Anxiety

Anxiety disorders include disorders that share features of excessive fear and anxiety and related behavioral disturbances. Fear is the emotional response to real or perceived imminent threat, whereas anxiety is anticipation of future threat.

However, when feelings of anxiety disrupt or interfere with our daily activities, are experienced more frequently and intensely than others around us, and are disproportionate to the situation, they may signify the presence of anxiety disorders that may require professional help.

Children who have anxiety are more likely to encounter severe disruptions in their daily lives, which may prevent them from taking part in a range of common childhood activities. These disruptions encompass academic failure, keeping isolated or failure to join in and make friends, refusal to go on school field trips, resisting participating in new activities or trying new things, and school refusal.

The disruptions can also be cognitive in nature with difficulties in concentration, anticipating the worst outcomes, and uncontrollable or obsessive thoughts.

Treatment

Anxiety can be treated effectively with the help of medication and therapy. Therapy helps clients better understand their thoughts, feelings, and behavior and can help them understand and consequently manage their anxiety.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a very well-researched and commonly used psychotherapy for anxiety. It involves recognizing, unlearning and disputing certain negative or anxiety-provoking thoughts, and restructuring them with the help of coping strategies.