By Melanie VanderPol-Bailey, MSW

Worry and anxiety in children can sometimes be bigger and scarier than adults realize.  Think back to your childhood to perhaps a thought or fear you had that caused you great concern or worry.  Anxiety is a negative emotion that involves feeling nervous, afraid, scared and worried.

Some anxiety is healthy and normal in a child’s development.  Clinically significant anxiety among children a can be described as an extreme response to a situation or event that a young person perceives as threatening and is out of proportion to the actual danger. This anxious response frequently includes thoughts of impending harm or danger, heightened arousal such as increased heart rate and rapid breathing, and often the avoidance of situations or events that cause discomfort.  Here are some signs that your child’s anxiety may require more attention:
 

• excessive worry most days of the week, for weeks on end

• trouble sleeping at night or sleepiness during the day

• restlessness or fatigue during waking hours

• trouble concentrating

• irritability
   

At Sioux Falls Psychological Services in Sioux Falls and River Counseling Services in Platte, we walk with families through their anxiety, using treatment approaches that will assist both children and adults.  If you live in the Platte region, call us today at 337-3444 to make an appointment.   If you live in the Sioux Falls region, call us today at 334-2696 to make an appointment.