-
…
Different types of anxiety disorders
There are several different anxiety disorders, which all have different key features. Some signs and symptoms of anxiety disorders may overlap with other childhood problems. A health professional can assess your child.
Specific phobias
These are fears about particular objects or situations. Some common phobias include fear of the dark, dogs, heights, injections and needles.
Separation anxiety
This is the fear of being away from a main caregiver. Tamariki (children) will become very upset when they have to separate for any reason. They will try to keep their caregiver with them at all times. Often, the fear is that something terrible will happen to the parent or the child when they are apart.
Generalised anxiety
This is a general tendency to worry about all sorts of things and expect the worst to happen. Common areas they worry about include:
- schoolwork
- relationships
- health
- burglaries
- sport performance
Social anxiety
This is a fear or worry about social or performance situations. Tamariki with social anxiety are often described as shy. They often fear people will think badly of them.
Obsessive compulsive disorder
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is when a child has unwanted, worrying thoughts that keep coming back. These are called obsessions. The thoughts can be about many different things, such as:
- someone getting hurt
- making a mistake
- things needing to feel ‘just right’,
- doing something wrong
To try to feel less anxious, your child may feel they have to do certain actions over and over. These are called compulsions. This might include:
- washing
- checking
- counting and repeating things
- asking for lots of reassurance,
- avoiding situations that make them feel anxious
The actions may help for a short time, but the worries usually come back and the cycle continues.
Panic disorder
This is a fear or worry about having panic attacks in situations where most people would not be afraid. Panic attacks involve a sudden rush of fear and several physical feelings such as:
- finding it hard to breathe
- a racing heart
- feeling sick (nausea)
