We all know more or less what anxiety is, and many adults have suffered it on occasion: It is a basic emotion, and it turns out to be a form of adaptation to overcome with greater success the sensations that cause us dangerous situations, stressful or full of uncertainty.
We know that children can also be affected, and in fact it is considered the most diagnosed mental pathology after behavioral disorders. You already know that I do not like to label children, but I think we have to consider the causes of children presenting symptoms related to anxiety, and at least know their forms of presentation, and then look for the means at our disposal to In order to put solutions. I am more in favor of focusing on solutions than on causes, so I am not going to lose myself in the tangle of studies that try to determine if anxiety has a biological origin, or it can be more frequent when there are chemical imbalances. However, I am convinced that children can also learn (for better and for worse) from our reactions to stressful situations, so the first teaching before the anxiety that we transmit to them, comes to them without us pretending it.
Sudden and unexpected changes make them nervous
Manifestations of anxiety in children
They are varied, and personally I only find them useful to understand the problem, but do not doubt that there are times when the advice of the pediatrician, tutor of the school or family doctor can come in handy. But Above all, we should move common sense, and therefore it is good to seek different opinions to help us make a better decision.
- Separation Anxiety Disorder. It is completely normal for a baby or small child to suffer from having to separate from their parents to go to daycare, school, or because the elderly want to go to the movies and leave him at the grandmother's house. If the anguish occurs very frequently, or does not remit while the child grows, if it also interferes with other daily activities, we may have to intervene
It is useful to put ourselves in the place of children so that they feel understood, and never banal their feelings.
- Generalized anxiety disorder, these are children who care too much about many things, they are very sensitive children who show concern for their environment. It is associated with irritability, sleep disturbances, and muscle aches caused by tension.
In addition to seeking professional advice, parents they can name emotions, and make the child feel supported.
Social phobia, it is not specified so much in the difficulty to establish social relations, as in the anxiety that some children show in certain situations. It translates into the self-image they have developed and in exaggeration of their difficulties (for example talking in front of the class or performing a gymnastic exercise)
Obesitive compulsive disorderIn children and adolescents with this manifestation of anxiety, behaviors that clearly interfere with their daily life are observed because they are repeated as if they were rituals. Because of certain thoughts, the little ones tend to repeat routines systematically (For example, in the face of a perfectionist thought in excess, reiterate aloud the school tasks to be performed)
It is normal for children to present anguish or to be anxious to coincide with events that will alter their daily lives: the end of summer vacations, the surgical operation that dad will suffer, the birth of a little brother, a change of city, etc. Parents should understand their concerns, help them express emotions and determine when they seriously interfere in their daily lives.to.
Too often that we ourselves are overwhelmed by not knowing how to help children, and it also happens that we delay the search for solutions, but think that time passes, and not always in our favor. First of all we should think if it is in our hands to help the children, to (in case of discarding this option) after finding external help
Recommendations for parents
These guidelines are collected from the Mental Health Association of Westchester / New York (United States):
You should always listen to children's concerns and doubts, as well as answer your questions frankly. Adults do not always have an answer for everything, so we must explain that, sometimes, the reason for certain events (a traumatic death) is not understood. It is a good occasion to teach values and ideas.
We must encourage them to express their concerns, although few want to talk about their fears. Others do better with drawings or games, because they are activities that dilute the burden of anxiety.
Some children repeat the same game over and over again when they have been involved in a traumatic situation.
Children need to hear the same message repeatedlyeven reiterate your concerns frequently. They can be helped by offering them alternative or positive visions (for example if you are afraid that the grandfather who is ill dies, we can afford to collect the memories they have together in an album, or take him to see him with a tape recorder so that the old man can tell how your relationship with your own grandfather was).
On television and the Internet they appear hundreds of violent and dramatic images that affect them even if they don't initially prove it. We should always see the screen with them to be able to talk about the news that we unwittingly want, and in case we cannot be present in the same room we will try to limit the contents and be (at least) available.
When the kids already know how to express themselves, they can name their own feelings. We will handle conversations with them (better several short than one long), without insisting that they speak if they do not want at a certain moment.
Some of the numerous symptoms of anxiety manifest in the form of pain or tightness in the chest, palpitations, contractures in the neck, shoulders and back, nausea, irritability, sleep disturbances, fatigue or feeling of suffering
In my opinion, regardless of particular situations that may be generating anxiety, we are all increasingly subjected to higher levels of stress, and this is a factor that does not help improve anxiety in children. However, as adults we must ask ourselves what our own responses are to these situations, and how we can help our children.
