They may have been monsters under the bed, thieves invading the house or ghosts peeking in the darkness that caused goose bumps when you were young.
Many people may vividly remember their most disturbing childhood fears, but they tend to overcome concerns that once caused sleepless nights. For some children and their parents, however, and when they are developing in more serious phobias or.
Fears are a normal part of human development and serve as survival mechanisms, helping to prevent children and adults from getting involved in risky behaviors. But when fears become debilitating or impair daily functioning, they can be classified as phobia or anxiety disorder, said Thomas Ollendick, a distinct teacher of Virginia Tech psychology, known for his work with children and adolescents.
If anxiety and phobias disorders are not treated, children are in danger of developing additional psychiatric problems or doctors, who can accompany them to adulthood, according to Wendy Silverman, director of the Center for Center’s Anxiety and Humor Disorders Program. Yale Child Studies, Professor of Children’s Psychiatry at Alfred A. Messer and Professor of Psychology at the Yale Medical School.
Children can develop phobias or anxiety disorders for various reasons, including genetics, direct negative experiences with an event or object, observation of others or hearing scary information, Silverman said.
Phobic and anxiety disorders are also. Up to 1 in 3 children and adolescents are affected by these disorders, and these rates have increased substantially since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to “The Parents’ Guide of Psychological First Aid: Helping Children and Adolescents Cope with Predictable Life Crisis ”, from English,” The Guide of Parents of Psychological First Aid: helping children and adolescents to deal with predictable crises of life. “
New fears and anxieties tend to develop and vary as children and adolescents grow and adapt to new environments, Silverman said.
Babies and young children often show fears of high noises, unknown people and separation from their parents. When children begin to get involved in more imaginative games when reaching preschool age, they can develop fears related to ghosts, monsters and small animals.
When children come to adolescence and begin to have more real -world experiences, it is common to develop fears related to social anxiety, particularly when they face the scrutiny of others.
The first step in addressing an anxiety or phobia disorder is to recognize symptoms that are outside the limits of a common fear.
Parents may have difficulty detecting certain anxieties, especially if a child has no classic symptoms – food rejection, nausea or refusal to leave home – or have reservations on sharing their fears, Ollendick noted.
To help parents distinguish whether a fear can develop in a more serious disorder, experts like Ollendick and Silverman observe the frequency, intensity and duration of a fear.
Frequency helps determine what regularity a fear is occurring. Parents and children may notice whether fear is something that appears once a year compared to a daily struggle.
It is also important to evaluate the intensity of a fear, which parents can judge based on how their child responds when a situation is not treated the way they want. Classifying your child’s reactions on a one to ten scale can help parents and psychologists better understand the severity of these situations.
Finally, the duration is crucial to knowing when it may be time to seek professional support. Psychologists recommend giving some time to their child’s fears to be established to see if these concerns are another phase or a lasting problem.
Quoting the fifth edition of the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, Ollendick and Silverman noted that fears should last at least six months before being considered a clinically significant phobia or anxiety disorder.
However, if a fear is preventing a child from developing or working properly, impairing family functioning or negatively affecting academic performance, it is possible that fear has developed in a clinically significant problem, and may seem irrational for parents to wait To seek professional support, said Silverman.
How parents can provide support
In dealing with children’s fears, many parents instinctively want to intervene to protect their suffering. However, Silverman warns against this approach, known as parental protection or accommodation, which provides temporary relief for the child, but reinforces fear rather than helping to overcome the root of concern.
If parents have specific anxieties that make them spiral and act inappropriately, it is essential to admit that they can demonstrate healthier reactions, which could help your child model better behavior in the future.
In addition, parents should try to find a balance between recognizing their children’s concerns and discussing safety precautions and emphasizing the possible damage and negative results of an event or object, said Ollendick.
It can be especially difficult to deal with children’s fears about real -world threats, such as shootings in schools or natural disasters. However, Ollendick and Silverman strongly recommend promoting open dialogue to help reduce concerns or feelings of isolation and shame.
Parents can also share their emotions, appropriate to age, to show that it is healthy to talk about heavy topics and be vulnerable to others.
In some cases, explain that certain fears are linked to low probability events or create a plan can provide security, Silverman said.
For those who live in coastal areas more susceptible to hurricanes, your child may find comfort to discuss the actions that family members would need to take if they were in danger.
Parents should encourage children to face their fears instead of falling into evasive behaviors. Especially for younger people, positive reinforcement can help children feel motivated to face their fear. Small gifts or privileges, such as playing a game or spontaneously, should be offered as soon as possible after children have been involved in such behavior to increase their confidence, according to Silverman.
Seeking professional help
If your child’s anxieties persist beyond six months, despite their efforts at home, it is vital that parents seek help from qualified professionals, Silverman said.
When seeking professional support, younger children may have difficulty recognizing and articulating their emotions. Parents can provide useful insights to psychologists, tracking behaviors and collecting feedback from teachers or other caregivers, said Ollendick.
Silverman added that cognitive behavioral therapy, particularly exposure therapy, proved to be highly effective in treating anxiety and phobias.
Exposure therapy gradually introduces the object or situation feared in a controlled manner, starting small and increasing over time.
If you are afraid of dogs, for example, the child can start by looking at photos of the animals, then watching one through a window before eventually interacting with a small, docile dog, Silverman said.
Over time, you may consider taking your child to a park to be close to dogs while they are contained by their owners.
