5 Signs Your Child is Showing Symptoms of Anxiety

We normally think of anxiety as an adult issue. How many times have you heard (or
said) something like, “Kids don’t have anything to worry about. They just have to eat, play, and
go to school.” Or “Problems?! You don’t know what problems are until you’re older.”
Unfortunately, that’s just not true. If you truly think back to your own experiences as a child or
an adult, you felt a gamut of emotions as you moved through your life. Children are often
pushed to face more difficult issues than they are cognitively ready or able to cope with in their
lives. They overhear adult conversations, are picked on at school, abused, or otherwise face
issues that their minds are not ready to process or manage. Children also often lack the words
to use to process, explain, or understand their experiences, so it spills out into their behavior.
Did you know the number one reason that children are referred to counseling or testing is
because of their behavior—not because of their internal experiences? When their behavior
disrupts life around them, the problem gets more attention and counseling may be necessary.
So, if your child is exhibiting these behaviors, consider bringing them to counseling or testing. It
just might change their lives for the better!

1. Tantrums. Tantrums are relatively normal for children under 4 years old or so. They
simply desire to express more of their thoughts and feelings than they are capable of
mentally doing. Their vocabulary is not developed or deep enough yet to pinpoint their
communication and that can cause many tantrums and meltdowns at home and at the
grocery store, the nail salon, the car wash, the oil change shop, the parking lot...you get
the idea. Tantrums can also happen when children don’t get their way immediately or
at all. It’s one of the ways they try to use their power to change a situation. It’s up to
you to decide if it will work for them or not. If your child is older than 4 and still
throwing tantrums, call us now for help.

2. Crying or Freaking Out. All of us cry and that’s perfectly normal. However, if you notice
your child crying over every little thing—it may be a sign of anxiety. Feelings are welling
up inside of them and they lack the coping skills to manage it, so it comes out in tears.
Not knowing how to manage or deal with our feelings can be overwhelming no matter
how old we are.

3. Eating too much or not enough. Sometimes children mistake feelings of anxiety for
feeling hungry. That may cause them to eat too much—especially of foods high in
sugar, carbs, and fats. Otherwise, some children may have upset stomachs from
feelings of anxiety and may not be able to eat as much as normal.

4. Trouble Falling Asleep. When children suddenly become scared of the dark, fight going
to sleep, or have disruptive sleep (toss and turn, wake up frequently, etc.), they may be
experiencing anxiety.

5. Anger Outbursts. Anxiety can be unnerving. When children experience overwhelming
feelings of anxiety, worry, or nervousness, it is often expressed through outburst of
anger. Children may become more aggressive than before, yell, scream, hit, kick, etc.
These behaviors can often lead to serious consequences at home and at school. Call us
now for help.

Feelings are normal—even negative feelings like anxiety, worry, or nervousness. The way
feelings are managed and how parents respond to the feelings of children has a lasting impact
on that child. Even if it is hard to put ourselves in a child’s shoes, when we understand their
own perspectives of events in their lives, we are able to see why they feel the way they do and
how to help them. Taking anxiety away is never the goal because it is unreasonable. People
have always felt anxiety for various reasons and always will. Learning to recognize it, identify it,
and how to manage it in healthy ways is the ultimate goal. When that happens, the level of anxiety naturally decreases.

At Clear Life Counseling & Testing, we are passionate about working with children, adolescents, and families to help manage emotions, to lessen the intensity of negative emotions, to help
open the lines of communication, and to be a source of encouragement and support. Please
call today to schedule your free consultation and to schedule an appointment for your child or
adolescent.