Question:
Is it possiblie for me to ask you a question? Sorta peace treaty I am waving
a white flag. o.k. Now my question is how do I get my 5 year old to stop
crying over music boxes and any kind of sad music including church bells? I
have talked to a doc about this and he calls it well actually the basic
reason some not all agoraphobics or Gad, Ocd, and just plum Anxiety with
panic attack people come down with panic attacks is this is a heavy word
abandament. Some where along the way at some point in peoples lives they
feel a sense of abandament. Henceforth my 5 year old has not seen his daddy
since he was 2yrs old. Since then He cries and screams over music boxes and
any kind of sad music. He does say daddy sometimes during his crying spells.
I hate deadbeat dads! But that is the way it is. Do you have any ideas John
about this question or am I just typing into the wind?
Answer:
Anxiety Disorders in Children and Adolescents
Children, adolescents, and adults often experience health problems differently. Anxiety disorders are no exception. Generally, symptoms are the same no matter what the patient's age. What differs by age-group, usually, is the way in which symptoms are displayed. When determining whether or not treatment is needed, parents and professionals must decide if the youngster is "in a phase" that he or she eventually will outgrow or if deeper problems exist that disrupt the child's life.
The following are anxiety disorders that generally first appear during childhood and adolescence. It is common to have more than one of these disorders at the same time.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
GAD is characterized by excessive or unrealistic anxiety or worry over a variety of issues. Young people with this disorder often are perfectionists. They may spend hours doing and redoing homework or other tasks that most of their peers would dash off in a short period. Restlessness, tiredness, difficulty concentrating, irritability, muscle tension, sleep disturbance and feeling on edge all characterize the disorder. In severe cases, young people may refuse to go to school.
Excessive worry accompanied by one of these physical symptoms occurring for many days over a six-month period is a signal that the youngster may be suffering from generalized anxiety disorder.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
People with OCD are troubled by persistent and recurring thoughts or "obsessions" that consume the individual for more than one hour a day and generally involve exaggerated anxiety or fears. Many people with OCD feel compelled to perform repetitive behaviors, known as "compulsions", to relieve anxiety caused by their obsessions.
Compulsions like washing, checking, counting, praying, hoarding and arranging rituals are particularly common in young people with OCD. It is estimated that 1 to 3 percent of children and adolescents suffer from OCD. Some studies suggest young boys are about twice as likely as young girls to suffer from this disorder. Many boys with OCD also have tic disorders.
Panic Disorder
Panic disorder, in which individuals suffer from recurrent, unexpected panic attacks that can disrupt normal living, is rare in young children. It is far more common in adolescents.
In order to be classified as a panic attack, four or more of the following symptoms must develop abruptly and peak within 10 minutes:
pounding heart
sweating, trembling or choking feelings
chest pain or discomfort
nausea or stomachache
dizziness or lightheadedness
feelings of unreality or detachment from self
fear of losing control or going crazy
fear of dying
numbness or tingling
chills or hot flashes
Panic disorder often occurs along with agoraphobia . Youngsters may refuse to leave their homes; in fact, refusing to go to school is a common signal that the person needs help.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
PTSD can occur at any age even childhood. In young people, the response may be expressed as agitated behavior. Most young people with PTSD avoid things that remind them of what happened. Many have physical symptoms as well, such as startling easily. In young children, the traumatic event may be relived by repetitive play that expresses aspects of the trauma; frightening dreams; and re-enacting the traumatic event.
Symptoms usually appear within the first three months after the trauma, but, in some instances, symptoms don't surface until months or years after the stressful event.
Separation Anxiety Disorder
Anxiousness over separation from familiar people and situations is a normal part of growing up. But, this anxiety should lessen as the child grows older.
A young child or adolescent who experiences excessive anxiety (lasting at least four weeks) on routine separation from parents, other caregivers, home or other familiar situations may be suffering from separation anxiety disorder.
Crying, clinging, or panic on separation are common reactions of small children from separation anxiety. Unrealistic worry about harm to loved ones or fear they will not return home; a reluctance to sleep alone; refusal to attend school; and physical symptoms, such as a stomachache or headache, are signs of separation anxiety disorder in older children and adolescents.
Social Phobia
Most youngsters in their mid-teens experience periods of shyness and may, at times, feel uneasy around strangers. But for some, the desire to avoid strangers, including people their own age, becomes so extreme that it interferes with the development of normal social relations. Eventually, this may lead to a sense of isolation and/or depression.
One kind of social phobia, in which a child is unable to speak in most social situations, is called selective mutism. If usually begins in very young children and may extend into adolescence if untreated.
Specific Phobia
Specific phobia is characterized by intense fear of a specific circumstance or object that poses no real danger. Formerly called simple or single phobias, these fears focus on: animals or insects; storms, heights, or water; blood or injury as well as extreme fear of shots or other invasive medical procedures; and situations like crossing a bridge. Common among young children, these phobias generally are not debilitating and tend to disappear as the child grows older. In addition, specific phobias usually don't require treatment.
