Kids and teens that experience significant anxiety relating to changes in their lives may feel worried whether or not they are having a ‘normal’ reaction. For parents, it can be difficult to know if how they are feeling is ‘too much’ anxiety. Some parents worry their child has Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), while others might worry they have passed on their own anxiety struggles.
What do I mean by adjustment/changes in life?
Adjustment / changes in life are normally marked by anxiety, reckless or defiant behavior, and difficulty with “getting over it”. This level of anxiety is an abnormal and excessive reaction to an identifiable life stressor. Your child’s reaction would be more severe than would be expected and can result in significant impairment in their social, occupational, and academic functioning. The response could be linked to a single or multiple events (a flood, fire, marriage, divorce, starting school or a new school, family problems, or academic / social difficulties). These stressors could also be triggered by recurrent events like your child seeing you and your spouse fighting all the time, medical issues, or family financial difficulties.
Some behaviors to look for:
Agitation
Trembling or twitching
Physical complaints (general aches and pains, headaches, chest pain, stomachache)
Behavior changes such as acting out or withdrawal
Unusual levels of anxiety, worry and stress
Acting rebellious or impulsive
Sharing feelings of sadness
Crying
Reduced ability to concentrate
Loss of self-esteem
Acting depressed
Is my child at risk for developing adjustment issues?
First and foremost, anyone can develop adjustment issues. In fact, you automatically have an adjustment when you graduate, move, get married, have a child and the list goes on! There isn’t any one way to predict if someone will experience a change and have difficulty adjusting to it. However, children with poor social skills and difficulty with change are more likely to have difficulty adjusting.
Can adjustment issues be treated?
The answer to that question is “Yes.” Some of the recommended treatments include individual and family therapy, behavior therapy and self help or support groups. If recognized early and with the right support, the outlook for your child recovering from an adjustment issue is excellent. Recovery typically happens in less than six months in most children or teens.
As a parent, there is no one way you can prevent an adjustment issue from happening with your child, but you can help them learn how to cope and become resilient when dealing with those stressors. By building a strong network of people who can support your child, helping them see the positive or humor in those hard situations, living a healthy lifestyle and establishing a good self-esteem you are preparing your child for any stressful situation that may happen in their life.
Is it adjustment issues or Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)?
A key difference between adjustment issues and GAD is the cause of the anxiety.
An adjustment issue indicates there has been a significant change within the last 6 months that has caused this reaction. However, for some kids, it may seem there are constant things that could be to blame.
GAD is a more appropriate diagnosis when a child is anxious about anything and everything. There may not seem to be a specific reason for their anxiety, or a specific starting point. They are just anxious- and it is constant.
How does therapy help?
Our trained specialists use a combination of Cognitive Behavioral therapy techniques and play therapy techniques to support your child and your family in developing healthy coping skills that can be used to combat anxiety- regardless of the source. Although the course of treatment is different for an adjustment issue or GAD, therapy works and we would love to help your child live anxiety free.