Anxiety; It is a sign that informs our body that it should be ready in dangerous situations that everyone experiences. Anxiety disorder: The anxiety that we all have is experienced more intensely than it should be and disrupts the person's functionality. Anxiety disorder is one of the most common problems in childhood. The age of onset is before adolescence.
What symptoms are seen in children experiencing fear and anxiety?
• Physical symptoms such as headache, abdominal pain, nausea, heart palpitations. findings
• Some events during the day lead to extremely anxious thoughts (will lightning strike our house when lightning strikes? Will a thief break into our house? Will something bad happen to my mother / father / a loved one in my family? etc. having thoughts )
•Restlessness, tension or excessive crying in young children
• Disruption of sleep, toilet and eating habits
• Not wanting to separate from parents / increased desire to sleep with them
• Inability to maintain attention and concentrate
• Difficulty in playing and performing daily activities
What can you do if your child experiences "fear-anxiety"?
• First, talk to your child about fears. Talking about accurate information about the disease can help reduce anxiety.
• Guiding children about what they can do when they are worried makes them think that they can control anxiety / fear and helps reduce their anxiety.
• Your child feels anxious. Listen to him when he feels it. Talk about what coping skills he uses in these and similar situations. Remind them of the events they have dealt with before and what they have done to cope. Share how you deal with your own anxiety so they can learn how to cope.
Causes of Anxiety Disorders in Children and Adolescents
The child's own and Situations that negatively affect the security of the family (natural disasters, abuse, illness, loss of a loved one, etc.) may lead to anxiety disorder.
Identification disorders that occur depending on the individual structure of the child / adolescent, attitudes within the family and environmental factors. Children and adolescents who have one or more of the following characteristics (stubbornness, touchiness, shyness, etc.) may develop anxiety disorders in connection with the stress they experience. It is also natural for people to have concerns about being accepted by society. However, if the duration and severity of these worries and worries are excessive, it may cause anxiety disorder.
When should I get help?
Psychological/behavioral problems that occur with anxiety If it is present in a large part of the child and affects the child's activities such as games, lessons or social relations, you should get help.
How is Anxiety Disorder Treated?
Studies show that; The best therapy school with proven effectiveness in anxiety disorders is cognitive behavioral therapies. In therapy, inappropriate thought and learning patterns are worked with. Using the here and now approach, the focus is on the symptoms that are perpetuating the problem. The purpose of therapy; is to increase a person's coping skills. In addition to cognitive behavioral therapy, the use of play therapy in younger children also gives positive results.
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