Generalized Anxiety Disorder - Children with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) experience repeated unrealistic fears and worries and find it difficult to control and overcome them. It is much more intense anxiety than what we consider normal levels of anxiety in a daily life. This excessive worry often interferes with daily activities as children with anxiety disorders are overly concerned about matters such as family problems, friends and friendship, school performance, time keeping, own or others health, social events, money, world situation etc. Children with Generalized Anxiety Disorders want to please others and think that they need to be perfect in order to satisfy.

Often anxiety affects their sleep and they can experience headaches, fidgeting, fatigue, light headedness, nausea, difficulty breathing and swallowing, trembling, sweating and rashes. These symptoms must be ongoing and persisting at least six months for a diagnosis to be made.

It is important to detect anxiety disorder in children early. This can eliminate or reduce symptoms of anxiety and improves quality of life and mental development of your child. The difference between anxiety in children and anxiety in adults is that children may not quite understand what anxiety disorder is and it can make it difficult to state the correct diagnosis. However once the diagnosis is made and you and your child know what the problem is, it is much easier to treat and solve this problem.

Treatment of choice for Generalized Anxiety Disorder is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. It is a psychological method of anxiety treatment, where the goal is to change negative thought patterns that lead to anxiety in children and replacing them with positive, more realistic thoughts. Children learn to confront their worries and practice their skills in anxiety - provoking situations in a safe environment.

Medication can also be used for Generalized Anxiety Disorder treatment together with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. For example selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) such as Prozac, used also for depression, Benzodiazepines such as Alprazolam, however The World Council of Anxiety does not recommend long term use of Benzodiazepines, because your child can become addicted to them.

There are other drugs on the market which can be used for GAD treatment. However the safest and long term solution for your child is to change the way they think and change those negative anxiety provoking thinking patterns into a positive calming thoughts.

As was already said, the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder in children starts with a good understanding of the condition. That way it is easier to recognize the triggers of the anxiety and changing the worrying negative thoughts to positive and pleasant ones. And you as a parent have a great role in this process. You can help your child and show them what they can do to stop worrying about everything and help them gain self confidence and strength they need to grow in a happy self-confident child.