Sunday, May 15, 2011

Diagnosing Anxiety Disorder in Children

By Noel Galliani


Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a persistent state of heightened anxiousness and apprehension characterized by extreme worrying, worry, and dread. Physical signs can include tremor, sweating, multiple somatic complaints, and exhaustion. Prognosis is by history. Therapy is often with relaxation therapy, generally mixed with drug therapy.

Children have a number of and diffuse worries, which are exacerbated by stress. These kids often have difficulty paying attention and could also be hyperactive and restless. They may sleep poorly, sweat excessively, really feel exhausted, and complain of physical discomfort (eg, stomachache, muscle aches, headache).

Generalized nervousness disorder is recognized in children and adolescents who have prominent and impairing nervousness symptoms that are not centered sufficient to fulfill criteria for a selected disorder comparable to social phobia or panic disorder. GAD is also an appropriate diagnosis for children who've a specific anxiety disorder, such as separation anxiety, but also produce other vital nervousness symptoms above and past those of the precise nervousness disorder.

Sometimes, Generalized nervousness dysfunction can be confused with consideration-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD-see Learning and Developmental Problems: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Dysfunction (ADHD, ADD)) because generalized anxiousness dysfunction can cause problem paying attention and may lead to psychomotor agitation, in different words, hyperactivity. A key difference is that children with ADHD are typically no extra susceptible to worries than kids without ADHD, whereas children with GAD have many distressing worries.

Because the main focus of symptoms is diffuse, GAD is very challenging to treat with behavioral therapy. Leisure training is usually more appropriate.

Patients who've severe GAD or who do not respond to psychotherapeutic interventions may have anxiolytic medication

The drug Buspirone is a useful different, especially for kids who can not tolerate other forms of treatment; starting dose is 5 mg per bid and may be gradually elevated to a 30 or 20 mg bid as tolerated.




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