![]() Does her anxiety occur more days than not, and continue for a significant duration? Have her anxiety symptoms lasted for at least 6 months? Do her bouts of anxiety occur at least 3 to 5 times per week and last for at least an hour?.Does her anxiety or its outward symptoms significantly impair her social, academic, or other functioning?.Does her anxiety lead to restlessness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, irritability,muscle tension, and/or sleep disturbance?.Does she seem excessively worried or anxious about a number of situations or activities (such as peer relationships or school performance)? Are her fears largely irrational-that is, overly exaggerated or unrealistic-rather than realistic worries about punishment for negative behavior? Does she find it difficult to control her worrying?.Report her comments to her pediatrician and/or psychologist, and encourage her to speak directly with these professionals. If the possibility of an anxiety disorder concerns you, be sure to discuss any fears or worries she has and listen carefully to her response. ![]() Your child can be an important source of information that may lead to a diagnosis of anxiety disorder, although some children are reluctant to admit to any symptoms even if they are quite significant. Instead they may tend to seem inefficient or distracted-having a great deal of difficulty remembering facts or processing concepts or ideas. At the same time, they may behave in less disruptive ways than children with ADHD alone because their anxiety inhibits spontaneous or impulsive behavior. ![]() They may not sleep well, and may even experience brief panic attacks-involving pounding heart, difficulty breathing, nausea, shaking, and intense fears-that occur for no apparent reason.While their school performance may be equivalent to that of children with ADHD alone, they tend to experience a wider variety of social difficulties and have more problems at school than children with ADHD alone. They may seem tense, irritable, tired, or stressed out. Their anxiety and worry are clear-cut, often focusing on specific situations or thoughts. Children with an anxiety disorder, however, experience more than a general lack of focus or a restless response to boredom. Identifying an anxiety disorder in your child can be difficult not only because her symptoms may be internal, but because certain signs of anxiety-particularly restlessness and poor concentration-may be misinterpreted as symptoms of ADHD. It is important to ask your child’s pediatrician or psychologist to talk with your child directly if you suspect the presence of persistent anxiety in addition to her ADHD. Only when her symptoms are expressed in actual behavior, such as weight loss, sleeplessness, or refusal to attend school, will she attract the attention she needs. An anxious child may be experiencing guilt, fear, or even irritability and yet escape notice by a parent, teacher, or pediatrician. Younger children with overanxious disorder or separation anxiety are especially likely to also have ADHD.Īnxiety disorders are often more difficult to recognize than disruptive behavior disorders because the former’s symptoms are internalized -that is, they often exist within the mind of the child rather than in such outward behavior as verbal outbursts or pushing others to be first in line. This includes all types of anxiety disorders-generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, separation anxiety, and phobia (including social anxiety). Likewise, about one fourth of children with anxiety disorders have ADHD. About one fourth of children with ADHD also have an anxiety disorder. As with disruptive behavior disorders, there is a great deal of overlap between anxiety disorders and ADHD.
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