Anxiety in Children & Teens: Understanding and Support in Broward County

Your child used to be outgoing and adventurous. Now they’re afraid to try new things. Or maybe they’ve always been cautious, but lately the worry has taken over. They can’t sleep because their mind won’t stop racing. They avoid social situations. They have stomachaches before school every morning. They ask “what if” questions constantly, no matter how much reassurance you provide.

As a parent, watching your child struggle with anxiety is heartbreaking. You want to protect them, make them feel safe, and help them see that the things they’re worried about aren’t as scary as they seem. But nothing you say or do seems to help. In fact, your reassurance might even seem to make things worse.

If this sounds familiar, I want you to know something important: anxiety in children and teens is real, it’s common, and it’s treatable. Your child isn’t being dramatic or seeking attention. They’re genuinely experiencing fear and distress. And with the right support, they can learn to manage their anxiety and reclaim their life.

What Anxiety Actually Looks Like in Young People

Anxiety doesn’t always look like worry. In fact, many anxious children and teens don’t talk about feeling nervous or scared at all. Instead, anxiety often shows up in ways that surprise parents.

Some children become irritable or angry when they’re anxious. Others complain of physical symptoms—headaches, stomachaches, feeling dizzy or nauseous—with no medical cause. Many avoid situations that trigger their anxiety so successfully that parents don’t realize fear is the issue.

You might see your child asking the same questions over and over, seeking constant reassurance that everything will be okay. They might refuse to do things they used to enjoy. They might have trouble falling asleep because worries flood their mind the moment things get quiet. Some children experience panic attacks with racing hearts, difficulty breathing, and overwhelming fear that something terrible is happening.

The important thing to understand is that anxiety in children can look very different from anxiety in adults. A teenager might not say “I’m anxious about school”—instead, they might complain that all their teachers are terrible, their friends are annoying, and they just don’t feel like going. A younger child might not have words for their anxiety at all, so it comes out as clinginess, tantrums, or physical complaints.

Different Types of Anxiety Disorders

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Some children worry about everything. School, friendships, family, their health, world events—the list never ends. These aren’t brief worries that pass quickly. They’re persistent, intense, and interfere with daily life.

Children with generalized anxiety often have trouble concentrating because their mind is preoccupied with worries. They might be perfectionistic, constantly seeking approval, or unable to relax and just be kids. Parents often describe them as “old souls” or “worry warts” who seem to carry the weight of the world.

Social Anxiety

If your child is terrified of social situations—being called on in class, eating in front of others, attending parties, or meeting new people—they might be dealing with social anxiety.

Social anxiety is more than shyness. It’s an intense fear of being judged, embarrassed, or humiliated. Children with social anxiety often avoid speaking up even when they know the answer, refuse to attend social events, or experience physical symptoms like blushing, sweating, or trembling in social situations.

Over time, social anxiety can significantly limit a child’s life. They might miss out on friendships, struggle academically despite being capable, and develop a pattern of avoidance that becomes harder to break the longer it continues.

Selective Mutism

Selective mutism is one of the most misunderstood anxiety conditions. Children with selective mutism can speak freely and comfortably in certain settings—usually at home with close family—but are unable to speak in other situations, particularly at school or in public.

This isn’t defiance or shyness. It’s an anxiety-based condition where the fear of speaking in certain contexts is so overwhelming that the child literally cannot make words come out, even though they want to. Teachers might describe the child as oppositional or stubborn, but in reality, they’re experiencing paralyzing anxiety.

Parents often notice that their chatty, funny child at home becomes completely silent at school. The child might communicate through nodding, pointing, or whispering, but cannot speak at normal volume. This can significantly impact their academic performance and social development if not addressed.

Separation Anxiety

While it’s normal for very young children to be upset when separated from parents, separation anxiety becomes a disorder when it’s excessive for the child’s age and interferes with normal activities.

Children with separation anxiety might refuse to go to school, panic when left with babysitters, or insist on sleeping in their parents’ bed every night. They might worry constantly that something bad will happen to their parents or to themselves when they’re apart. Some refuse to be in different rooms of the house from their parents.

This anxiety can be exhausting for the whole family and limit what everyone can do.

Specific Phobias

A phobia is an intense, irrational fear of a specific thing or situation. Common phobias in children include fear of dogs, insects, storms, the dark, vomiting, or medical procedures.

While many children have fears, a phobia goes beyond typical childhood wariness. The fear is disproportionate to any actual danger and leads to significant avoidance or distress. A child with a dog phobia might refuse to visit friends who have dogs, panic when they see a dog on the street, or have nightmares about dogs.

Panic Disorder

Some children and teens experience panic attacks—sudden episodes of intense fear accompanied by physical symptoms like rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, dizziness, chest pain, or feeling like they’re dying or losing control.

When panic attacks become recurrent and the child develops a fear of having another attack, this may be panic disorder. Teens with panic disorder often start avoiding situations where they’ve had panic attacks or where they’d feel trapped if an attack occurred.

Why Anxiety Develops in Children

Parents often wonder what caused their child’s anxiety. Did they do something wrong? Is it genetic? Could they have prevented it?

The truth is that anxiety usually develops from a combination of factors. Some children are temperamentally more sensitive or cautious from birth. Genetics play a role—anxiety tends to run in families. Life experiences like stressful events, trauma, or significant changes can trigger or worsen anxiety. And sometimes anxiety emerges without any clear cause at all.

What’s important to understand is that anxiety isn’t your fault as a parent. You didn’t cause this by being too protective or not protective enough. And while you can’t necessarily prevent anxiety from developing, you can absolutely help your child learn to manage it.

How Anxiety Affects Children’s Lives

Untreated anxiety doesn’t just cause worry—it can significantly impact every area of a child’s life.

At School: Anxious children might avoid raising their hand, struggle to complete tests even when they know the material, refuse to give presentations, or avoid school altogether. Their grades might not reflect their actual abilities because anxiety interferes with performance.

Socially: Anxiety can prevent children from making friends, joining activities, or attending social events. Over time, this isolation can lead to loneliness and depression. Other children might not understand why their anxious peer acts differently, leading to social rejection.

At Home: Family life can become organized around managing the child’s anxiety. Parents might avoid certain activities, provide constant reassurance, or take over tasks the child is too anxious to do. Siblings might feel resentful of the extra attention or accommodation.

Emotionally: Living with constant anxiety is exhausting. Children might feel frustrated with themselves, ashamed of their fears, or hopeless that things will ever get better. This can impact their self-esteem and overall emotional wellbeing.

The good news is that anxiety is highly treatable. Children can learn skills to manage their anxiety and gradually face their fears in ways that build confidence rather than reinforce avoidance.

How Therapy Helps Children with Anxiety

Therapy for childhood anxiety isn’t about forcing children to face their fears before they’re ready or simply telling them not to worry. It’s a gradual, supportive process that gives children tools to manage anxiety and slowly expands their comfort zone.

Here’s what actually happens in therapy for anxiety:

Understanding Anxiety: Children learn what anxiety is, how it shows up in their body and thoughts, and why their brain responds the way it does. This understanding alone can be incredibly relieving—anxiety feels less scary when you understand it.

Identifying Triggers and Patterns: We explore what situations trigger anxiety, what thoughts accompany those feelings, and how the child typically responds. Recognizing patterns is the first step to changing them.

Learning Coping Skills: Children develop a toolkit of strategies for managing anxiety in the moment. This might include breathing techniques, grounding exercises, positive self-talk, or ways to challenge worried thoughts. These are practical skills they can use whenever anxiety shows up.

Gradual Exposure: The most effective treatment for anxiety involves gradually facing feared situations in a controlled, supportive way. We create a hierarchy of situations from least to most anxiety-provoking and work through them step by step. Each success builds confidence for the next challenge.

Cognitive Restructuring: Anxious children often have thought patterns that maintain their anxiety—catastrophizing, overestimating danger, underestimating their ability to cope. We work on recognizing and challenging these thoughts, replacing them with more balanced, realistic thinking.

Building Confidence: As children face their fears and realize they can handle difficult situations, their confidence grows. They learn that anxiety is uncomfortable but manageable, and that avoidance actually makes anxiety stronger over time.

What Parents Can Do to Support an Anxious Child

Parents play a crucial role in helping children manage anxiety. Here are some principles that can make a significant difference:

Validate, Don’t Dismiss: When your child expresses anxiety, resist the urge to say “You’re fine” or “There’s nothing to worry about.” Even if their fear seems irrational to you, it’s very real to them. Instead, acknowledge their feelings: “I can see this is really scary for you.”

Avoid Excessive Reassurance: This feels counterintuitive, but constantly reassuring an anxious child (“I promise nothing bad will happen”) actually reinforces anxiety. It teaches them that they need your reassurance to feel safe rather than learning to tolerate uncertainty themselves.

Encourage Brave Behavior: Gently encourage your child to face feared situations rather than avoiding them. This doesn’t mean forcing them before they’re ready, but it does mean not letting anxiety make all the decisions. Celebrate small acts of courage.

Model Healthy Anxiety Management: Children learn from watching you. Let them see you managing your own stress and uncertainty in healthy ways. Talk about your own worries and how you handle them.

Maintain Normal Expectations: While you want to be supportive, avoid letting anxiety dictate your family’s entire life. Continue expecting your child to attend school, do their chores, and participate in family activities, even if they’re anxious about them.

The balance between being supportive and not accommodating anxiety too much can be tricky. That’s where professional guidance becomes invaluable.

When to Seek Professional Help

All children experience worry and fear sometimes. That’s normal and healthy. But anxiety becomes a concern when it’s persistent, excessive, interferes with daily functioning, causes significant distress, or leads to avoidance that limits your child’s life.

Consider reaching out for professional support if your child’s anxiety is affecting their school performance or attendance, preventing them from making or keeping friends, causing frequent physical complaints with no medical cause, leading to significant avoidance of normal activities, interfering with sleep or eating, or causing distress for your child or disruption for your family.

You might also notice that despite your best efforts, the anxiety is getting worse rather than better, or you feel stuck and unsure how to help.

Early intervention makes a real difference with anxiety. The longer anxiety goes untreated, the more entrenched the patterns of avoidance become. But with appropriate support, children can learn to manage anxiety effectively and prevent it from controlling their lives.

What Families Experience in Treatment

While every child’s journey with anxiety is unique, families often describe similar positive changes:

Children start attempting things they previously avoided. A child with social anxiety might volunteer to read aloud in class. A child with separation anxiety might agree to a sleepover at grandma’s house. These brave steps represent enormous progress.

Parents notice their child seems lighter somehow. The constant worry hasn’t disappeared entirely, but it’s no longer running the show. There’s more laughter, more spontaneity, more moments of just being a kid.

Family life becomes less restricted. You can make plans without constantly worrying about whether your child’s anxiety will derail them. You’re not walking on eggshells or organizing everything around avoiding triggers.

Most importantly, children develop a sense of confidence and capability. They learn that they can feel anxious and still do hard things. They discover that anxiety is uncomfortable but manageable, and that facing fears actually makes them less scary over time. These are skills they’ll carry with them throughout their lives.

My Approach to Treating Childhood Anxiety

I specialize in working with anxious children and teens, particularly those dealing with social anxiety, selective mutism, school avoidance, and fear-based behaviors. My approach is rooted in evidence-based practices like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and exposure-based treatments, but I always tailor these to fit your child’s age, personality, and specific needs.

I’m patient and understanding, but I’m also honest about what actually helps anxiety improve. That means I’ll gently encourage your child to face their fears rather than avoid them. I’ll work with you on strategies that support progress without reinforcing anxiety. And I’ll celebrate every brave step, no matter how small it might seem.

I also collaborate closely with parents because your involvement is essential. You’re the one who’s with your child every day, implementing strategies and encouraging brave behavior. Together, we can help your child move from being controlled by anxiety to managing it effectively.

You Don’t Have to Watch Your Child Suffer

I know how helpless it feels to watch your child struggle with anxiety. You’d do anything to take away their fear and help them feel safe. But the truth is, protecting them from everything that makes them anxious actually makes anxiety stronger.

What your child needs isn’t protection from discomfort—it’s support in learning to handle discomfort. They need tools to manage their anxiety, guidance in facing their fears gradually, and confidence that they’re capable of doing hard things.

With the right support, anxious children can thrive. They can make friends, succeed in school, try new activities, and develop into confident teens and adults who know how to manage life’s inevitable stresses.

You’ve already taken an important step by learning about childhood anxiety. Now let’s work together to give your child the tools they need to overcome it.

Is your child struggling with anxiety? Contact Blooming Path Therapy today to schedule a consultation. Together, we can help your child reclaim their life from anxiety.