Anxiety is not only a disorder that is diagnosed in adults, but it can also be diagnosed in children also. There can be many reasons that a child might have anxiety, but whatever the reason, if you feel that your child has any type, it should be discussed with your child’s Dr. Informing their Dr. will help you and your child learn copping skills, and decide on which treatments will be best suited for your child. Learning these skills as soon as possible can be beneficial for a child to use their whole life! Anxiety in children is not much different then anxiety that an adult may have. Following, are some anxiety symptoms children might show.

Separation anxiety symptoms include having a severe fear about being separated from their parents, or home. The child may cry every-time they are away from their parents and might insist that they stay home a lot, rather than go to school, etc. When a child with separation anxiety is separated from whatever they are attached to (ex.-parent) they will usually have a severe crying spell for a long period of time, or feel very uncomfortable until they are back in contact with whatever it is they are attached to.

Phobia symptoms might be characterized by obsessive, irrational, and persistent fear of an object or situation. These fears are usually beyond control, and can interfere with a child's life. Some common fears that are associated with phobia's are; fear of swimming, fear of animals, fear of spiders etc. These are normally feared by most children, but if fear is obsessive or irrational than it can be considered to be unhealthy.

Social anxiety symptoms include, avoiding social situations or large groups, fear about their performance in front of a crowds, and fear of being humiliated, staying home from school to avoid being around other people, standing off to the side away from peer's etc. Fears connected with social anxiety are usually obsessive and can effect the child life negatively.

Generalized anxiety disorder symptoms include, worrying excessively about daily life events. They might worry about things like family members becoming ill or dying, something bad happening that will change their life, fears about tests, etc. These types of worries happen on a regular basis and are usually excessive.

If you see any of these symptoms in your child, and they happen frequently- than you should talk to your child’s Dr. to discuss what can help your child. Remember, it is normal for a child to have anxiety from time to time, so if you only see these symptoms once in a while, your child might not have an anxiety disorder. The earlier you get help for your child's anxiety, the better!