Anxiety is a major buzzword of our times. Recent media reports state that it is a听. It appears a wave of fear is gripping people today, threatening to paralyse us from facing uncertainty and challenges in our lives.听听
Sounds dramatic, doesn鈥檛 it? Catastrophic听almost. Anxiety it seems, is a very powerful and harmful thing in many people鈥檚 lives, so听it鈥檚 important to examine what it is, and听explore听whether the current hype around it is warranted.听
What is anxiety?听
Anxiety is a 鈥渘atural and usually short-lived reaction to a stressful situation, associated with feelings of worry, nervousness or apprehension. It typically occurs in new, unfamiliar or challenging situations, where the person might not feel up to the task, or where the outcome is uncertain鈥�.听听
Anxiety is part of being human. It has kept us safe in dangerous situations since prehistoric times. If a lion was chasing you, it prompted you to run away or freeze. Your body would become primed for flight or fight. Breathing would become shallow and rapid, hands would sweat, thoughts would tunnel in focusing on the source of fear. In such stressful situations,听anxiety was and is useful.听听
This leads us to the question 鈥� what features make this adaptive survival mechanism a type of disorder? According to the Psychological Society, it becomes a disorder when听anxious thoughts, feelings听or physical symptoms are severe, upsetting, frequent and interrupt daily life.听
Anxious children
When considered in relation to children, it is important to note that there are developmental factors which come into play听as well. Children experience听many different types of anxiety听including phobias, initially to things like the dark and monsters, and when older, to more concrete things like spiders. The two most common anxieties of childhood are separation anxiety and generalised anxiety. Separation fears appear in infants as young as 11 months of age.听At this age, anxiety is an expected response to certain situations.听
But anxiety听becomes problematic if it continues beyond a child鈥檚 early years or is extreme in its expression.听
According to听, an independent, non-profit organisation and a major contributor to information about mental health difficulties and a resource for support, current figures for anxiety rates in children stand at around 6.9%, with sparse longitudinal research available to assess changes in prevalence. However, recent research has found that between 2008 and 2013,听. There are many factors which may be causing this, including increased awareness and less stigma about receiving medical treatment, and current trends in parenting.听
What are the causes of anxiety?
The causes听of anxiety are well established.听听
First, there is a genetic factor involved.听, PhD says, 鈥淚ndividuals inherit a predisposition to听being听an anxious person, [and] about 30 to 40 percent of the variability is related to genetic factors鈥�. And some people have what is called in psychology circles as a 鈥榣ow threshold of arousal鈥�, meaning it does not take much to make them anxious.听听
Certain parenting behaviours can also bring on anxiety. The classic example听is听a parent trying to听protect their child from听experiencing听anxiety by removing them from a stressful situation. The removal is in fact reinforcing the anxiety and does not teach the child to manage their feelings.听听
Trauma experienced by the child can also lead to a change of behaviour. An added layer in anxious presentations is a comorbidity the child may be experiencing.听
Comorbidity means another factor or factors which may be influencing an anxious presentation.
These factors include learning difficulties, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or Autism Spectrum Disorder. It is important to remember comorbidities are the rule rather than the exception. They make diagnosing and treating anxiety a complex task.听听听
How does anxiety present itself in children?
Some听common thoughts听of anxious children include the belief that听things must be perfect. They must have control of situations;听if they don鈥檛, all is lost. Anxious people also听need听approval and听have a听tendency to听catastrophise situations. Some common situations where it rears its head听are听in the playground, where a child may want the rules to go their way in games because听they believe听if they fail, bad things will happen. Or when asked to give a talk in class, the child begins to battle a feeling of impending doom that it will not go perfectly听and听they will be ridiculed听and humiliated, so the prospect of giving the talk is suddenly too much for them.听听
The child may also refuse to participate in activities such as going to school camp and experience听friendship difficulties. Adults around the听child听notice they are not听living up to their potential.听When these things are happening for an extended听period of time听and not improving, it is time to seek help.听
How is anxiety treated?
The most common and听听for anxiety is听, which teaches children to 鈥榬ide the wave鈥� of their fear by stepped exposure, and the ability to evidence check 鈥榯hought mistakes鈥�. Children also benefit from practising brave behaviours to build up resilience.听听
Things to remember about anxiety are that it is听common听and it is treatable. When considering听whether or not听to get help for your child who presents in this way,听it is important to think听鈥榳hat鈥檚 the worst thing that could happen?鈥櫶�听
Strategies which may assist an听anxious child
Teach them to breathe听
Remember to make it slow,听sucking听air听in through the nose, out through the mouth. There are many ways听you can听teach听your听child to breath.听听You can ask them to imagine听blowing out candles with听their听fingers,听or a favourite of mine, tracing a finger along the ridge of the opposite hand鈥檚 fingers, slowly breathing in on the upside of the finger, and breathing out when tracing down the opposite side.听听
Use rating scales听听
Zero听to 5 is good for children. Get听your听child to check in with you where they are听on the scale, five being very anxious, zero听being calm and happy.听Your听child can go through things they can do to make themselves feel better when worried, such as think about something or someone they like,听do some听drawing听or have a short time out.听It鈥檚 also useful to grade听problems听by asking your child:听鈥淚s this a big problem or a little problem?鈥�听
Give them the right words听
Teach children emotion words so they feel better equipped to describe听their feelings rather than the basic five of听happy, sad, angry, worry听or surprise. Create a word bank with your child and put it up somewhere at home or in the classroom for your child to refer to. If reading is an issue, put different听facial expressions on the wall to point to.听
Use positive reinforcement听
Reward non-anxious behaviours and ignore anxious behaviours. Natural consequences are important as well.听For听example, if a child is too anxious to buy听a treat听at the school canteen, they miss out.听
Remember the child is not deliberately being difficult. Give them graded exposure to things that worry them. This can happen via a stepped approach with rewards at intervals.听Give ample warning of any change in routine and set realistic expectations for the child.听听
Remember, there will be good days and bad days. Just keep trying.听
