Anxiety

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What is it?

Anxiety and fear are important for survival because they act as a mechanism to protect the body against stress or danger. Anxiety and fear trigger the release of hormones such as adrenalin. Adrenalin causes your heart to beat faster in order to carry blood to where it is most needed. You breathe faster to provide extra oxygen, which is needed for energy. All of these enable us to prepare for the consequences of the situation – either we can fight it, or we can run – often this is known as the ‘fight or flight’ response. For some people, however, they can experience so much anxiety that it interferes with their normal lives and they are no longer able to function properly – this is an anxiety disorder.

How common is it?

Between 5 and 10 in every hundred children and young people have anxiety problems bad enough to affect their ability to live a normal life.

What age range does it affect?

Very young children often develop fears and phobias. Often, these happen in a particular situation such as going to nursery or settling down at night because of separation from parents or familiar adults. If these become severe enough and the child does not learn to cope with them an anxiety disorder can develop. In other words these conditions can affect anyone from a very young age right through to adulthood.

Symptoms

Panic attacks
Sleep problems
Withdrawal from other people
Feeling breathless, sweaty, or having ‘butterflies’ in your stomach
Feeling tense, fidgety, or needing to go to the toilet often
Being irritable, tearful or clingy

Regular Causes

Family problems - Young children feel insecure when they hear their parents arguing or fighting. They may be asked to take sides or comfort a parent, and feel divided loyalties
Divorce or separation
Death or illness of a close relative or parent
Discipline that is harsh, or overprotective
School problems – bullying or problems with work
Traumatic experiences - Children who have experienced a household fire or burglary, road traffic accident or other frightening or traumatic event may suffer from anxiety afterwards.

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