Anxiety

All children experience fears and worries from time to time. If the fears and worries are persistent, or seem out of proportion to what is happening in a young person’s life, we may describe this as anxiety.

Signs that your child might be experiencing anxiety include:

• Worrying a lot (about a specific topic, or a range of topics)
• Feeling scared or fearful
• Avoiding things that he / she is afraid of
• Difficulty being away from parents/caregivers (including difficulty sleeping alone)
• Wanting things to be perfect, or to be “in control”
• A strong need to repeat certain actions, or certain thoughts, over and over
• Frequent reassurance-seeking
• Concentration problems
• Physical aches or pains (e.g., stomach aches, headaches) without a known medical cause
• Seeming irritable or agitated
• Fatigue
• Sleep difficulties

It may be helpful to consult with a professional if your child’s fears or worries are interfering with his/her ability to do things that other children of their age are doing easily, or interfering with enjoyment in one or more areas of life (e.g., friendships, schoolwork, or family life).

The following practitioners at CPMG can be of service in evaluating and managing anxiety in children and adolescents:

• Dr Rowena Conroy (Clinical Psychologist)
• Associate Professor Daryl Efron
• Dr Michaela Murray
• Dr Fiona Zandt (Clinical Psychologist)