A Close Encounter with GAD
Author: CECILL ARTATES
Watching a child struggle with anxiety can be very
difficult for parents. Anxiety may begin to mask
their perception and convince them that their child
is already psychologically or emotionally impaired.
Many parents find it helpful to keep track of the
child's accomplishments and abilities so that they
don't begin thinking of their child as overly anxious
and fearful. Instead they can recognize what
abilities their child has that might be useful in
dealing with anxiety. A little anxiety isn’t always a
bad thing. In fact, it can even be used to help
motivate a person. Being aware of one’s anxiety can
also help a person better respond to danger.
Anxiety, the body’s reaction to a perceived,
anticipated or imagined danger or threatening
situation, is a common and normal occurrence among
children. All children experience anxiety. Anxiety in
children is expected and normal at specific times in
development. For example, from around 8 months
through the preschool years, healthy youngsters may
show intense distress (anxiety) at times of
separation from their parents or other persons with
whom they are close. Anxious children are often
overly tense or uptight. Some may seek a lot of
reassurance, and their worries may interfere with
activities.
There are different types of child anxiety. One such
anxiety disorder very common among them is
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). GAD is defined as
chronic, excessive worry and fear that seems to have
no real cause. Children with GAD often worry a lot
about things such as future events, past behaviors,
social acceptance, family matters, relationship,
their personal abilities, and/or school performance.
Although younger children can show signs of excessive
worry, children usually develop GAD at about 12 years
old. Studies also revealed that many children with
GAD also have other anxiety problems. The most common
of which are social anxiety, depression, separation
anxiety, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder
(ADHD).
Worrying too much about things before they actually
happen or being too concerned about friends, school
or activities are the most common symptoms of GAD.
However, each child may experience symptoms
differently. It may also include:
? constant thoughts and fears about safety of
self and/or safety of parents
? refusing to go to school
? frequent stomach aches, headaches, or other
physical complaints
? muscle aches or tension
? sleep disturbance
? excessive worry about sleeping away from home
? clingy behavior with family members
? feeling as though there is a lump in the
throat
? fatigue
? lack of concentration
? being easily startled
? irritability
? inability to relax
Several anxiety medications are available for the
effective treatment of GAD. A few of these
medications include Zoloft, Paxil, Xanax, and Prozac.
All of these medications are known as SSRIs, or
selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. These
medications are all fairly new anti-depressants and
have very little side effects. When a child takes any
of these drugs, he or she may experience overly
nervous at first. However, after several weeks the
feeling typically fades away. Some side consequences
of anti-depressants that children may experience are:
sleepiness, tiredness, and confusion.
These medications should only be taken after
consultation with the child's physician. A
physician's decision on what medications to be taken
by a child depends on the child's physical structure,
blood chemistry, as well as how severe the child's
anxiety is.
Parents should not discount a child's fears. Aside
from the symptoms mentioned above, anxious children
may also be quiet, compliant and eager to please,
thus their difficulties may be missed. Parents should
always be alert to the signs of severe anxiety so
they can intervene early to prevent future
complications.
Article Source: http://www.myarticlepub.com - Free Reprint Articles
Cecill Artates is a writer, athlete, and women's health advocate. She is also active in promoting sports and health among women and the youth in disadvantaged communities. The author is also currently researching on various alternative and natural medications.DrugstoreTM.com is a reputable online drug store. From sexual health to a woman's health, sleeping aids to weight loss pills, our online pharmacy offers convenient customer access to various health medicines, including an array of health product and medicare prescription drug.
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