Anxiety
About half the children experiencing depression also experience anxiety. Anxiety is easy to overlook because a child may not talk about his fears, especially if he’s an adolescent. Young children tend to be much more open and at ease in sharing their fears and worries.
Anxiety usually takes one of two forms:
1. A generalized anxiety disorder
2. Anxiety related to panic attacks.
Symptoms of generalized anxiety relate to feelings of restlessness, being on edge, being overwhelmed, having difficulty concentrating, and experiencing muscle tension or sleep disturbance. With generalized anxiety, there may be more fears, but they aren’t as intense as when a panic attack is involved.
The most common forms of a panic attack in children relate to school phobia or separation anxiety when a child is asked to leave the physical proximity of a parent. Children in these situations may become so anxious that they throw up, have major temper tantrums, and act defiant, even if they’re usually well behaved.
The Differences between Anxiety and Depression
Anxiety differs from depression in that an anxious child usually has more energy and doesn’t have as much negative attitude toward life. Instead, the anxious child is afraid and has fears that impede his ability to meet the demands placed on him. Anxiety can have a negative impact on his ability to attend school, engage in social activities, and simply be able to relax.
While the anxious child may avoid participating in activities, he does so for a different reason than the depressed child. The anxious child tries to avoid dealing with situations that make his nervous. The depressed child avoids dealing with a situation because he lacks the energy and frustration tolerance to deal with it. The anxious child also experiences the stress of perceived negative events more intensely.
But there’s one way in which anxiety and depression are similar. Threats regarding the negative consequences of a child’s behavior almost never produce the desired results. Instead, they’ll probably make the situation worse. Threatening an anxious child will only cause more anxiety and lead to an “Oh, on!” response. The depressed child may not react to the threat because he doesn’t have the energy or motivation to care, which results in a “So what?” response.
About half the children experiencing depression also experience anxiety. Anxiety is easy to overlook because a child may not talk about his fears, especially if he’s an adolescent. Young children tend to be much more open and at ease in sharing their fears and worries.
Anxiety usually takes one of two forms:
1. A generalized anxiety disorder
2. Anxiety related to panic attacks.
Symptoms of generalized anxiety relate to feelings of restlessness, being on edge, being overwhelmed, having difficulty concentrating, and experiencing muscle tension or sleep disturbance. With generalized anxiety, there may be more fears, but they aren’t as intense as when a panic attack is involved.
The most common forms of a panic attack in children relate to school phobia or separation anxiety when a child is asked to leave the physical proximity of a parent. Children in these situations may become so anxious that they throw up, have major temper tantrums, and act defiant, even if they’re usually well behaved.
The Differences between Anxiety and Depression
Anxiety differs from depression in that an anxious child usually has more energy and doesn’t have as much negative attitude toward life. Instead, the anxious child is afraid and has fears that impede his ability to meet the demands placed on him. Anxiety can have a negative impact on his ability to attend school, engage in social activities, and simply be able to relax.
While the anxious child may avoid participating in activities, he does so for a different reason than the depressed child. The anxious child tries to avoid dealing with situations that make his nervous. The depressed child avoids dealing with a situation because he lacks the energy and frustration tolerance to deal with it. The anxious child also experiences the stress of perceived negative events more intensely.
But there’s one way in which anxiety and depression are similar. Threats regarding the negative consequences of a child’s behavior almost never produce the desired results. Instead, they’ll probably make the situation worse. Threatening an anxious child will only cause more anxiety and lead to an “Oh, on!” response. The depressed child may not react to the threat because he doesn’t have the energy or motivation to care, which results in a “So what?” response.
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