Anxiety disorders

Generalized anxiety disorder, or GAD, is an anxiety disorder that affects about 5% of the population. People with GAD worry excessively and uncontrollably about daily life events and activities. They often experience uncomfortable physical symptoms, including fatigue and sore muscles, and they can also have trouble sleeping and concentrating.

Here, you will find practical strategies and tools to help you manage your child's anxiety, whether your child is just beginning to show symptoms, or has been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.

Children with GAD become anxious whenever there is uncertainty or they are unsure about something. This is why kids with GAD worry about everything. Since most things in life are uncertain, there is always something to worry about!

CBT, or cognitive-behavioural therapy, is a psychological treatment that was developed through scientific research. That is, all of the components of CBT have been tested by researchers to determine whether they are effective and that they do what they are intended to do.

For most children attending school is an enjoyable and exciting experience. For some, however, attending school may be overwhelming and is endured or avoided. These children may suffer from separation anxiety disorder (SAD) which manifests as school refusal.

It is normal for children to sometimes feel anxious or insecure when separated from their parents or other important caregivers. Usually, such separation anxiety fades as they grow up and become more confident. If your child's separation anxiety continues to persist after the age of five and starts affecting his or her life, then your child may have separation anxiety disorder.

Author: Anxiety Canada

 

Fears are common and expected in childhood; however, for some children and teens, their fears can become very severe over time, and even develop into a phobia. A phobia is an intense and unreasonable fear of a specific object or situation.