Types of anxiety
Children can be diagnosed with different kinds of anxiety depending on what they are most worried about. Some of the most common anxiety disorders experienced by children include:
Children with GAD experience excessive and uncontrollable worry about a variety of things, such as school, family, friends, or health. They may miss a lot of school because their anxiety makes them feel sick, fearful, or even tired.
Children with separation anxiety disorder have an excessive fear of separation from their parents or caregivers. This anxiety disorder is more common in younger children.
Children with social anxiety disorder have an intense fear of being judged or rejected in social situations, and feel extremely self-conscious around other people. They are so fearful of being embarrassed that they avoid social situations and even speaking in class.
Children with specific phobias have an intense and irrational fear of something that isn’t normally considered dangerous, such as animals, insects, heights, or flying.
Children with panic disorder experience unexpected and recurrent panic attacks that are accompanied by physical symptoms, such as sweating, shaking, or heart palpitations. Panic attacks cause physical feelings that can make children think they are dying or having a heart attack.
Children with OCD have persistent and intrusive thoughts, images, or impulses (obsessions) that lead them to perform repetitive behaviours or mental acts (compulsions) to reduce anxiety. They develop rules for themselves that they feel compelled to follow in order to control their anxiety.
Children with selective mutism have a hard time speaking in some situations, like at school. These children aren’t just shy. Their anxiety is so bad that they feel frozen and are not able to speak.
