Making your child the epitome of confidence and bravery is easier wished or said than done. Unfortunately, anxiety can be a major concern that stands in the way of your child’s success.  Dr. Donna Pincus, author of Growing Up Brave, believes that to “promote courage for long-term confidence” it is important for parents to “identify and understand anxiety in their children.” Anxiety is not a simple concern: it is a major emotional condition that can affect both adults and children.

Anxiety is the human body’s natural response to the stress hormone called adrenaline, which is released when sensing danger. It becomes a health concern when it happens at the wrong time.

Anxiety: The Fight-or-Flight Response at the Wrong Time

The reactions associated with anxiety are valuable when there is a good reason to justify them. However, it is unhealthy when your child’s body and mind are constantly on alert, even when there is no reason for it.

When a child’s body is in fight-or-flight mode, their chest feels like bursting with their pounding heart. Their blood is surging like they are in a state of emergency. Their hands are trembling and clammy, the muscles are tense, and they feel sick. These reactions can make your child uncomfortable. In fact, that is the purpose of the reactions—so your child will be aware and respond accordingly to the danger. With anxiety, however, your child will experience these reactions even when there is no danger.

Going Back to The Roots: What Contributes to Anxiety?

Unraveling the factors that contribute to your child’s anxiety may not be that easy. A host of things can affect its development and manifestations. Genetic predispositions and environmental factors can influence its expression. Some children have anxiety running in their families, and others have a temperament or personality that makes them more vulnerable to it.

Traumatic life events can contribute significantly, especially when your child is already predisposed. A stressful family life (parents’ divorce or separation, sibling rivalry, frequent moves from one home to another), not to mention unhappy school experiences (being bullied, not having friends, or failing in school) may trigger anxiety or contribute to it further. Other factors that may contribute to your child’s anxiety are losing a loved one, a physical disability, and if they are older, weight/appearance issues, relationship concerns, and money matters.

Anxiety Creating More Concerns

If anxiety is troubling your child, recognizing the signs is critical so you can help them. Depending on the type of anxiety (separation anxiety, fears and phobias, generalized anxiety, school-based anxiety, obsessions and compulsions, selective mutism, panic attacks, or social anxiety) and the intensity of the symptoms, it can seriously hamper your child’s life, studies, and relationships. They may refuse to go to school, not participate in activities, or not perform their best.

Your life as a family may be disrupted by accommodating your child’s emotional condition. Your child struggling with anxiety may refuse to join you in social activities, travel, or recreation. They may manifest behaviors that make others feel upset or guilty. Your family’s relationships can be threatened by bickering, misunderstandings, and conflicts that stress the whole family.

The worst thing is that when it goes undiagnosed and untreated, anxiety can make your child feel miserable throughout their childhood and beyond.

The Professional Help Your Child Needs

Your young child will not have the right words to verbalize how they are feeling or thinking. Inability to express what’s worrying them may make them angry, fearful, defiant, moody, etc. Acting out is their way of telling you about their confusion and fear. If you ignore the symptoms, thinking they will soon get over them or it is just a passing stage, know that they can get worse. Anxiety is treatable, and the best way for your child to feel better is with therapy, which you can get from a therapist independently contracted with Carolina Counseling Services – Sanford, NC.

An experienced counselor from CCS in Sanford can help your child understand their feelings and thoughts. They will be given the opportunity to talk about and discover what makes them fearful or anxious. They will learn how to handle their anxiety issues, worry less, and live as normally as possible. Give your child the chance to enjoy their childhood and the prospect of a healthy adult life without the miserable symptoms of anxiety—call Carolina Counseling Services – Sanford, NC, now!

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