Anxiety Attacks in Children - Is Your Child Having Them? - By: Chris Mollo

Anxiety attacks in children often go unnoticed by most parents. Instead, they are mistaken for a temper tantrum or general bad behavior. In fact, nearly half of children who have anxiety attacks do not receive proper treatment, and that anxiety often becomes chronic and troubles them into adulthood and later life.

The outcome for treatment of anxiety attacks in children is generally very good, but since it is often misjudged, many cases are not treated until adolescent years when the anxiety has worsened and begun to affect daily functions. Cognitive behavioral therapy combined with treatment of antidepressants is proving to be widely effective, even when initiated in later stages of childhood anxiety disorder.

The link between chronic mood and anxiety disorders in adults originating when they were children is very strong. Commonly, anxiety attacks in children worsen as the child reaches maturity.

It's also important to note that children who fear the dark seem to be at an increased risk of anxiety and depression as adults. It is now understood that those fears may stem from many disorders as opposed to just a single one.

How can you manage your child's fear of the dark? Many child psychologists suggest the use of a nightlight, or having the child's bedroom in close proximity to their parents. Leaving the bedroom door open at night will also reinforce the child's belief that they are not alone and have nothing to worry about. Many parents, unfortunately, believe that these actions will cause their children to be weak and fearful in later years, when in fact they help nurture the child and alleviate feelings of desolation and loneliness.

Another correlation between adult anxiety and fear are the toilet habits of the child. This is something that is most often overlooked by both parent and medical professional as well, partly because it is uncomfortable to speak of and somewhat of a "taboo" in many civilized cultures.

Children who have painful bowel movements can leave a child fearful of pain, and leave them with tremendous anxiety towards using the bathroom. This is has also been linked to generalized anxiety disorder in older children. This phenomenon is just one of the many fears that children many have that can lead to anxiety attacks in later life.

The bottom line is that there are many behaviors and apprehensions that can cause anxiety attacks in children, and as a parent, you should be aware of these and what you can do to help.

Learning about this crucial element to your child's development can be a daunting and confusing task, but it is one of great importance, and you should do everything possible to educate yourself and prepare for these situations.

So how you can you possibly prepare yourself to help your child develop properly?

About the Author

Undoubtedly one of the best references to help both prepare you and also teach you to help your child effectively cope with anxiety is The Anxiety Free Child Program. For more information on this most important topic, please visit: http://www.anxiety-free-children.info

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/Chris-Mollo/122485

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