How it manifests itself at different ages
In children under three years of age, anxiety is expressed in body and behavior: sleep is disturbed, appetite decreases, tearfulness and a constant desire to be near their mother appear. In preschool age, fears of the dark, loneliness, doctors, nightmares, and sometimes the return of enuresis come to the fore. Schoolchildren are more likely to have tics, nail biting, hair curling, stomach and head complaints in the mornings on school days, and refusal to go to school. Teenagers react with irritability, withdrawal, sleep disturbances, and decreased academic performance.
- Sleep disturbances, night awakenings, nightmares
- Fears of darkness and separation from parents
- Tics, nail biting, thumb sucking
- Pain in the abdomen and head without findings during examination
- Return of enuresis
- Refusal to go to kindergarten or school
- Irritability and withdrawal in adolescents
Causes and risk factors
Most often, neurosis is triggered by a situation that the child cannot cope with on his own: conflicts and tension between parents, divorce, the birth of a younger child, moving, changing schools, bullying peers. Excessive expectations from adults and an overloaded schedule with clubs without time for free play play a significant role. Children with an anxious temperament, as well as those who grew up in an unpredictable environment, are more vulnerable. The condition is further aggravated by lack of sleep, physical inactivity, long periods of time in front of screens, and previous serious illnesses.
- Tensions or conflicts in the family
- Divorce, relocation, change of team
- Bullying at school
- Excessive demands and overload
- Lack of sleep and excess screen time
- Anxiety among parents themselves
When it's not just character
Every child has certain fears and whims, and most of them go away on their own. It’s worth contacting a specialist when symptoms last longer than a month, increase in severity, or interfere with normal life—the child cannot sleep alone, refuses kindergarten and school, loses friends, or stops doing what he previously liked. A sudden change in behavior for no clear reason is also alarming, especially if it is accompanied by regression of skills or bodily complaints that are repeated day after day.
- Symptoms last more than a month
- Garden, school, friendship suffer
- The child loses interest in games
- Skill regression has appeared
- Complaints are repeated daily
What examinations are needed
There are no specific tests for neurosis. The doctor’s task is to rule out physical causes of similar complaints and evaluate the child’s development. The pediatrician examines, prescribes basic tests, checks hemoglobin and ferritin for complaints of fatigue, and checks thyroid function for palpitations and weight loss. If there are tics, freezing, or suspected seizures, the child is referred to a neurologist and electroencephalography is performed. The main diagnostic tool is a conversation with parents and playful observation of the child by a psychologist.
- Pediatric examination and developmental assessment
- Complete blood count, ferritin
- TSH according to indications
- Consultation with a pediatric neurologist for tics
- Electroencephalography for suspected seizures
- Psychological diagnostics and observation in the game
How to help a child
The main thing is to reduce the load and restore predictability: a stable sleep schedule, familiar rituals before bed, limiting screens, enough time for free play and movement. It is important not to shame for fears and tics: comments increase the symptom. Talk about feelings in simple terms, acknowledge them, and help your child name the experiences. The specialist uses play, sand, art therapy, and with adolescents - cognitive-behavioral methods; At the same time, we are working with parents. Medicines are prescribed to children only by a doctor and only in some cases, and not “for reassurance.”
- Stable day and sleep routine
- Reduced study load, time to play
- Limiting screen time
- Calm reaction to tics and fears without comments
- Play, art therapy, sand therapy
- Psychologist's work with parents
- Medicines - only as prescribed by a doctor