Child Anxiety Attacks and Why They Are Hard to Recognize

Anxiety disorders do not discriminate. They affect people in all different stages of life, even toddlers and teenagers. Anxiety doesn’t discriminate on the basis of age, sex or ethnicity. These days, child anxiety attacks are becoming more and more common, and doctors only expect these occurrences to increase.

One of the biggest concerns that parents have is that they won’t know that their kids are suffering from a child anxiety attack and that the attacks will continue unchecked. Anxiety disorders that affect children are often hard to diagnose because the symptoms mimic those of other disorders.

Often, a parent won’t recognize symptoms at all because they will feel that their child’s behavior is normal. For example, temper tantrums are common amongst children. If a child has a tantrum, the parent may only recognize this as bad behavior, and may not stop to think that their child may actually be afflicted by severe anxiety.

The parent will scold the child rather than attempt to understand the behavior as anxiety. In order to distinguish between a tantrum and an anxiety attack, the parent should be aware of the presence of symptoms such as breathlessness, nausea, numbness, nervousness, headache, and stomach ache. All of these discomforts lead to the distraction of one’s concentration and thinking.

You may not notice any of these internal effects when an attack is coming on, but there are other symptoms to look for, such as a sudden change in facial expression or a tensed face. The child may experience a sudden dip in self-esteem before an attack, and may begin to express dislike for themselves. These types of symptoms should be highly noticeable, and are a good indicator that your child is indeed suffering an anxiety attack, and is not just misbehaving.

A child suffering from anxiety disorder may find it really hard to concentrate on his or her studies in school, and even at home. They may be incapable of making quick decisions, or may not be able to make choices at all. The simplest of choices will become difficult, and they will show extreme worry at making the wrong one. Moreover, they tend to be absent minded most of the time. Anxiety disorders are usually triggered by stress and other social events which have occurred in the home. Any trauma that occurs will leave bad memories which when thought about will bring on anxiety.

Anxiety disorders in children also have many different types and forms. Phobias, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Acute Stress Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Separation Anxiety Disorder are all classified as types of anxiety disorders. Most of the above mentioned disorders will affect the child’s ability to interact socially and may impede vital functions like sleeping, eating, and performing personal hygiene.

If you believe that your child may be suffering from an anxiety disorder, you should seek help immediately. Medical professionals are able to diagnose the problem and help your child recover. There are also other options, like The Anxiety Free Child Program. This program was developed by internationally recognized anxiety expert Rich Presta.

About the Author

The Anxiety Free Child Program focuses on the parent helping their child at home through understanding and positive reinforcement. If you are interested in more information, you can visit The Anxiety Free Child Website.

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