Does your child or teen worry too often? Is anxiety having a negative impact on their happiness or ability to function?
Anxiety in children and adolescents is one of the most prevalent mental health concerns today. Some anxiety is common in children and teens and a normal experience. Anxiety can be a reaction to stress or feeling uncomfortable in a situation. When anxiety becomes excessive and causes ongoing distress in the child or teen’s daily living, an anxiety disorder might be occurring.
Symptoms of anxiety can include headaches, stomach aches, difficulty with sleep, school refusal, crying, clinginess, moodiness, and seeking excessive reassurance. A child or teen with anxiety may often display unrealistic, negative and catastrophic thinking. Other forms of anxiety can entail avoidance of social interactions, obsessive thoughts and rituals, severe traumatic reactions, and specific fears.
