Child Psychiatry: Understanding Anxiety Disorders in Young Minds

Child psychiatry is an integral part of helping children through mental conditions, such as anxiety disorders. If you have noticed the symptoms in your child, there is no need to panic. A child psychiatrist can help young patients manage their anxiety disorders to minimize the impact on the child's daily life and overall development.

Understanding anxiety disorders' effect on the mind

It is normal for a child to experience anxiety on occasion. In fact, many situations may call for it, such as taking a test, changing schools, first dates, etc. However, when anxiety begins to rear its head in inappropriate moments or prevent the child from regulating their emotions or behaviors, a disorder may be present.

The American Psychiatric Association defines anxiety disorders as conditions in which anxiety is often out of proportion to the situation at hand, thereby interfering with the patient's ability to function. Per the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, or DSM-5, there are multiple types of anxiety disorders. Each has a different effect on a child's brain and behavior:

• Agoraphobia
• General anxiety disorder
• Panic disorder
• Phobias
• Selective mutism
• Separation anxiety disorder
• Social anxiety disorder

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, estimates that as of 2019, 5.8 million children have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Among these diagnoses, a great portion has an additional disorder, such as depression or behavioral issues.

Understanding child psychiatry

Child psychiatry, or pediatric psychiatry as it is sometimes called, uses various techniques to diagnose, treat, and manage mental health conditions that affect adolescents. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry states that child psychiatrists use their extensive knowledge of social, biological, and psychological factors working within a child's mind. Child psychiatrists undergo years of training and schooling before acquiring their license, enabling them to provide treatments through medications, procedures, and strategic talk-based approaches.

Child psychiatry treatment options for anxiety disorders

Child psychiatry is a process that is individual to each child. The most common treatment options a psychiatrist will consider for anxiety disorders include psychotherapy and medications. Psychotherapy, or talk therapy, utilizes strategic techniques such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to help challenge and dismantle negative thought processes and replace them with new positive ones. Not only that, but they provide children with healthier coping mechanisms and critical thinking skills to help regulate their emotions as they gain more positive thoughts surrounding the source of their anxiety.

Medication, such as beta-blockers and antidepressants, are not a cure for anxiety disorders. However, a child psychiatrist may combine them with psychotherapy for a short time, as they can help ease physical symptoms that can be detrimental to the child's health, such as:

• Rapid or irregular heartbeat
• Headaches
• Body aches
• Excessive sweating
• Dizziness
• Fainting
• Restlessness

Call us for more information

If you think your child may have an anxiety disorder, schedule an appointment with Future Psych Solutions. Our child psychiatrist has the education, training, experience, and tools to properly diagnose and treat your child. Or, if you have more questions regarding child psychiatry, contact our Columbia office.

Request an appointment here: https://futurepsychsolutions.com or call Future Psych Solutions at (803) 335-5232 for an appointment in our Columbia office.

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