Anxiety

By Blue Dog Websites | September 12, 2018

It’s normal for a child to feel anxious from time to time, especially if your life is stressful. However, severe, ongoing anxiety that interferes with day-to-day activities may be a sign of generalized anxiety disorder.

Symptoms of anxiety include;

  • Constant worrying or obsession about small or large concerns
  • Restlessness and feeling keyed up or on edge
  • Fatigue
  • Difficulty concentrating or your mind “going blank”
  • Irritability
  • Muscle tension or muscle aches
  • Trembling, feeling twitchy or being easily startled
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Sweating, nausea or diarrhea
  • Shortness of breath or rapid heartbeat

Symptoms in children

In addition to the symptoms above, children and adolescents may have excessive worries about:

  • Performance at school or sporting events
  • Being on time (punctuality)
  • Earthquakes, nuclear war or other catastrophic events

A child with the disorder may also:

  • Feel overly anxious to fit in
  • Be a perfectionist
  • Lack confidence
  • Redo tasks because they aren’t perfect the first time
  • Strive for approval
  • Require a lot of reassurance about performance

Credit: Mayo Clinic