Child anxiety symptoms and signs - By: relhuk

Despite the great amount of information available to parents about the diagnosis and treatment of child and adolescent mental disorders, there are few resources available to help parents and other adults respond to the questions and concerns of the children themselves. When children don't have accurate and specific information, they often construct their own interpretation and misconceptions may arise.

The child with a Learning Disorder
may think: I'm stupid; I'll never learn; there's something wrong with my brain.

The child with an Anxiety Disorder
may think: I won't know what to say at the party and people will look at my pimples, so I better stay home.

When parents confront the possibility that their child may have an anxiety disorder, they begin a process of inquiry which ultimately leads to a diagnosis and plan for appropriate treatment. Along the way parents grapple with questions such as: who's responsible, what is the illness, why did it happen, where did it come from, how can we fix it? Parents can be flooded with thoughts and emotions upon hearing their child has a problem such as an Anxiety Disorder, a Learning Disorder or an Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, the most common disorders of childhood and adolescence.

One useful way for parents to cope with feeling overwhelmed by the unknown is to search for answers. Just as importantly, children need answers to the very same questions as their parents. With knowledge comes confidence, a sense of control and optimism in being able to successfully meet a challenge.
Surprisingly, for both parent and child, awareness of a diagnosis can bring relief rather than guilt or shame as they learn together about the nature and treatment of the disorder. Although there is no one right time or one right conversation to have with the child who receives a diagnosis, some general principles can serve as a guide. In the context of an age-appropriate discussion, the child can be helped to learn useful factual information about what her diagnosis means and how it is treated.

Adapt your explanation to the age of the child

Very young children are concrete in their thinking; they handle information best when it is given to them in short, simple
facts related to their immediate world.

They live in the moment and lack the ability to deal with concepts relating to the distant future. Therefore, it's helpful to talk about things in terms of a specific time, from event to event - for example, saying "we'll try this until your next birthday" has more meaning than "we don't know the long-term side effects of this medication." Young children have a self-centered view of the world and may think the problem is their fault or that they are bad.

By the age of 8 or 9, children want and can understand specific facts and information. They are interested in more sophisticated and technical explanations.
By adolescence youngsters can deal with abstract issues such as understanding the long-term aspects of the illness and the part the illness plays in the establishment of their individual identity. Parents should also address issues of self-image and how the disorder and treatment affect peer relationships.

About the Author

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