Early age anxiety: Types, causes, symptoms and cure

Anxiety shows up for each of us differently and it’s important to know anxiety can show up physically too as it is an emotion, an external threat over which you have no control but an internal state where you can learn to manage and learn from. Causes: Dr Sameer Malhotra, Director and Head, Department of Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences at Max Multi Speciality Centre in Delhi's Panchsheel Park, said, “Various factors contribute to anxiety like genetic predisposition, stressful family environment, alcohol dependence and impulse dyscontrol in the family, heightened expression of emotions in the family, parental discord, emotional trauma, disintegrating support networks, high expectations, at times over-provisions, excessive mobile use, disturbed sleep-wake schedule, unhealthy lifestyle with excessive fast food, lack of regular physical exercise/physical sport, excessive reliance on technology and impatience.” Symptoms: Dr Suprakash Chaudhary listed the early age anxiety symptoms as: 1. Frequently complaining of abdominal colic and upset stomach Aruna Agarwal, Child Psychologist, Behaviour Analyst, Access Conscious practitioner and owner of Kidzee – Mount Litera Zee School, revealed early age anxiety signs to be: Children crying out loud - Children crying out loud in social or public gatherings or withdraw from peers and social groups. Talking about how anxiety be managed clinically, Dr Sameer Malhotra, advised - A) Through correction of lifestyle: Balanced healthy meals, encouragement to practice healthy sleep wake schedule, regular physical sport and yoga, channelising energy in constructive hobbies, healthy balanced parenting with ability in the child to hear a ‘No’ at times, rational expectations and avoidance of unhealthy comparisons and competitions, encouraging healthy communication and expression, regulated mobile and Internet use. B) Correction of underlying thyroid concerns if any C) Counselling and behaviour therapy; family counselling D) Medication as per standard guidelines Revealing how to respond to anxiety, Dr Tarun Sehgal said, “Healthy lifestyle choices can often help pre-teens and teenagers handle anxiety.