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Child Anxiety Related News & Articles

Separation Anxiety Disorder: Signs and Symptoms

Anxiety disorders are one of the most common forms of psychopathology among young people, with prevalence estimates ranging from 5% to 25% worldwide. Of these types of disorders, separation anxiety disorder (SAD) is the most frequently diagnosed early childhood disorder, roughly making up 50% of the referrals for mental health treatment of anxiety disorders. Specifically, the American Psychiatric Association characterizes SAD as having “developmentally inappropriate and excessive anxiety concerning separation from home or from those to whom the individual is attached.” Children exhibiting SAD [...]

Understanding Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) in children: Part 1

OCD is confusing. It can look so different from one kid to the next. Often significant parts of symptoms are kept secret. What I hope to offer in this post is something directed to parents who are trying to understand their child’s behavior and how OCD appears. Determining an exact diagnosis is not always essential. Sometimes if there is more than one clinician involved you might get more than one diagnosis. Diagnosis just isn’t always a clear process. That being said, there is some relief in just knowing what exactly is wrong. Knowing what it is can help you understand it. Sometimes the [...]

Disorders Associated with Anxiety: Eating Disorders

There is a very real possibility of your child suffering from another psychiatric disorder in addition to her childhood anxiety disorder. With it being National Eating Disorder Awareness Week this week, it seems fitting to discuss the likelihood that your child may be experiencing signs and symptoms of an eating disorder in addition to her anxiety disorder (what is known as comorbidity – an additional disorder co-occurring with a primary disorder). Research has shown a lifetime prevalence of depression and anxiety disorders that is common and linked with eating disorders and in women with [...]

Depression Versus Anxiety: How to tell the difference?

Research shows that almost 75% to 80% of children diagnosed with an anxiety disorder suffer from another psychiatric disorder, most commonly depression. The Surgeon General’s report on mental health states, “Anxiety and depression frequently co-exist, so much so that patients with combinations of anxiety and depression are the rule rather than the exception.” Since depression and anxiety are often together, how do you tell the difference? Discerning the Difference Yet discerning the difference between anxiety and depression, or what the combination of both together looks like, can be very [...]

Difficult Behaviors and Anxiety: Tantrums and Meltdowns

Anxiety in children can manifest itself in a variety of ways because it’s based on how each child encounters her own personal fears or stressful triggers. While some children may become extremely quiet and withdrawn, others may have tantrums or meltdowns when they encounter anxiety-provoking situations. Tantrums are abrupt, intense and often unpredictable episodes of panic, distress, frustration, anger or aggression that occur when a child is caught off guard, feels trapped, or sees no way out of a difficult situation. This particular behavior, which can be quite difficult, unmanageable, and [...]

Social Anxiety: How to help your child facilitate friendships

For most children, making new friends and other social activities can be a bit stressful and scary at times. For kids with social anxiety disorder, these “normal” parts of growing up can be extremely difficult, even debilitating. Recent research (from Washington University in St. Louis) suggests that people with social anxiety disorder, known as SAD, have the perception that they are incapable of making friends or that the friendships they have are not of the highest quality. The problem with this perception is that it’s not necessarily true from their friends’ perspective. The November 2014 [...]

How to raise responsible teens

Watch the latest interview of Dr Chris McCarthy on WCNC about raising responsible teens. You can also view other interviews of Dr McCarthy in our Video Resources page. http://www.wcnc.com/story/entertainment/television/charlotte-today/2015/01/14/how-to-raise-responsible-teens/21748463/     [...]

5 Reasons Your Child May be Stuck in Anxiety

We get anxious and worried frequently in the normal course of life. Most of the time we don’t even remember it. It comes, it goes, it is just part of life. But when anxiety gets stuck or escalates to the point it interferes with life what has happened? Think of the function of fear. It is a warning system. There is a problem so it commands, “Do something! Solve it!” If you can solve the problem or it goes away then the anxiety ends. So what is happening when the anxiety stubbornly persists? To put it simply, if you are still anxious then you have not solved the problem. Your child may be [...]

Anxiety and Intelligence

It has been my observation working with people who are very anxious that they are quite intelligent. After all, the thinking associated with becoming anxious requires a vivid, detailed and complex imagination. Often kids and adults with anxiety have a very negative view of themselves and feel that somehow they are defective or weak. On the contrary, the tenacity to bear the weight of this disorder requires a great deal of strength. Rather than being mentally "broken" they are instead quite bright. At different times I have seen research that supports the connection between intelligence and [...]

Nighttime Fears of Children and Adolescents: What to do?

Nighttime fears are very common, with nearly two-thirds (64.2%) of children and adolescents reporting nighttime fears.  These types of fears are normal reactions to real or imagined threats at night, and have been cited in the medical, psychiatric and normative fear literature since the time of Hippocrates in 460-370BC.  Such nocturnal fears cover a broader content than solely a fear of darkness, including fears of bad dreams, nightmares, noises, shadows, monsters, intruders, burglars, kidnappers, and of being left alone at night. Nighttime fears concerning “environmental threats” (e.g. inside [...]

Creating Positive Holiday Memories with Your Children!

Everyone is so busy during this time of year, buying presents, decorating, rushing around here and there. Does this busyness really create positive memories for children? I don't think so. In this TV interview, I discuss the importance of creating Intrinsic memories for your children. Watch this video clip to learn how to help your child have wonderful memories of the holidays. http://www.wcnc.com/entertainment/television/charlotte-today/the-importance-of-creating-long-lasting-memories/499453962 [...]

Afraid of the Dentist: Managing Dental Anxiety in Children

Dental anxiety in children is being increasingly recognized as a major public health concern, as it can lead to underuse of dental care, as well as poor oral health. It is common to have a child afraid of the dentist. Research has shown that people with dental phobia (for this article, I’m using dental anxiety and phobia interchangeably) experience clinically significant panic symptoms including: cardiac sensations, sweating, trembling/shaking, dizziness/fainting and paresthesias (tingling, “pins and needles” or numbness type sensations). Panic symptoms may be associated with various [...]

Help for Kids Afraid of Throwing Up or Getting Sick: Part 4 Treatment – Hierarchy

In the first three posts in this series, I provided an explanation of the fear called emetophobia and described the two elements of treatment: exposure and response prevention. We have finally completely the emetophobia supplement and the step-by-step process and hierarchy are part of that program. We have 5 steps for emetophobia help and each step is broken into several tasks. First Step: Imaginal Exposure In the emetophobia supplement we start with exposure that is in the imagination. We use words, sentences and short stories that will trigger the fearful thoughts about throwing up. For [...]