What are anxiety disorders?
Anxiety is being worried, scared, or nervous. Some anxiety is common and normal at all ages. For example, many young children are afraid of the dark. Older children are often anxious when they have a test.
However, anxiety may become a disorder if:
Children can have many of the same anxiety disorders as adults. These include generalized anxiety Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) Anxiety is being worried or nervous. Anxiety is often normal. For example, many people are anxious when they're having money problems, trouble at work, or family difficulties. However, if you're... read more , panic attacks Panic Attacks and Panic Disorder A panic attack is when all of a sudden you get very scared and anxious. You might also have chest pain and choking and feel sick to your stomach, dizzy, and short of breath. A panic attack goes... read more , posttraumatic stress disorder Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is when memories of a highly upsetting event keep coming back, over and over, to invade your thoughts. This lasts for more than a month and can go on for... read more (PTSD), and specific fears Phobic Disorders (Phobias) Phobia is a medical term for fear. It's normal to be afraid of dangerous things. Most people are afraid of things like standing on the edge of a cliff or going near a snarling dog. However,... read more (phobias).
Other anxiety disorders occur mainly in children or are different in children. These include separation anxiety disorder Separation Anxiety Disorder Anxiety is being worried or nervous. Separation anxiety is the normal reaction of young children to get upset and cry when someone they're attached to leaves the room. It usually starts when... read more and social anxiety disorder Social Anxiety Disorder in Children and Adolescents Anxiety is being worried, scared, or nervous. Lots of people, including children, are anxious in social situations, for example, when they have to speak in class or talk to strangers at a party... read more (fear of being judged).
Generally, with anxiety disorders:
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Children may refuse to go to school and give excuses such as a stomach ache as the reason
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The disorders can run in families
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Many children who have an anxiety disorder struggle with anxiety in adulthood Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) Anxiety is being worried or nervous. Anxiety is often normal. For example, many people are anxious when they're having money problems, trouble at work, or family difficulties. However, if you're... read more
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Treatment usually helps, including talking to a therapist and sometimes taking medicine
