4 hidden signs of childhood anxiety that parents miss to spot

With things looking only more dire in every passing season, the most alarming impact of anxiety is what we are seeing among our kids. Decrypting the mental health of children presents a whole set of unique challenges. Serious issues requiring immediate intervention could easily be ignored because of general misinterpretation. Anxiety is so often the prime victim of this mistaken identity.

It is also very easily overlooked and parents often apply “corrective measures” to get rid of the fear. Not all fear is anxiety but it is imperative for parents, in the world we now live, to be aware of the signs that what’s happening with their child may need professional intervention.

Anxiety uses the variety in human uniqueness to present itself in a host of different mannerisms and behaviours, making the identification of the disorder a massive challenge. Parents are uniquely situated in a position to detect the early signs of anxiety in kids because one of the key visible symptoms is change. In an interview with Zarafshan Shiraz of Times of India, Nirvaan Birla, Managing Director at Birla Open Minds, shared the four silent signs of childhood anxiety that parents often miss.

While your developmental years are, by definition, a period of transition and change, parents must be vigilant toward sudden behavioural shifts in their kids, especially when they don’t seem to be caused by any specific event and the shift persists for a period of time. This only works, of course, if you are aware of your child’s current mannerisms and behavioural trends and so this begins, as all good parenting does, with getting to know your child really well!

A change in your child’s emotional expression is also a strong road-sign toward anxiety. . Severe mood swings, frequent bouts of depression and regular imbalanced emotional outbursts, which could be anything from sadness to wrath, are all things to keep an eye out for.

Sudden changes in their social behaviour or academic performance could also be an indicator of anxiety. These can be tricky because they are often blamed on laziness, stubbornness or external factors like “too much screen time”.

Uninduced changes in appetite, sleep cycle and other physical symptoms also must be paid attention to. Hypervigilance and a heightened sensitivity towards threat are generally observed in children with anxiety and must not ever be ignored.

Be an open source of support and communication for them. That’s the easiest way to see the signs of anxiety early and it may even help them avoid it altogether!