Understanding Pediatric Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Causes Symptoms and Treatment

The general anxiety disorder (AD) ate mental health problems found in children and adolescents, characterized by disabling, scared or worried feelings. These disorders are common, with 10 to 15 youths estimated to have one of these disorders. These occur more commonly in girls. Anxiety disorders are caused by a difference in the structure or function of the brain that controls worries and fears. Vulnerability to the development of anxiety disorders can be genetically transmitted. Parents who are over protective or over controlling appear more likely to have anxious children, and children also can learn to be anxious from parents who are anxious. Sometimes environmental events can trigger an anxiety disorder. For example, separation anxiety disorder can be caused by exposure to frightening events, such as domestic violence. This article aims to shed light on the causes, symptoms and treatment of pediatric generalized anxiety disorder.

What is pediatric generalized anxiety disorder:

A mental health illness known as pediatric generalized anxiety disorder which is often associated with childhood anxiety disorder. Pediatric generalized anxiety disorder is characterized by children who worry, fear and suffer from anxiety a lot. It is critical to distinguish between typical childhood phobias and anxiety disorders. While some worry is normal as a child develops whereas pediatric general anxiety disorder is characterized by overwhelming and persistent anxiety that might interfere with a child’s day to day activities.

What causes pediatric generalized anxiety disorder?

Here are the some key factors that contribute to the causes of pediatric generalized anxiety disorder:

Generalized Anxiety Disorder:

General pediatric anxiety disorder is characterized by excessive worry occurring on more days than not about a variety of areas, such as school work, friendship, family, health/safety and worried events. This worry is accompanied by feeling tired, tense, restless or irritable, having difficulty focusing and having trouble falling or staying asleep. Sometimes these youngsters have associated physical symptoms ,including muscle aches, stomach cramps or nausea. The youth finds it difficult to control the worry.

Separation Anxiety Disorder:

Separation anxiety disorder is characterized by excessive worry about being separated from the home or from parents. The child may feel very upset about leaving home to go to school, about being separated from the parent, about sleeping alone in his or her own bedroom, about something bad happening to the parents or something bad happening to the child that will separate him or her from the parents. These children may suffer from anxiety disorder.

To meet the diagnostic criteria, these problems must be at least a one-mouth duration, causing distress or impairing the youth’s function at home, at school or with peers.

Social Anxiety Disorder:

Social anxiety disorder is characterized by exercise worry about social or performance situations where embarrassment may occur. This angst can arise when meeting new people or performing in front of others (i.e speaking up in the classroom or performing before others). When this becomes so severe that it causes panic, a pattern develops, leading to the youth avoiding social or performance situations.

To meet the diagnosis, the problems must have been present for at least 6 months, causing distress or impairing the youth’s function at home, at school or with peers.

Symptoms of Pediatric Generalized Anxiety Disorder:

Identifying symptoms of pediatric generalized anxiety disorder are very crucial to treat the disorders early to recover early. Common symptoms of pediatric generalized anxiety disorder include:

Unnatural Worries:

Children may worry excessively about a variety of aspects of their lives, including school, their families, society, social gatherings or performance.

Physical Symptoms:

Anxiety can cause physical symptoms like headache, muscle pain, nausea.

Prefer Isolation:

Anxiety disorders may lead child to confine himself and he or she may prefer social isolation and ultimately leads him or her to loneliness.

Read: How to Overcome Loneliness

Sleep Problems:

Anxiety may disrupt a child’s sleep patterns, leading to insomnia or frequent nightmares.

Read: How to Improve Sleep Habits

Irritability:

Children who experience anxiety disorders may become agitated, temperamental or easily annoyed.

Diagnosis of Pediatric Generalized Anxiety Disorder:

Qualified mental health professionals are best to diagnose the various anxiety disorders. The evaluation for these diagnoses typically takes several hours and requires input from multiple people who know the child very well. The diagnosis is based upon the findings from parents and child interviews, queries and mental status examination. There are no imaging studies, blood tests or other medical tests to diagnose these disorders.

Treatment of Pediatric Generalized Anxiety Disorders:

Psychotherapy:

Psychotherapy to help the youth to learn how to cope with worry and fear is the best treatment. These coping strategies include learning hoe to identify and talk about feelings, how to Stop thinking automatic negative thoughts and how to relax the mind and body.

Medication:

When a child’s anxiety disorder does not respond to traditional therapy, then anti-anxiety medication may be considered. Anti-anxiety medication may help the youth feel more relaxed when working on coping skills in therapy. To treat the extreme condition of anxiety disorder, medication like Benzodiazepines and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are common drugs. Medication is typically considered after other treatments have been tried.

Course:

The pediatric generalized anxiety disorder respond well yo the above treatments when delivered by qualified mental health professionals. If left untreated, the anxiety disorders can cause long-standing distress and problems with social relationships and performance.

Conclusion:

One of the major issues that the children around the globe are suffering from pediatric generalized anxiety disorder. These kids are felt isolated and deal with untold anxiety disorder which are not normal for a kid’s upbringing. These kids may overcome these generalized anxiety disorder if the causes symptoms are diagnosed as soon as possible. Parents have also a crucial part to play in this regard. We should provide them necessary support, love and time to overcome from this pediatric generalized anxiety disorder.