal restlessness, repetitive thoughts, blocking ("staying blank"), indecision, etc.
Physical: headache, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, feeling of suffocation, dizziness, palpitations, excessive sweating, etc.
Sphincter decontrol (pee and shit) when they controlled them before.
Motors: agitation, restlessness, touching the hair, biting the nails, etc.
Affective: mood swings, irritability, disobedience, etc.
Alterations of sleep: insomnia, nightmares, awakenings during the night, etc.
Rituals ("manias") or excessive scruples.
Presenting these symptoms in a dangerous or stressful situation is normal. It becomes an anxiety disorder when the symptoms interfere with the child's daily activities .

There are several types of anxiety disorders, according to the stimulus that causes fear. Children and adolescents may develop the same anxiety disorders as adults. In fact, phobias and separation anxiety disorder usually begin in childhood and are the most frequent anxiety disorders in the pediatric age.

The two main dangers of anxiety disorders are that they can cause:

great suffering in the child
avoidance behaviors: the child avoids birthday parties, activities, camps, certain people or places, or even refuses to attend school, with the sole purpose of avoiding situations that scare him.
In addition, anxiety decreases the child's self-esteem, social relationships and development.

What causes anxiety?
Several factors can influence the appearance of anxiety disorders:

Biological: like genes and temperament.
Environmental: experiences of abuse, anxiety disorder in relatives, some styles of parents (discipline too hard, incongruous or overprotective) or an insecure bond with parents.
Also, if the child has another psychiatric disorder, such as depression or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, it can make him more vulnerable to having an anxiety disorder.

All these factors cause changes in the brain and alter the substances that regulate the body's responses, producing the symptoms of anxiety. Most children with anxiety have a biological predisposition that makes them react excessively in situations of stress. When this vulnerability is combined with environmental factors, the likelihood of presenting an anxiety disorder increases.

How is it diagnosed?
First of all it is convenient to rule out a disease (for example, a hormonal disease). The diagnosis is made through a clinical interview with the child and the parents, also with information about the school.

How are anxiety disorders treated?
Some children with anxiety disorders who do not receive a specific treatment are cured, but over time they tend to relapse, and in adulthood they often develop other anxiety or depression disorders.

When faced with a child with an anxiety disorder, parents and teachers can help with some strategies:

The most important thing: Help the child to face the situation or the feared object. Do not allow him to avoid it. For this, it is convenient to maintain a routine when facing the situation that gives you fear (for example, going to bed or school), offering strategies to overcome it.
If this is not enough, you may need treatment by a mental health professional.
Sometimes the help of your loved ones is not enough and you need to go to a psychologist, to help you make this exposure . The psychologist can design a progressive exposure plan (first facing easy stimuli and exposing him to increasingly difficult stimuli, preventing him from escaping or avoiding them), teaching him relaxation exercises or other techniques. psychological

The treatment of anxiety depends on the severity of the symptoms and their impact on the daily functioning of the child.

Sometimes, in cases of marked or severe anxiety, it is necessary to use medication treatment. The most commonly used drugs are SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) such as sertraline, fluoxetine or citalopram, which are very effective if taken for at least 6 months. Benzodiazepines (tranquilizers) such as clonazepam or chloracepate can be used for a short period of time to achieve a rapid reduction in marked anxiety.

conclusion
Anxiety disorders are frequent, also in children and adolescents. They have treatment, which is very effective. The sooner they are treated, the child will suffer fewer complications and recover their usual lifestyle.

IF YOU LIKE MY CONTENT THEN FOLLOW ME AND VOTE ME UP AND SUPPORT ME