Anxiety Go Away!

Anxiety in Children is something that we all have seen or experienced. It is a different kind of feeling which discomforts children and causes phobias within them. What could be the causes that lead to such a situation in a child? A majority of researches have indicated that the reason for this kind of behavior is hereditary or genetic. However, the other reasons for causing this kind of pattern in children can be the ambience in which they grow in or due to the psychological make up of the child. The causes can be broadly classified as follows:

Genetics And Early Learning- Anxiety in Children can be hereditary. If there is someone in your family or the parents themselves have anxiety disorders, then their children are more prone to it. The brain structure and its processes are inherited by each and every child and any behavior might run in the family. Constant exposure to such a pattern in behavior among the role models of children, which are usually parents, can also make them anxious. If a child grows up in a family where there are tension and arguments, then this could also make them anxious.

Brain Biochemistry- Human brain includes innumerable nerve cells called neurons which communicate with each other and develop various emotions and behavior in us. All these neurons are synchronized well and if there is any irregularity in them, then it affects us mentally and changes various emotions in us and our ability to function normally. The complete activity of neurons depends on chemicals that are present in them which are called neurotransmitters. Two major neurotransmitters that make a person anxious are serotonin and dopamine. A chemical imbalance affects the function of neurons and this irregularity often reflects in the form of anxiety.

Fight or Flight Mechanism- Every human body is prepared to deal with any threatening situation in life either by defending oneself or escaping from it. This is called as the Fight or Flight Mechanism. The part of the brain which is responsible for this is called amygdala. During this activity, certain external responses are shown by our body such as increase in the rate of heartbeats and sweating. This is called as a panic attack. Our brain also gets effected by the activation of the fight or flight response mechanism. When such instances occur often, then our mental systems seem to work in a particular fashion when it faces such circumstances unknowingly. That often causes unnecessary anxiety. Although this is a normal function of the brain but our body misunderstands a situation and feels that there is a danger where there is actually nothing to fear.

All the above causes can act alone or in combination with others to develop this kind of behavior in a child. We need to be responsible as parents and not trigger any such things in our life that can provoke such a condition in our child’s life. Anxiety in children is common but it can have a devastating effect on a child if it turns into a disorder.