It is quite normal for children to feel overly excited, worrisome and emotional. Unlike adults, they have a rather fresh and clean mindset, and they are not yet clouded by the various issues of reality. However, there are children who get to experience anxiety attacks at their early age, and once these become frequent, they may suffer from more serious psychological issues which they may carry as they grow up.
Anxiety attacks usually arise when the child is exposed to an overly emotional situation, such as traumatic experiences, upcoming events like parties or field trips, or when he or she is subject to punishment for a wrongdoing. But these attacks subside after the child has relaxed or calmed down, and soon after he gets over these actions after learning from such situations. There are children however, who continue to suffer from panic and anxiety issues even when there are no situations that suit to such actions, and these are the conditions which have to be properly addressed. Anxiety in children can have a serious impact on the child's quality of life.
Symptoms
Children who suffer from anxiety attacks usually exhibit the following symptoms:
- Having an imaginary friend. There are children who are found to talk to themselves in such a manner that they seem to be talking to another person. When asked about this, they would introduce an imaginary friend. Having an imaginary friend is one way to express anxiety; the child attempts to set himself away from reality by creating a friend to be there and comfort him at times of need.
- Insomnia. It is not normal for a child to lack adequate hours of sleep, much worse, suffer from insomnia. Not being able to sleep is an indicator of being anxious over something, such as fearing a person or object. They fear that once they sleep, they will have nightmares involving these people or things.
- Fainting. Some children tend to lose consciousness in the midst of an activity. This may be because they are intensely worried or excited about an upcoming event, to the point that they could no longer handle the emotions and in turn faint. Others meanwhile pee in their pants without even noticing it.
- Restlessness. There also children who express anxiety attacks by being restless. They run around the area repeatedly without being able to sit down and stay put, and talk gibberish for more than 10 minutes until they feel tired, just to get rid of the stress they feel.
Addressing Anxiety Attacks in Children
Addressing anxiety attacks may begin with giving the child the time off to relax and unleash his or her own emotions. This can be followed by consistent family bonding in which the child will learn that he is not alone, that his parents are there for total support. Family members can be there in times when the child has to do something special in school, such as in recitals or contests, as feeling the presence of the family would reduce the fears he feels and in turn overcome the challenges his has to face.
Most of all, anxiety attacks can be reduced by means of eliminating pressure and increasing positive reinforcement. Children who are able to see the good in their efforts without the need to fulfill somebody else’s expectations also get rid of their anxieties, as they become secure of their abilities and finally learn to brush off they usual fears.
