What are Childhood Anxiety Disorders?
What is an anxiety disorder?
Childhood anxiety is when a child has extreme fears and worries. Children can develop anxiety for a number of reasons. Children can inherit anxiety genetically through other family members that have anxiety.
Childhood anxiety can also occur after experiencing a traumatic event such as the loss of a loved one or if they've experienced violence and abuse. When a child is raised around adults who are anxious, they can learn those fears and develop anxiety as well.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) here are some facts about mental disorders in U.S. children:
ADHD, behavior problems, anxiety, and depression are the most commonly diagnosed mental disorders in children
9.4% of children aged 2-17 years (approximately 6.1 million) have received an ADHD diagnosis.
7.4% of children aged 3-17 years (approximately 4.5 million) have a diagnosed behavior problem.
7.1% of children aged 3-17 years (approximately 4.4 million) have diagnosed anxiety.
3.2% of children aged 3-17 years (approximately 1.9 million) have diagnosed depression.
Some of these conditions commonly occur together. For example:
Having another disorder is most common in children with depression: about 3 in 4 children aged 3-17 years with depression also have anxiety (73.8%) and almost 1 in 2 have behavior problems (47.2%).
For children aged 3-17 years with anxiety, more than 1 in 3 also have behaviour problems (37.9%) and about 1 in 3 also have depression (32.3%).
For children aged 3-17 years with behavior problems, more than 1 in 3 also have anxiety (36.6%) and about 1 in 5 also have depression (20.3%).
Symptoms Of Childhood Anxiety
- stomach pain
- headaches
- wetting in their beds
- socially withdrawn
- anger
- not wanting to go to school
- aggression
- refusing certain situations
- sleeping issues
- nightmares
- changes in their appetite
- chewing their nails
- tense muscles
- tired or fatigue
- changes in mood or irritability
- avoiding situations
- avoiding people
- not enjoying things they used too
- stomach pain
- headaches
- wetting in their beds
- socially withdrawn
- anger
- not wanting to go to school
- aggression
- refusing certain situations
- sleeping issues
- nightmares
- changes in their appetite
- chewing their nails
- tense muscles
- tired or fatigue
- changes in mood or irritability
- avoiding situations
- avoiding people
- not enjoying things they used too
Types Of Childhood Anxiety
- Separation Anxiety Disorder
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
- Selective Mutism
- Phobias
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder
- Social Anxiety Disorder
- Panic Attacks
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Children who have generalized anxiety disorder worry excessively about a variety of things. A child who has generalized anxiety may constantly look for reassurance and seek out perfection.
Separation Anxiety
Most younger children tend to feel anxiety when they leave their parents to go to daycare or with a relative for the night, that's normal. They're simply not used to being away from their parents so it is an adjustment, however, when they get older and they are still really struggling, it could be separation anxiety.
Often times, children will miss events or even days at school by pretending to be sick, in order to stay home with their parent(s). In addition, it is common for these children to be afraid of being in a different room than their parent(s) or sleeping alone in their bed without them.
Social Anxiety Disorder
When a child has social anxiety they are often afraid that people may say things about them, they get embarrassed by something possibly happening or that they may not act appropriately, they are afraid that they may say the wrong thing to other children, and they also don't like to bring attention to themselves.
A child with social anxiety can feel uncomfortable talking to other kids in their class, public speaking/speaking in front of their peers, going to birthday parties, attending activities, eating in public, going to school or talking on the phone.
These children tend to worry about natural disasters, school work/grades, friends, family, relationships, health and how well they are doing during activities. They usually ask "what if" questions and worry about things that are out of their control.
Selective Mutism
Children who have Selective Mutism will usually only speak to people they know very well and are comfortable with such as their parents, people at school or family members. These children get very anxious and don't speak so to most people they just appear to be shy, so often times they go undiagnosed.
Panic Attacks
Panic Attacks are sudden unexpected anxiety. The triggers are not always obvious and can happen when you least expect it to. It can be very difficult to see your child suffering from panic attacks as they are extremely frightening for a child.
The symptoms of a panic attack can be different for each child. When children have panic attacks in certain places or while doing certain activities, the fear of having another panic attack in the same place or while doing the same activity can lead to a development of agoraphobia.
Specific Phobia
A phobia is an extreme fear of something specific. Children may have a fear of a person, a type of person, places, animals, bugs or situations. An event or object is often what triggers them to be anxious. For the most part, all children fear the same things but it's the level of fear and degree of anxiety they are experiencing that makes these fears problematic.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Children with OCD have repetitive thoughts about obsessions, they have compulsions, they often repeat the same phrases or words, they repeat the same actions such as hand washing, they check things all the time and they often need things to be a certain way.
Children with phobias feel fear so intense that it can disrupt their routine and daily living, often times hindering their ability to concentrate, enjoy activities or relax. These children will cling to their parents, cry and be fearful. There are several common phobias children may have. Getting bloodwork, shots or IV, spiders and bugs, having someone they love get sick or hurt, heights, thunder storms and lightening, flying or travel away from home, enclosed spaces or animals.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Children with PTSD have experienced a traumatic event which can lead to the development of an exaggerated anxious stress response. An example of this is if they have experienced a stressful life event such as a natural disaster or if they have been abused. Children who are most at risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder are children who witnessed a traumatic event and were hurt directly or already have other anxieties prior to the traumatic event.
A child with post-traumatic stress disorder can re-experience trauma and have nightmare's or think about their past traumatic experiences. Children are resilient, the good news is that many children who have experienced a traumatic event will not develop PTSD or they will recover in a small amount of time.
There are several ways to treat anxiety or reduce symptoms. Every child is different and struggles differently with different anxieties so it will be different for everyone but some common ones are deep breathing, yoga, mindful activities, exercise, coloring and painting, listening to calming sounds or music, meditation, visualizing things, places or people that make them happy, taking a sensory break, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) . Ask your child's doctor or mental health professionals what is the best treatment for your child and what may be avilable in you area.
You should reach out to a professional and seek medical advice if your child is:
- always on edge
- constant persistent worries
- always nervous
- scared about many things
- upset several times a day
- having several daily meltdowns/ tantrums
- avoiding different situations
- displaying stress that is interfering with their daily life
- no longer has the ability to relax
- having increased fears which disrupts their family life
If you are concerned that your child may be experiencing childhood anxiety, find a local therapist, child psychologist or counsellor that is properly trained to treat children with anxiety disorders. Meet with them to speak about your concerns and ask how they can help your child. A therapist, child psychologist or counsellor that is trained to help children who are struggling with childhood anxieties can put together a plan with you to help your child.
Once you have set up an appointment for your child to meet their therapist, child psychologist or counsellor encourage your child to talk about their feelings.
Help your child face their fears gradually. It is important not to avoid their fears. You can help them by being positive and taking small steps to overcome their fears. A therapist will also be able to give you ideas moving forward in therapy.
Remember to be patient and understanding with your child, it takes a lot of courage for your child to talk about their anxiety. It takes incredible strength to take the steps needed to work on their anxiety and get better.
Offering comfort, understanding and positive responses to your child will help them a lot.
Here are some tips to help your child when they are struggling with childhood anxiety.
- Make a worry box (they write down what they are worried about and put them in the box
- Provide a bag of tools that can be calming for your child such as fidgets, weighted lap pad etc.
- Encourage calming activities that your child can participate in to keep them calm and not stressed
- Write their worries and fears in a journal
- Worry dolls/worry eaters can be a great tool for kids
- Learn and practice different breathing techniques together
- Social stories for children with anxiety can also be a great tool
- Exercise regularly
- Eating healthy meals
- Start attending yoga sessions for children and parents
- Keeping them busy gives them less time to think
- Reading children's books about anxiety. It's important that they understand what anxiety is and why they're feeling how they do
- When you notice that your child is being brave and doing well with their anxiety, cheer them on! Take notice and let them know they are doing a great job
Calming a child when they are anxious
- Create a calm down area at home with calming and relaxing tools
- Give your child a cold glass of water
- Squeeze fidgets or playing with dough
- Hugs! Hugs are a great way to help children feel calm
- Name animals alphabetically
- Breathing exercises
- Ask your child to close their eyes, visualize their favorite place and describe it to you
- Use a weighted blanket or weighted a weighted lap pad/weighted animal
Childhood Anxiety & Worry Books For Children
Stressed Ninja: A Children’s Book About Coping with Stress and Anxiety
As adults, we tend to think that the world to children is happy and carefree. After all, kids don't have bills to pay or jobs, so what could they possibly have to stress about? Even very young children have worries and feel stress to some degree. Stressed Ninja shows us how we can use a simple grounding technique to reduce stress in our everyday lives.
Find out what happens in this Ninja Life Hacks book about dealing with stress and anxiety.
Life is hard! And it's even harder for children who are just trying to figure things out.
The new children's book series, Ninja Life Hacks, was developed to help children learn valuable life skills. Fun, pint-size characters in comedic books easy enough for young readers, yet witty enough for adults.
A Little SPOT of Anxiety: A Story About Calming Your Worries
Anxiety comes from feelings of being worried, scared, or anxious. When these feelings are in small amounts that’s okay because they are there to help protect us, but when they get TOO BIG, they become overwhelming and need to be managed. When a child experiences anxiety it can prevent them from doing what he/she wants and and/or needs to do, which can make anxiety a disability.
This story addresses how anxiety can affect all ages and how it can show up in all different situations. The Gray SPOT in the story creates a visual representation of Anxiety so that a child can see when it's gets too big, and how to shrink it back to a Green PEACEFUL SPOT.
My Magic Breath: Finding Calm Through Mindful Breathing
Do YOU have the magic breath?
Let’s see…Take a deeeeeep breath in…and BLOW it out…
…and like magic, you can feel better just by breathing! Sometimes it’s hard to feel happy. But with this interactive picture book, children breathe along as they learn how to make angry or sad thoughts disappear.
In a world that is sometimes too busy, with too many things going on, My Magic Breath will help steer children into a serene space of mindfulness, self-awareness, and balance.
Alphabreaths: The ABCs of Mindful Breathing
In Alphabreaths, children will learn their ABCs and the basics of mindfulness through playful breathing exercises. Breaths like Mountain Breath and Redwood Breath will connect them with nature, while breaths like Heart Breath and Wish Breath will help them remember to fill their heart with gratitude and send good wishes to others.
Simple, playful, and with delightful illustrations, Alphabreaths is the perfect introduction to mindfulness and breath awareness.
I Choose to Calm My Anxiety: A Colorful, Picture Book About Soothing Strategies for Anxious Children (Teacher and Therapist Toolbox: I Choose) In this rhyming story, Lucas is weighed down by his worry and anxiety. Through colorful illustrations and rhythmic rhymes, he learns coping mechanisms on how to deal with big emotions like anxiety.
For every child who has experienced anxious thoughts, this story teaches kids how to respond to anxiety through several soothing strategies.
”I Choose to Calm My Anxiety” is a story with social emotional learning (SEL) in mind. It has been praised by teachers and therapists worldwide.
Worry Ninja: A Children's Book About Managing Your Worries and Anxiety (Ninja Life Hacks)
Worry Ninja shares how he overcomes the worry wheel by using his circle of control and a dandelion.
Find out what happens in this comedic book about soothing your worries.
Life is hard! And it's even harder for children who are just trying to figure things out.
The new children's book series, Ninja Life Hacks, was developed to help children learn valuable life skills. Fun, pint-size characters in comedic books easy enough for young readers, yet witty enough for adults.
The Ninja Life Hacks book series is geared to kids 3-11. Perfect for boys, girls, early readers, primary school students, or toddlers. Excellent resource for counselors, parents, and teachers alike.
The Invisible String Parents, educators, therapists, and social workers alike have declared The Invisible String the perfect tool for coping with all kinds of separation anxiety, loss, and grief. In this relatable and reassuring contemporary classic, a mother tells her two children that they're all connected by an invisible string. "That's impossible!" the children insist, but still they want to know more: "What kind of string?" The answer is the simple truth that binds us all: An Invisible String made of love. Even though you can't see it with your eyes, you can feel it deep in your heart, and know that you are always connected to the ones you love.
Ninjas Know the CBT Triangle: A Children's Book About How Thoughts, Emotions, and Behaviors Affect One Another; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Ninja Life Hacks)
Meet Thinking Ninja whose superpower is thinking! In this engaging and fun story, Thinking Ninja introduces young readers to the CBT triangle and the concept of how thoughts, emotions, and behaviors affect one another.
It's the first day of school and Thinking Ninja is scared. Learn how to recognize your thoughts so you can change your behaviors!
Life is tough. But so are you!
The children's book series, Ninja Life Hacks, was developed to help children learn valuable life skills. Fun, pint-size characters in comedic books easy enough for young readers, yet witty enough for adults.
Don't Feed The WorryBug
Say hello to Wince, one of the biggest worriers you will ever meet. From cookies to homework to the weather, Wince worries about everything. And when Wince starts to worry, his WorryBug appears. At first the WorryBug is small and non-threatening, but the more Wince Worries the more his WorryBug grows. Don't Feed The WorryBug is great story to start the conversation on worry and anxiety. We all worry, it happens, but the key is to not let those worries aka the WorryBug grow to the point that it ruins your day.
Soft bound book includes coloring pages and WorryBug note pages to help keep track of when the pesky WorryBug arrives.
Brave Ninja: A Children's Book About Courage (Ninja Life Hacks)
Sometimes, it helps to BE brave even when we aren’t FEELING brave.
In this comedic story about developing courage, Brave Ninja finds a way to calm fears and become the best ninja they can possible be!
Life is tough. But so are you!
The new children's book series, Ninja Life Hacks, was developed to help children learn valuable life skills. Fun, pint-size characters in comedic books easy enough for young readers, yet witty enough for adults.
The Ninja Life Hacks book series is geared to kids 3-11. Perfect for boys, girls, early readers, primary school students, or toddlers. Excellent resource for counselors, parents, and teachers alike.
Anxious Ninja: A Children's Book About Managing Anxiety and Difficult Emotions
Anxious Ninja experiences difficult emotions that paralyzes him until his friend gives him tips on how to handle his anxiety.
Find out what happens in this comedic book about anxiety.
Life is hard! And it's even harder for children who are just trying to figure things out.
The new children's book series, Ninja Life Hacks, was developed to help children learn valuable life skills. Fun, pint-size characters in comedic books easy enough for young readers, yet witty enough for adults.
The Ninja Life Hacks book series is geared to kids 3-11. Perfect for boys, girls, early readers, primary school students, or toddlers. Excellent resource for counselors, parents, and teachers alike.
Wilma Jean - The Worry Machine Anxiety is a subjective sense of worry, apprehension, and/or fear. It is considered to be the number one health problem in America. Although quite common, anxiety disorders in children are often misdiagnosed and overlooked. Everyone feels fear, worry and apprehension from time to time, but when these feelings prevent a person from doing what he/she wants and/or needs to do, anxiety becomes a disability.
This fun and humorous book addresses the problem of anxiety in a way that relates to children of all ages. It offers creative strategies for parents and teachers to use that can lessen the severity of anxiety. The goal of the book is to give children the tools needed to feel more in control of their anxiety.
Cora is struggling with her Whatif questions ahead of a big piano recital in this timely picture book about overcoming anxiety.
What if my dog runs away?
What if I forget my homework?
What if the sun stops shining?
What if my crayon breaks?
Cora is constantly worrying about everything. Because of this, the Whatifs love her. They sneak up to her and give her all kinds of doubts: big or small, silly or frightening, likely or impossible. As she prepares for an upcoming piano recital, the Whatifs cling on tighter and drag her down, making her anxious about messing up during the concert. Will she be able to change her worry-filled thoughts into hopeful ones?
Help Your Dragon Deal With Anxiety: Train Your Dragon To Overcome Anxiety. A Cute Children Story To Teach Kids How To Deal With Anxiety, Worry And Fear. (My Dragon Books)
Having a pet dragon is very fun!
He can sit, roll over, and play…
He can candle a birthday cake, lit a campfire, or so many other cool things…
But what if your dragon is constantly worrying about so many things?
What if he’s worried about his math test even though he has studied very hard?
What if he’s so nervous about his upcoming book report in front of the class?
What if he gets so anxious when he has to go get a shot from the doctor office? So anxious that he has a meltdown?
Breathe Like a Bear: 30 Mindful Moments for Kids to Feel Calm and Focused Anytime, Anywhere
Breathe Like a Bear is a beautifully illustrated collection of mindfulness exercises designed to teach kids techniques for managing their bodies, breath, and emotions. Best of all, these 30 simple, short breathing practices and movements can be performed anytime, anywhere: in the car to the grocery store, during heavy homework nights at home, or even at a child’s desk at school.
Based on Kira Willey’s Parents’ Choice GOLD Award-winning CD, Mindful Moments for Kids, this one-of-a-kind book is sure to help kids find calm, gain focus, and feel energized during the day, and encourage families to establish a fun and consistent mindfulness practice, whether at home or on the go.
Help Your Dragon Overcome Separation Anxiety: A Cute Children's Story to Teach Kids How to Cope with Different Kinds of Separation Anxiety, Loneliness and Loss. (35) (My Dragon Books)
Having a pet dragon is very fun!
He can sit, roll over, and play…He can candle a birthday cake, lit a campfire, or so many other cool things…
But what if your dragon is constantly worrying when he’s separated from you?
What if he’s refusing to go to sleep without you being by his side?
What if he won’t let you go anywhere because he’s excessively worried that you might get hurt?
What if he refuses to go to school due to fear of separation?
What if he’s also feeling sad for his friend who only visits with his dad on the weekends, or a friend whose mom is in the Air Force, and the loss of a loved one, and much more…?
Listening to My Body: A guide to helping kids understand the connection between their sensations (what the heck are those?) and feelings so that they can get better at figuring out what they need.
Big emotions can be overwhelming!
Help your child build on their capacity to engage more mindfully, self-regulate, and develop emotional resilience.
Listening to my Body is an engaging and interactive book that guides children through the practice of naming their feelings and the physical sensations that accompany them. From wiggly and squirmy to rested and still, Listening to My Body helps children develop a sensations vocabulary so that they can express what they are experiencing.
Includes kid-friendly mindfulness activities woven throughout the book to reinforce the teachings.
Shy Ninja: A Children's Book About Social Emotional Learning and Overcoming Social Anxiety
Extreme shyness causes Shy Ninja to miss out on normal, everyday activities.
For example, Shy Ninja would experience fear, shaking, and anxiety. Things change when a friend introduces Shy Ninja to a very F.U.N. method to reduce symptoms of social anxiety.
Find out what happens in this book about overcoming social anxiety.
Life is hard! And it's even harder for children who are just trying to figure things out.
Calm Ninja: A Children’s Book About Calming Your Anxiety Featuring the Calm Ninja Yoga Flow
Calm Ninja experiences frustration and anxiety until Calm Ninja learns how to find inner peace through breathing and practicing the Ninja Yoga Flow. Calm Ninja shares how to calm worries and stay peaceful under extreme circumstances.
Find out what happens in this comedic book about stress relief.
Life is hard! And it's even harder for children who are just trying to figure things out.
C.J. Doesn't Talk is a story of a little boy named C.J. who begins his kindergarten year with a diagnosis of selective mutism. C.J. begins kindergarten just as any other 5-year-old child would do. His first day of school is full of new experiences. Although C.J. loves going to school and making new friends, he is limited by his own silence. This is a story of a little boy who learns to overcome with the help of some very special teachers and family in C.J.'s life. C.J. Doesn't Talk is a book that parents, teachers, and children will enjoy reading. It is a great selection for all readers and is a great addition for those interested in adding books with African American characters to your library.
Nervous Ninja: A Social Emotional Book for Kids About Calming Worry and Anxiety
Do you have a child who experiences nervousness or symptoms of anxiety? Nervous Ninja knows exactly what stress and worry feels like and finds a sweet solution.
Find out what happens in this fun social emotional learning SEL book about calming your anxiety and worries.
Life is hard! And it's even harder for children who are just trying to figure things out.
The new children's book series, Ninja Life Hacks, was developed to help children learn valuable life skills. Fun, pint-size characters in comedic books easy enough for young readers, yet witty enough for adults.
Calm and Peaceful Mindful Me: A Mindfulness How-To Guide for Toddlers and Kids
The mindfulness how-to book you need to help your child have a calm and peaceful body and mind. In this fun and delightfully charming book, your child will follow a gender-neutral character through an easy-to-understand, step-by-step mindfulness practice. Written and illustrated by a therapist (and mother), Andrea Dorn, MSW, this simple yet very intentionally written book introduces the concept of mindfulness with a first-person, mantra-like narrative that will help your child build greater awareness of their body and emotions.
Zen Ninja: A Children's Book About Mindful Star Breathing (Ninja Life Hacks 37)
What do you do when it seems the world is crashing down on you? Follow Zen Ninja’s five-star breathing, and you’ll find your zen in no time.
Find out what happens in this comedic book about developing your zen.
Life is hard! And it's even harder for children who are just trying to figure things out.
The new children's book series, Ninja Life Hacks, was developed to help children learn valuable life skills. Fun, pint-size characters in comedic books easy enough for young listeners, yet witty enough for adults.
The Ninja Life Hacks book series is geared to kids 3-11.
DISCLAIMER: I am not an Occupational Therapist. I am an adult who has Sensory Processing Disorder, a sensory parent and a Grandma. The information on this website is not medical advice and does not replace the information that your child's therapists give you. These are just ideas and information that I have learned myself over the years of being a parent and an adult living with SPD. If you are concerned for your child, please always seek medical attention through a family doctor, pediatrician or therapist. This website is for suggestions and informational purposes only. Each child is different and what works for one child may not for another because all children have different needs. Please always consult with a professional.
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