Which symptoms of anxiety does your child experience? Review the list of examples below.
- stomach pain, nausea, or digestive trouble
- headache
- insomnia or other sleep issues (waking up frequently, for example)
- weakness or fatigue
- rapid breathing or shortness of breath
- pounding heart or increased heart rate
- sweating
- trembling or shaking
- muscle tension or pain
- anger
- inability to manage (meltdowns)
- perseveration on a topic
- irrational fears
- pulling hair
- Injuring or hitting self
- Head banging
- Biting
- Punching others
- Anxiety resulting from sensory hypersensitivity
- Appearance of separation anxiety
- Panic (may look like a meltdown)
- Dizziness
- Catastrophic ideas (I’m dying, I’m having a heart attack)
- Desire to escape from the situation creating the anxiety
- Desire to avoid situations that caused panic in the future
- Fear that they may go into a situation and not be able to handle it
- Excessive worry that may look like OCD symptomology (locking and unlocking the door)
- Trouble sleeping (can’t fall asleep, can’t sleep restfully)
- Social Anxiety (afraid that they are going to behave inappropriately – is the fear disproportional to the reality of rejection, do they underestimate their ability to do well – does it lead to avoidance of social situations in which they could be competent)
