Expert Tips from a Child Psychiatrist
Ok. It's 2 AM, and you're jolted awake by a blood-curdling scream. Your heart races as you dash to your child's room, expecting to find a burglar or perhaps a particularly menacing spider. Instead, you're greeted by your six-year-old, trembling under the covers, insisting there's a scary thing in the wardrobe. Is this normal childhood fear, or should you ring the local child psychologist at this ungodly hour?
Well, according to a recent survey by the UK's National Health Service, approximately 7% of children aged 5-19 have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. That's roughly two children in every primary school classroom grappling with more than just typical childhood worries.
But how do you distinguish between something that's a normal childhood worry and something more sinister?
We'll examine this in parts...
The Nature of Childhood Fears
Before we start labelling every under-the-bed monster as a sign of impending doom, let's take a moment to...
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