Childhood Anxiety has Many Disguises
Childhood anxiety often masks itself within other emotions. Especially during times of stress or tension, such as homeschooling/online school, COVID quarantines, and the holidays. Let’s discuss.
1. Negativity
Anxiety does not make people negative, rather people with anxiety tend to experience negative thoughts at a much greater intensity than positive ones. Anxiety may interfere with their ability to feel and communicate happy thoughts and emotions. Online learning is evoking strong emotions and causing anxiety for many children. We’re noticing an overall uptick of parents who are concerned about childhood anxiety.
2. Lack of Attention and Focus
Children with anxiety can mistakingly be diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder because they’re often caught up in their own thoughts; ignoring what is going on around them. Perhaps this year, you are struggling to keep them engaged in their online classroom. This is understandable after a difficult year of one change after another,
3. Defiance
When a child is unable to communicate what is going on, it is easy to interpret their defiant behavior as a lack of discipline instead of attempting to control a situation where they feel anxious and helpless.
AZ+A helps parents distinguish between defiance and anxiety while helping the child understand their emotions and express them in healthy ways.
4. Overplanning
Defiance and overplanning come from the same root cause. In some children, anxiety can cause them to try to take back control through defiant behavior. In others, it may cause them to over-plan for situations where planning is unnecessary. For example, the upcoming holiday season. Children are yearning for normalcy and control. They may try to plan for a larger holiday event than CDC guidelines currently allow. That’s a lot for anyone to process!
5. Avoidance
A classic maneuver for both adults and children with anxiety, avoidance is a coping skill used by all ages. By simply trying to avoid a particular person, place, or task, we often end up experiencing more of whatever it is that is causing our anxiety in the first place.
How AZ+A Can Help Childhood Anxiety
Schedule a FREE 15-minute consultation today to begin discussing ways that AZ+A can help your child manage anxiety and regulate their emotions before their emotions begin to control them.
Occupational teletherapy is available to keep patients and staff safe during this current global health crisis.