Adolescents as well as children are increasingly getting affected by anxiety disorders today. This has made anxiety one of the primary mental health problems in modern times. It is, therefore, of immense importance that our children possess appropriate set of skills for getting rid of anxiety and other difficult emotions.
There is a wide range of stressors that are associated with growing up. In the following you will find a list of anxiety related disorders that a child can experience. Most of the anxiety disorders listed below are discussed in details elsewhere on this website in their own dedicated articles. The remaining anxiety disorders are explained in the following
Important Note:
At the same time as you go through all of the below descriptions and everything else on this website, you need to always remember the fact that it is crucial that a child be evaluated and treated with the guide of a properly trained therapist.
- Generalize Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
- Panic Disorder
- Separation Anxiety Disorder (SAD)
- Selective Mutism
- Social Phobia (social anxiety)
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Panic Disorder
Panic is the most extreme form of anxiety. When you have a panic attack, you experience a surge of mounting physiological arousal that culminates in peak-intensity anxiety symptoms. If "normal" anxiety is a campfire, panic is an inferno. Common physical symptoms include heart palpitations, tightening in the chest, shortness of breath, dizziness, faintness, sweating, nausea, trembling, shaking, and tingling in the hands and feet. Fears of "going crazy," having a heart attack, or dying often spring up around these physical sensations. Feelings of unreality and an intense desire to flee are also typical. Panic can occur spontaneously or in response to encountering a phobic situation.
Your very first panic attack can have a traumatic impact, leaving you feeling terrified, helpless, and anxious about the possibility of future episodes. Unfortunately, in some cases, panic does repeatedly recur. Why some people have a panic attack only once-or perhaps once every few years-while others develop a chronic condition with several attacks per week is still not well understood.
The good news is that you can learn to cope with panic attacks so that they will no longer have the power to frighten you. There are both long- and short-term interventions that can help you diminish the intensity and frequency of panic attacks. Long-term interventions include changes in your lifestyle. Particularly important are regular practice of deep relaxation, maintaining an exercise routine, eliminating caffeine and sugar from your diet, and simplifying your life.
Selective Mutism
Selective Mutism is characterized by a child’s inability to speak in selected social settings such as schools. These children are able to talk normally once out of those selected social settings.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
OCD is most commonly characterized by a subject’s intrusive thoughts, distressing, obsessive, and related compulsions such as rituals or tasks which attempt to neutralize the obsessions.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder:
Certain psychological consequences arising from confrontation with or exposure to highly shocking and upsetting experiences are known as post traumatic stress or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
|
