Children's Perspectives on Anxiety Disorder

by

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LITERATURE REVIEW1

Introduction1

Anxiety2

Anxiety Disorder2

The Amygdala2

Anxiety Attacks3

Situational Anxiety3

Symptoms of Anxiety3

Child Anxiety4

Support / Help for Anxiety4

Anxiety in Children4

Symptoms of Anxiety in Children6

Depression6

Reliability and inwardness6

Causes of Anxiety in Children7

Etiology of Anxiety Disorders in Children8

How does it manifest anxiety in childhood and adolescence?9

Difference between Anxiety and Phobias or Phobias in Children10

Complications of Depression on Children Suffering from School Phobia10

How to promote good self-esteem in children?11

Unconditional Love11

Provide support11

Help the Child Find Aptitudes, Interests and Activities11

Not be too overprotective12

Promote their autonomy12

Not be too demanding12

Classification of Anxiety Disorders in Children15

Separation Anxiety Disorder15

Panic Disorder15

Generalized Anxiety Disorder16

Social Phobia16

School phobia17

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder18

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)18

Disorders of Elimination19

Eating Disorders19

Tratorno Sexual Identity20

Child Schizophrenia20

Other Anxiety Disorders20

Anxiety Disorders without Phobic Avoidance21

Fighting with Anxiety22

Treatment of Anxiety Disorders in Children23

Behavioral Therapy26

Cognitive-Behavioral Psychotherapy (CBT)27

Family Psychotherapy27

Medication27

LITERATURE REVIEW

Introduction

Many children feel anxious or stressed up when exposed to challenging situations. Such situations include different experiences such as the experience of first day at school; speaking for the first time in front of large audiences etc. But when a child tends to experience intense feelings of anxiety and distress, frequently, the normal development process is hampered and is slowed down. In these cases, parents of the children should understand the fact that there exists a serious anxiety problem. Anxiety disorders are among the most common form of mental disorders, prevailing in the United States(Meadows, 2000). About 13 percent of children and adolescents are affected by anxiety disorders each year. Anxiety among children and adolescents is related mainly to sleeping disorders; night terrors; loneliness fears; irritability; aggression, etc. These manifestations may accompany with some physical symptoms such as headaches, nausea, sweating, and dizziness.

According to research conducted with children and young people, biological and psychological factors do play a pivotal role in the development of anxiety disorders. When children and adolescents are subjected to intense stress situations, resulting in shocking experiences, tend to trigger an anxious feeling amongst the children of different age groups. The different types of anxiety disorders in children and adolescents include: separation anxiety, panic disorder, anxiety, anxiety related to obsessive-compulsive behavior, phobic anxiety, or posttraumatic stress disorder. First of all parents should consider the child or adolescent must be kept under the supervision of a physician, who should provide all the consulting facilities. The notion of parent involvement is very important, because they should help create a supportive structure and safety for the treatment of anxiety and recovery of their sibling(Craske, 2000).

Anxiety

Anxiety is a combination of negative emotions including fear and worry. Anxiety is often triggered under the influence of sensations such as chest pain, racing heart, feelings of breathlessness and sweating. It is called "anxiety" natural state that we feel when facing a dangerous situation.



Anxiety Disorder

Anxiety disorders tend to affect the child when he or she experiences an unexpected situation of anxiety. Against the reaction of anxiety, the patient tends to experience more anxiety than adequate levels; it becomes inappropriate levels of anxiety.

The Amygdala

The amygdala is a part of the Limbic system in the brain. Anxiety (and then also the inappropriate anxiety) ...