How to Handle Anxiety Attack in Kids?

anxiety attack

Are you concerned by your child’s frequent temper tantrums or abrupt silence? Does your child frequently cry uncontrollably or wet the bed? We’ve all encountered anxiety attack at some point in our lives, but did you also realise that kids get it too?

Children and adolescents experience anxiety and stress  sometimes, just like adults do. 9.4% Of kids between the ages of 3 and 17 experience anxiety, as per a study. However, if your child’s anxiety is starting to negatively impact their wellness, they could require assistance. Continue reading to understand the reasons for children’s anxiety attack and strategies for dealing with it.

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CAUSES FOR ANXIETY IN CHILDREN

Different things might cause children anxiety attack at different ages. Many of these concerns are common during the teen years. 

Young children frequently experience separation anxiety from about 6 months to 3 years of age. When they are away from their parents or caregivers, they could become clingy and cry. This is a typical developmental stage that should end when a child is between the ages of two and three.

Additionally, certain phobias or fears are frequently developed in young children. Animals, insects, storms, heights, water, blood, and the dark are all common childhood phobias. In most cases, these anxieties subside on their own over time.

When starting a new school or before examinations, many kids experience anxiety attack. Some kids experience social anxiety and could require assistance for this.

Also check, Tantrums and ADHD: How to manage?

SIGNS OF ANXIETY Attack IN CHILDREN

In smaller kids, you may notice some signs like:

  • Frequently get irritated
  • Crying often and clingy nature
  • Wake up many times during night
  • Bed wetting
  • Sleep deprivation
  • Horrible or bad dreams
  • Throwing tantrums

Also check, How to manage anger in kids?

In bit older kids, you may notice some signs like:

  • Difficulty in focusing
  • Sleep deprivation
  • Poor eating habits 
  • Negativity of mind
  • Decreased confidence
  • Less socialisation
  • Tantrums /angry outbursts.

Also check, Common behavioural disorders in kids

WHEN TO WORRY?

When anxiety attack starts to interfere with a child’s daily life, it becomes a problem. Children’s mental and emotional health can be harmed by such severe worry, which can also damage their self-esteem and confidence. They could retreat and take extreme measures to stay away from items or situations that make them feel uneasy.

Also check, Autism and behavioural issues

HOW TO HELP YOUR CHILD TO MANAGE ANXIETY attack?

1. Don’t avoid things:

In the short run, children will feel better if you help them avoid the things they are nervous of, but in the long run, it will just make their anxiety worse.

Also check, Types of ADHD: Foods that help

2. Make the child learn how to tolerate anxiety:

Helping children learn to tolerate their anxiety as best they can is the best method to help them overcome it. The anxiety will lessen with time.

Also check, Proven foods for ADHD in kids

3. Set realistic expectations: 

Don’t assure a youngster that what they fear won’t occur—that you are sure they won’t fail the test—but rather, reassure them that he/she will be able to handle whatever comes their way.

Also check, 8 Ways to manage hyperactivity in kids

4. Respect their feelings, but don’t enlarge them:

Accepting feelings does not imply validating them. Therefore, if a child is afraid to visit the doctor, do listen to her and show empathy, but also give her the confidence to overcome her concerns.

Also check, ADHD in kids: Symptoms and Remedies

5. Avoid feeding the child’s anxieties: 

Avoid giving the impression that “maybe this is something you should be terrified of” through your tone of voice or body language.

Also check, Is camel milk good for autism?

6. Encourage your child:

Remind your child that you are proud of how hard she is working and that his/her worry will lessen as she learns to manage it. 

Also check, Tips to improve concentration

7. Make an effort to minimise the anticipation time:

The hardest part of facing our fears comes right before we act on them. For instance, don’t bring up a child’s anxiety about going to the doctor until you absolutely have to.

8. Talk the fear out: 

Talking through what would happen if a worry came true and how he/ she would handle it might be helpful at times. For some children, making a plan can lessen uncertainty in a positive, useful way.

Also check, Brain foods for kids

9. Be a good role model for managing anxiety:

Allow children to hear or see you handling stress and anxiety in a calm manner while accepting it and feeling good about getting through it. Don’t pretend that you don’t suffer stress and worry.

Also check, Stimming in autistic kids


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Dialectical/Cognitive Behavior Therapy in Children

cognitive behavioural therapy

Having kids can be fun and happy but it will become challenging and tiring when the same kids become so adamant and throw tantrums. It is a very common behaviour among kids and teens to do so and they will eventually learn to manage their emotions. But in certain cases, kids engage in aggressive behaviours like biting, slashing, and throwing things in addition to their tantrums. Continue reading to know more about how to handle these issues through cognitive behavioural therapy and how kids can benefit from DBT and learn to better control their emotions.

Also, Check: Benefits of behavior therapy in Autism

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Feedback from parents

What is Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT)?

DBT is a kind of cognitive-behavioural therapy that seeks to alter behaviour by helping people acknowledge and embrace their emotions. It seeks to alter their behaviour by acknowledging and accepting their current emotions and providing tools that can help with regulating their emotions and improving tolerance and mindfulness.

This cognitive behavioural therapy has been adapted to accommodate the unique needs of children. Its main goals are teaching coping mechanisms, identifying problematic thought patterns, and regulating intense emotions.

Also check, Types of ADHD: Foods that help

When to go for DBT?

When a child has tantrums frequently and is irritated most of the time, DBT-C may be beneficial. Tantrums aren’t typically a symptom of a more serious problem, but in these situations, parents should think about Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for their child. The DBT-C is especially suited for children between the ages of 6 and 12 years, depending on their developmental stage. Following are some of the situations in which parents should consider DBT-C for their child:

1. High emotional sensitivity:

Children who are very emotionally sensitive have a tendency to react quickly and strongly to any emotional trigger. They will have long-lasting reactions and find it extremely challenging to manage their feelings as a result of the intense emotional activation.

Also, Check: Sensory processing disorder

Signs and Symptoms:
  • Verbal or physical violence
  • Self-destructive behaviour
  • Gets bored easily and acts hyperactive
  • Short attention span
  • Sensitive to surroundings
  • Impulsive action and doesn’t like changes
  • They experience interpersonal problems
  • Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD) – DMDD has been diagnosed in kids who have frequent outbursts and tantrums practically every day

Also, Check: Common behavioral disorder in kids

2. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD):

ADHD is the most prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder. Children with this condition have trouble paying attention, controlling impulsive actions, and regulating their restless feelings. ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) symptoms typically first appear between the ages of 3 and 6. Because ADHD affects the sexes differently, it is less frequently diagnosed in girls.

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Types:
  • Predominantly hyperactive-impulsive
  • Predominantly inattentive
  • Combined hyperactive-impulsive and inattentive

Also, Check: 8 ways to manage hyperactivity

 Signs & Symptoms:
  • Trouble in staying focused on a task
  • Often makes careless mistakes
  • Easily distracted
  • Difficulty in following instructions.
  • Frequently avoid tasks that require a long time.
  • Can’t remain still 
  • Disorganized
  • Inability to control oneself or be impulsive.
  • Excessive and uncontrolled movements
  • Difficulty sleeping
  • Short attention spans and a lack of focus

Also, Check: ADHD: Symptoms and remedies 

3. Eating Disorder:

It is a condition caused due to unhealthy eating habits of children which gets manifested into a serious problem and affects the health, mind and body of the child. Eating disorders are more emotional and mental problems than physical ones. There are several types of eating disorder which includes Anorexia, Bulimia, Binge eating, AFRID (avoidant restrictive food intake disorder), pica etc. 

Alos, Check: Healthy eating for children

Signs& Symptoms:
  • These children have both physical and mental conditions
  • Weight gain/ Weight Loss
  • Hair loss
  • Change in blood pressure and drop in heart rate
  • Extreme Dieting or Extreme Exercising
  • Sensitivity to cold
  • Dizziness and Insomnia
  • Irregular Menstrual cycle
  • Depressions and anxiety, Mood Disorder/ mood Swings
  • Unable to cope with emotions
  • Low self-esteem

Also check, Lactation: How to increase weight in babies?

4. Anxiety and Depression:

Children with anxiety and Depression frequently internalise what they are thinking and feeling. Some people’s anxiety may progress to the point that it interferes with their day-to-day activities, results in sleep deprivation, and impairs academic performance at school. 

Also check, Is Camel milk good for autism?

Signs & Symptoms:
  • Being terrified to separate from a parent
  • They refuse to attend school because they do not want to be around other people
  • Having phobias related to particular things or circumstances
  • Persistently thinking that something horrible would happen
  • Suffering from panic attacks
  • Unable to participate in class activities or engage with family members

Also check, Tantrums and ADHD: How to manage?

Benefits and approach of DBT-C

DBT-C is primarily concerned with teaching parents and kids techniques for becoming more conscious of their emotional states and thoughts. Additionally, it teaches stress level management skills, effective thought and emotional expression. The following are some examples of DBT skills for children:

1. Mindfulness:

Being mindful means being conscious of your thoughts and emotions as they emerge and pass. It enables kids to remain grounded in the current moment and control their emotions. Breathing exercise like square breathing is taught to children who are feeling furious or tense to reduce their stress and anxiety.

Also check, Types of therapies for autism

2. Radical Acceptance:

Radical acceptance is a key element of distress tolerance, where kids learn to accept their situations completely rather than resisting them and tolerating the stress. They learn that they do not have perfect control over any situation, but they do have the ability to make better choices.

Also check, Proven foods for ADHD in kids

3. Managing emotions:

One popular method is ‘Riding the Wave,’ in which they will learn to feel emotions like ocean waves. The child will learn to recognise their emotions and observe them naturally come and go rather than trying to control them. The method is crucial for children and teens to manage extremely intense emotions like rage and grief. DBT-C uses a number of visualisation techniques to promote emotional mindfulness.  

Also check, Postpartum depression: How to overcome?

4. Interpersonal Skill development:

DBT-C includes the development of interpersonal skills that aid in establishing and maintaining positive relationships. With reasonable expectations, children will learn how to maintain good relationships. They learn how to be assertive while still being respectful and direct when expressing their feelings and views and asking for what they need.

Also, Check: Personality development for kids

5. Accepting Failure:

The mentality of accepting the results of actions without feeling guilty is taught through embracing failure. Instead of focusing on criticism, one learns to focus on encouragement to gradually improve subsequently. It is one of the most difficult skills for kids and parents to acquire as it includes accepting failures and using them as a learning opportunity for improvement. Children who are unable to maintain this level may experience additional stress and anxiety, which worsens the situation. 

Also, Check: Developmental benefits of sensory bins


Products:

It’s no SECRET that following an Ayurvedic lifestyle has numerous advantages. This unique collection of Kids Ayurvedic Brain Booster is also an easy solution to feed daily nutrition for Brain development to kids without any fuss. Made with Proven Ingredients. No Preservatives or Artificial Colour or Flavour. No Side Effects. Trusted by 20000+ Parents and Practitioners. To know more about kid’s ayurvedic foods – SHOP HERE

India’s First Tasty Kids Nutrition fortified with Ayurvedic herbs.

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CHECK MORE PRODUCTS FOR:

Immunity, Gut health, Digestion, Weight, Brain development, Speech delay, Epilepsy, Eye health, Hormones, Sleep, Hyperactivity, Bones and Overall growth

what is the down's syndrome

READ MORE BLOGS: