Whilst anxiety is a very human response to both stress and danger, it can become a problem when it is experienced intensely and persistently. Depression and anxiety are interlinked and normally occur together, alongside one another.

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What is Anxiety Disorder?
Whilst anxiety is a very human response to both stress and danger, it
can become a problem when it is experienced intensely and persistently.
Depression and anxiety are interlinked and normally occur together,
alongside one another.
Anxiety symptoms are extremely common in both children and adults. In
fact, 5%14
of theUK population sufferfrom anxiety and 4%15
of children in
Great Britain are sufferingfrom either anxiety of depression.
The symptoms of anxiety disorder
There aretwo categoriesof symptomsthat regularlyoccur if a child is
sufferingfromthisdisorder: psychological and physical.
Psychological symptoms include:
• Innertension
• Agitation
• Feelingsofdetachment
• Adreadfor somethingterribleto happen
Physical symptoms include:
• A racing heart
• Breathingfast
• Tightness inthe chest
• Tremor
• Sweating
Types of anxiety disorders
There are a number of different anxiety disorders that many children
suffer from, these are:
• A generalised panicdisorder (GAD) – when anxiety symptoms
are present muchofthetime and not caused by a certain
environmentor event. 15%16
of people have a relative withthis
condition – it can bedueto a severe illnessor anoveractive
thyroid gland
• Panicdisorder – regular panic attacksoccur unpredictably and
withoutobvious reason.Whilstthe attacks will lastonly afew
minutes,the child willthink it has persistedfor a longtime
• Phobicdisorders – whilst some phobias are seen as representing
a normal levelof anxiety (for example snakesor heights)there
are certain situationsthatdo not require anxiety andthis is
where a phobicdisorder will bediagnosed.Oneofthe most
serious phobias caused is a social phobia which can leadtodepression
• Obsessive compulsivedisorder (OCD) – relatively uncommon in
both adults and children, just 14%17
ofthe population sufferfrom it
severely.This includesobsessivethoughts and compulsive acts which
havevery little rational behindthem. Evidence has proventhat certain
partsofthe brain are inactive inthose who sufferfromOCD
How are anxiety disorders treated?
Treatmentsfor anxietydisorders will include psychologicaltreatment and in
some cases medication. Inorderto betreated properly all symptoms must be
understood bytheGP inorderto understand ifthe anxiety isthe causeof an
underlying problem, such asdepression.
There are a numberof medications readily available however,foryoung
childrenthis is a last resort andthe useofCognitive BehaviouralTherapy (CBT)
will be employedfirst andforemostdueto its high success rate.
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Anxiety Disorder
14
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/depression/anxietydisorders_000017.htm
15
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/pages/children-depressed-signs.aspx
16
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/depression/anxietydisorders_000017.htm
17
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/depression/anxietydisorders_000017.htm