Anxiety is a mental state that is generally associated with worry, fear, or uncertainty. Anxiety arises as an emotional response to issues such as the occurrence of a negative event in the future, or difficulty coping with situations such as failure, danger, or uncertainty. Anxiety can be a normal human response and can occur in response to life's stressful situations. However, when anxiety is persistent or excessive and begins to negatively affect a person's daily life, it is considered an anxiety disorder.
Anxiety symptoms can manifest physically, emotionally, and behaviorally. Physical symptoms may include heart palpitations, sweating, tremors, shortness of breath, stomach upset, headache, and muscle tension. Emotional symptoms may include anxiety, fear, irritability, restlessness, and an intense feeling of tension. Behavioral symptoms may include avoidance, persistent anxious thoughts, inability to concentrate, insomnia, and panic attacks.
We all worry from time to time. We worry before an important meeting, in the face of uncertainty, or that something bad will happen to the people we love. However, if this anxiety reaches a disproportionate level, it starts to affect our lives negatively. Children can have similar anxieties just like adults. Children often know less about what they fear than adults. This means that children face more uncertainty than adults. In addition, they may not be able to openly share these concerns with adults because their communication skills are often insufficient. Fears and anxieties in children can vary according to age. While younger children may have separation anxiety from their parents, older children may be afraid of certain social situations.
Some children may say that they are not feeling well or that they are anxious with verbal cues. If not recognized verbally, the general physical symptoms may be muscle tension, insomnia, fatigue, lack of concentration. In addition, it may manifest as shortness of breath, pain in the chest or stomach, and frequent trips to the toilet. It should not be forgotten that when examining these symptoms, it is necessary to consider the age and developmental level of the child.
So what can parents do when they encounter anxiety in their children? First, let your child know that you are with him and that everything is fine. Then you can talk about the anxiety in detail and find out the reasons. You can work together on the physical symptoms of anxiety by practicing breathing exercises. In addition, you can explain logical and scientific information to your child and explain their concerns about lack of knowledge. If none of these work, you can get support from an expert.
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