Anxiety and stress have become common problems affecting a large number of people all over the world. However it is not just the adults but even children tend to experience anxiety in present times. With anxiety in children, they may display social phobia, shyness, aggressive behavior and lack of interest in activities that are enjoyable. This anxiety in children may be due to a variety of factors.

With anxiety children tend to experience a great deal of stress and this could be due to negligence on part of parents, high expectations with respect to their performance, childhood abuse, excessive family responsibilities and growing up tensions. Children not having a good support or family system and those not have good coping mechanisms at hand may also suffer from anxiety.

With anxiety in children, they also tend to fall prey to depression and this can affect the performance of the children at different levels. Many children tend to experience anxiety and may have short lived fears but in some cases the anxiety may become disproportionate or excessive and thereby cause problems. Some symptoms of anxiety in children include refusal to attend school, frequent complaints of stomach ache or other physical problems and excessive clinginess.

In anxiety in children, they may display some other symptoms like tantrums when separated from the parents, sleeping problems or having frequent nightmares, displaying frequent worry and constant thoughts about safety of caretakers and parents. These children may also avoid social situations or interactions and may find it difficult to make new friends. Children suffering from anxiety may also have fears of suffering embarrassment and they may have extreme low self esteem or lack of self confidence.

In anxiety in children, they can deal with the self esteem issues through treatment. Treatment can also ensure that children do not lose friendships and are able to perform as per their potential. The treatment for children suffering from anxiety can include psychotherapy on an individual basis along with family therapy, behavioral treatment, medication and consultation with those in school.

In many cases anxiety among children may be triggered by certain events like moving, starting school, loss of a family member etc. Some specific disorders are more likely in childhood like specific phobias and separation anxiety disorder in the age group of 6 to 9 years. Social anxiety disorder and generalized anxiety disorder is common in middle years while panic disorder may be observed in adolescence.

Current research indicates that in anxiety children can recover well if a combination of antidepressant medication and cognitive behavioral therapy is used. In many cases parents are not sure if medication can be given to the children. Getting complete information from mental health professionals about this condition can allow parents to explore and identify the correct treatment for the condition.

With anxiety in children, they can experience a great deal of problems at school and certain selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors like fluoxetine, paroxetine, citalopram, fluvoxamine and escitalopram can be prescribed for treatment of this condition. Along with medicines it is important for parents and family members to have an honest and non judgmental relationship with the children. The children experiencing anxiety should be encouraged to openly talk about their problems or write them down.

Parents should not burden children experiencing anxiety with their own problems. It is important to compliment the children when they perform well and provide a lot of affection and love. It is advisable not to pressurize the children with too many expectations or responsibilities and after school activities. With anxiety children may display problematic behavior and so it is advisable to get professional help where the situation appears to be difficult.