Many children and adolescents feel anxious or stressed on the first day in a new school or when they have problems with their friends.
They worry, their hearts beat faster, and they have butterfly feelings in their stomachs. These are usual anxious reactions connected to
stresses in their lives; the reactions come and go with the stressful moments.
Clinical Anxiety or Anxiety Disorders are much, much stronger versions of these normal feelings, and they are not always directly connected to stress.
Young people with Anxiety Disorders have intense fear and worry. They also may develop problems sleeping and have physical symptoms like headaches,
stomach aches and nausea. Anxiety Disorders cannot be controlled by will power, and they often come and go in unpredictable ways. They interfere
with young persons' everyday lives and keep them from doing usual activities.
Anxiety Disorders are the most common mental illnesses in the United States; about 13 percent of American children and adolescents are
affected by Anxiety Disorders each year.
There are different kinds of Anxiety Disorders that affect children and adolescents:
- Separation Anxiety Disorder
- Panic Disorder
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Phobias
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Treatment for Anxiety Disorders involves specific types of talking therapies.
Behavioral Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy are two proven talking therapies. Behavioral Therapy focuses
on changing specific behaviors and uses techniques to stop unwanted behaviors. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy teaches ways to identify,
understand and change the ways children and adolescents think about stressful things.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are currently the medications of choice for the treatment of childhood
and adult anxiety disorders. This group includes fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft), paroxetine (Paxil), fluvoxamine (Luvox), citalopram (Celexa), and escitalopram (Lexapro). Tricyclic antidepressants (e.g. imipramine) and benzodiazepines (e.g. lorazepam) are less commonly used in the treatment of childhood anxiety disorders.
However this class of antidepressants is not always appropriate as the FDA has found that they can cause suicidality
in some adolescents. Because of this, psychotherapy and other complementary and alternative methods can be viable
treatment options.
To learn more about how I work, visit my website at
RandiFredricks.com, call 408-315-0645,
or
contact me online
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