When you think of anxiety some of the more common symptoms that come to mind are excessive fear, worry and avoidance. These symptoms can be rather apparent and can be difficult to ignore. While these symptoms are well known, they are NOT the only symptoms of anxiety. Some symptoms of anxiety can be considered “unusual” making them easier to miss, and those easily missed symptoms can mean your child goes without the treatment interventions they may need. Without help from a professional, they may struggle longer than necessary.

Children perceive the world differently than adults do. A child’s logic can be more simplistic, and they can be more naive. They also possess the uncanny ability to see things as they are. Though, when confronted with unfamiliar situations or things they cannot understand, it is natural that they may react with uncertainty, confusion and fear, even to things that may be benign or harmless. Due to this it can be common for children to wrestle with a few fears during their younger years.

Anxiety goes beyond understandable fears and concerns. However, children may not experience predictable symptoms, such as fear. It can be difficult to recognize the signs of anxiety in children. Without recognizing the signs, your child runs the risk of not being properly diagnosed and treated.

The Common Signs of Anxiety

It is important to remember that “anxiety is not a single disorder.” There are several types, so the term is inclusively used to refer to a number of diagnoses, each of which has different signs and symptoms. According to Anxiety and Depression Association of America, these disorders include the following: Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Panic Disorder (with and without Agoraphobia), Separation Anxiety Disorder, and Social Anxiety Disorder. An anxiety disorder may also be induced by a traumatic experience such as Acute Stress Disorder or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Symptoms can also be brought on by medications, and substance abuse.

Symptoms of anxiety can be diverse. For instance, GAD can result in your child worrying about almost anything, but they can have very specific fears with phobia and panic disorder. Separation anxiety is quite common for toddlers to preschool age, so they may cling to you or cry when you are out of their sight. Social phobia can result in a fear of being surrounded by people they don’t know, so they may feel intense fear during parties or school performances.

Despite the almost infinite combination of symptoms, there are common signs that manifest in many children. These are those that are triggered by the “fight or flight system” – the system in the brain that is programmed to regulate the responses of a person when confronted with danger. It directs the body to respond with movement, so as to escape or protect oneself from harm or danger. When this system is “out of order” or not working properly, however, it can result in anxiety.

The fight or flight system by natural design will bring about a faster heartbeat in the anxious person. This allows the quick delivery of the blood and oxygen to the muscles and glands, enabling the body to respond fast to the danger. There are some common signs of anxiety attacks that are related to this, such as racing heart, breathing difficulties, tightness in the chest, difficulty thinking and focusing, shallow breathing or hyperventilating, shaking, muscle tension, as well as blushing, indigestion and belching, among others.

The Often-Missed Symptoms of Anxiety

You may have heard of many of the symptoms listed above, though there are other signs of anxiety in children that can be missed. According to Parenting Survival for All Ages, the five “unusual signs” of child anxiety that you may miss are physical symptoms, refusing to attend school, anger, avoidance of activities, and having rituals that you may misconstrue as routines. Sensitivity to noise, clothes, and dirt must not be ignored – these may also indicate anxiety. Some children with anxiety may also exhibit sleeplessness. They may also be clingy, slow warming or be less friendly to people, and be picky eaters.

It isn’t unusual for children with anxiety to experience physical symptoms. According to the Calm Clinic, it can affect various parts of the body – such as the head and the sense organs, the chest, the muscles, the circulatory system, the digestive system, the arms and legs.

Anxiety can impact the thought and cognitive process of your child. The thought symptoms can include scary, strange, disturbing, racing, and irrational thoughts. Some of the symptoms that may affect your child’s cognitive functioning are bad dreams or nightmares, delusions/distortion of reality, confusion, memory loss or forgetfulness, disorientation, and a sense of detachment. Emotional symptoms can be attributed to the altered levels of the hormones that dictate moods and emotions. Hence, it is not uncommon for children with anxiety to exhibit mood changes– depression or sadness, as well as euphoria or extreme happiness.

Other Uncommon Symptoms – Behavioral and Illness Related

Anxiety may affect your child’s behavior in ways you didn’t imagine. For example, in an effort to avoid people or social events, they can have behavioral changes, so they may be labelled as clumsy, disobedient, defiant, etc. They may have trouble sleeping, eating, and experience weight gain or loss. They may resort to self-harm, even collapse or faint when forced to participate in a performance or activity. They may also avoid people in general. Children with obsessive-compulsive behaviors have a higher tendency to exhibit behavioral symptoms.

Anxiety can also have illness-related symptoms. In this case the symptoms may mimic the symptoms of medical conditions. This means that your child may complain about stomach aches or headaches, even run a temperature like they have a fever, despite their doctor not finding anything wrong with them. Calm Clinic identifies some additional physical symptoms such as– “feeling Itchy, fibromyalgia, increased risk of infection, unease, mucus, paralysis, peripheral neuropathy, shock, swelling, swollen glands/ swollen lymph nodes, and vomiting.”

Can Counseling Help My Child with Anxiety?

With the wide array of possible signs and symptoms of anxiety, it can be difficult to know when anxiety is becoming unmanageable. If you believe that your child may be experiencing anxiety it might be time to have their symptoms assessed properly by a qualified behavioral health professional. Look no further than Carolina Counseling Services – Cameron, NC.

It can be difficult for children to fully express what they are feeling and experiencing. This means that they need you to decipher their “symptoms” and to provide them with the right help to feel better. If their symptoms are pervasive, intense, and you fear that they may cause permanent impairment, but they do not fit the image of anxiety in your mind, seek out treatment with a proficient therapist independently contracted with Carolina Counseling Services. Don’t wait, call today to schedule your child’s first appointment.

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