Anxiety is an emotion that we all experience from time to time to varying degrees of intensity. Just like joy, disappointment and frustration, anxiety is a feeling that comes and goes and is usually in response to an identifiable stressor or experience.
It is when anxiety becomes very intense and remains at that intense level for a significant amount of time that it can affect your everyday functioning. If your child or teen experiences an intense, chronic sense of nervousness or worry and it is negatively impacting their functioning at home, school or in relationships, we are here to help.
Once anxiety reaches clinical levels, it can fall into various categories. Some children and teenagers may feel overly worried and anxious when separated from a parent while others are very fearful of entering social situations like going to gym class or a birthday party. Some kids and teens are afraid of specific objects, animals or situations while others experience a sudden surge of anxiety that turns into a panic attack. Some children and teenagers have difficulty speaking in certain social situations like in class while others have fears of leaving their home or avoid school. Some might experience chronic worry about a number of activities and events and have trouble controlling their amount of worry. Others may have obsessive thoughts and engage in compulsive behaviors as a way of coping with their thoughts.