Generalized Anxiety Disorder in Children
Normally, GAD in children is characterized by overly worrying about certain situations, family member's health problems, natural disasters that can hit the area, school or extra-curricular activity performances, and so on. While these are all normal things that a child can worry about, GAD in children is the excessive worry that can consume the child's thoughts and cause them physical problems on top of the fear. It completely interferes with the child's normal activities both at home and away from home.
Symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder in Children
Some of the main symptoms of GAD in children include:- Irritability
- Difficulty concentrating
- Difficulty falling, or staying, asleep
- Fatigue
- Muscle tension
- Inability to relax
- Restlessness
- Muscle aches
- Headaches
- Being overly hypercritical of themselves and overly worrying about how people see them
- Requiring constant approval or reassurance
Panic disorders usually occur when GAD in children is left unattended and gets worse quickly. The child them becomes apprehensive when they have to deal with situations or places where they have previously had a panic attack, a fearful episode, or other problem that they relate to fear, worry, or confrontation. If this is left untreated, a child can also develop agoraphobia just like an adult can that is suffering from the same panic disorder or GAD. The symptoms of a panic disorder or agoraphobia can include: dizziness, nausea, headaches, stomach upset, fainting, or heart palpitations.
Treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder Children
The good thing is that there are many different treatment options for both GAD in children as well as panic disorders. Some of the treatment options include: medications, family education, group or individual therapy, cognitive behavior therapy, or exposure response prevention. It is easily treatable, especially when the first warning signs appear in a child. While GAD in children can easily develop into something much worse if left untreated, the signs should be clear enough for a parent to recognize and get help for their child before it can evolve into anything worse.
See also : Anxiety Disorders in Children
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