Anxiety or worry is one of the most unpleasant sensations, which requires an immediate response, especially in its pathological manifestation. There is another type of anxiety that is normal . This is a natural emotion that is characteristic of all human beings. It is generated as a result of stress, which provokes the individual to anticipate events before they happen. In these cases, anxiety can be seen as an evolutionary function associated with human survival. Anticipating and assessing situations and dangers means responding adequately to what is happening. In addition, the scientific community argues that anxiety in its optimal form is an excellent prerequisite for the best and quality achievements. This type of anxiety is positive . It helps to balance between the outside world and our inner world. It makes us able to face problems in life and solve them by improving our own way of life. Anxiety is a factor that stimulates development, but when it is excessive or low, it causes suffering and inability of the individual to cope even in the most trivial situations. Incorrect assessment of an event, provoked by high or too low anxiety , can lead to complications in life and negatively affect a person's self-esteem.

Anxiety in children

Anxiety in children is a normal emotion when it does not go beyond the norm In recent years, the number of children with specific symptoms of anxiety and stress has reached a level of public concern .

First of all, it should be emphasized that it is not easy to distinguish between normal and pathological anxiety in children . It is normal and predictable at certain moments of growth, in the event of divorce of the parents or when the children are left alone in the dark or in a thunderstorm. Where to look for the border? When is anxiety considered a clinical case in younger children ? The answer to this question lies in the child's behavior : if anxiety interferes with normal daily activities and makes it difficult to implement, if the child suffers at school , at home or in the company of friends . In addition, headaches, vomiting, and abdominal pain in children may be due to anxiety . If the child often cries, shows nervousness and unexplained mental symptoms, ask yourself if this is not a nervous disorder provoked by anxiety .

Shortly before adolescence, 12-13 year olds experience constant irritation and anger caused by anxiety caused by everything. Specific phobias and obsessive-compulsive disorders are manifested. Unfortunately, in this age group, anxiety is confused with another type of disorder.

Causes of anxiety in children

  1. Genetic: biological predisposition
  2. Living environment: living conditions, upbringing and attitude of parents
  3. Personal: excessive emotionality and dependence on loved ones

When a child experiences severe anxiety for no reason, it is a pathological condition or mental disorder

The reasons for the increase in the number of children with this type of disorder are largely to be found in the personal stories of these children and their parents, but also in the environment: civilization has changed, and with it the family and relationships in him. We have a digital revolution that is shaping a new model of relationships. Meanwhile, symptoms such as desperate crying, agitation, insomnia, vomiting, nightmares, seizures, palpitations and dizziness are becoming more common. Parents play a major role in these cases. Very often they are too caring for their children due to the fact that they are often absent from their lives. It happens that parents are with their children only on weekends. This provokes an unhealthy feeling of guilt, which in turn determines the parent-child relationship. The child should always be able to rely on his parents for at least half an hour a day.

Sometimes neuroses are transmitted directly from mother to child , even during breastfeeding on a subconscious level. Her fears are transferred to the relationship with the newborn . Another factor of concern is the separation of parents , in which the child is deprived of a loved one. The reactions in this case are loud crying, caused by the feeling of something unusual and incomprehensible to him. As a result of these events, feelings of fear, trembling and nausea appear. Often, post-separation anxiety crises in older children are accompanied by a reluctance to attend school and not be able to sleep in the absence of the parent. In addition, some children find it very difficult to stay alone away from their parents. They feel an irrational, unrealistic and constant fear that something bad may happen to one or the other parent. They often have nightmares as a result of separation.

The younger ones develop various phobias, characterized by a constant, obsessive fear of certain objects, animals and situations that hinder their normal development. In a child , excessive fear becomes a phobia , which affects his normal life and relationships in his family. When the child starts behaving strangely , performing special rituals - to arrange the objects always in the usual order, to touch them in a strange way, to spend an unusual amount of time dressing, etc., it means that you are facing a problem.

There are many fears in children with these diseases. They require careful and precise control. This is not enough for parents alone. Of course, worries and fears are widespread in children and in most cases are normal for the age , but when parents notice in their child too much anxiety, fear or strange behavior , it is appropriate to turn to a specialist to solve the problem. With timely intervention, a few sessions will be enough to return the children to their normal way of life, but they will also prevent the problem from getting worse.