Anxiety in children: How is anxiety different from stress?

Anxiety is a term often used to describe feelings of uneasiness and stress. Even though the terms stress and anxiety are often used interchangeably, they are quite different. Stress is a natural emotion that we all experience, whereas anxiety is a constant or frequent state of worry that affects our daily functioning.

Think of our brain as the most protective alarm system created. Its sole purpose is to keep us safe, and eliminate anything that is considered a threat. When our brain perceives a threat, it immediately triggers the emotion of stress. When our alarm system is more sensitive to threats, then it triggers anxiety. Therefore, people with anxiety often reach out to professionals to help them deal with the unwanted emotions and effects of it.

The causes of anxiety can be a result of nature and nurture and how the two interact with each other.

Given that both environment and genes play a role in the development of anxiety, it is often possible to identify traits or “red flags” from a young age. It is important to note that being able to understand children’s behaviour better regarding anxiety, can help them get help from a young age. This can potentially relieve a lot of time dwelling on negative and self-sabotaging emotions and thoughts caused by anxiety especially at older ages when it becomes more difficult to treat or manage. Not impossible, but more difficult.

How do you identify red flags for anxiety in children?

A general “rule” in distinguishing anxiety from just the natural stress every child experiences, is by paying attention to whether or not it is affecting different aspects of the child’s life.

For example, if the child is debilitated by emotions of fear, tension, or uneasiness and this affects:

• school performance,

• interpersonal relationships with peers,

• appetite, or

• other daily functions.

Then it might be something the parents or guardians could take action on, and reach out to a mental health professional, such as a psychologist, about.

In addition, other signs that indicate potential anxiety are:

• Repeated experiences of physical uneasiness (i.e., tummy aches, fidgeting, heart pounding fast, shaking, difficulty breathing).

• Extreme and prolonged fear of being away from the parents (maybe during school, or extracurricular activities).

• Simple conversations with the child (i.e., when the child is constantly in a state of worry about the future).

An important point here would be that yes, it is possible for us, as parents or caregivers to understand some red flags in our children’s behaviours, however, we must take into account different situational factors as well. For example, big changes in a child’s environment such as moving to a new school, the loss of a loved one, or an accident, can cause anxious behaviours – which still need to be addressed, but don’t necessarily mean that the child is experiencing long-term anxiety. However, parents/caregivers who identify that their children are experiencing these emotions of uneasiness and fear regularly and persistently, are advised to reach out to a professional psychologist to address the issues and help prevent or treat anxiety.