How to Identify Phobia in Children
A phobia is an unreasonable and unrelenting fear of an object, animal, person or experience, such as spiders or flying on a plane. Phobias can strike anyone at any age, and in some cases, they are more extreme in children because young people aren't as capable of objectivity as adults. It can be difficult to identify phobia in children, who are expected to have common fears. Here are guidelines.
- Difficulty:
- Challenging
Instructions
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Determine whether the child's anxiety is related to a specific person, object or experience. Some children are naturally more prone to anxiety in all situations, which would indicate a generic anxiety disorder rather than a specific phobia.
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Ask the child why he is afraid. The inability to pinpoint a specific cause or catalyst is indicative of a phobia in children, while a specific reason for fear might be linked to post-traumatic stress disorder. For example, a child who was recently bitten by his neighbor's dog will probably be afraid of dogs, but this isn't a phobia. Instead, it is a natural reaction to a traumatic experience.
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Talk to other adults with whom the child has regular contact. Children will frequently confide in more than one person about their fears, including parents, teachers, piano instructors, doctors and even their friends. Ask about instances of panic attacks or spells of anxiety triggered specifically by the suspected phobia.
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Determine whether the child is dramatically affected by the fear. For example, will she not leave the house because she might see a dog in the street, or will perhaps come into contact with a spider? Children who limit their activities based on the possibility of encountering something they fear are most likely suffering from a phobia.
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Schedule an appointment to meet with a psychologist or sociologist who specializes in phobias. This is the best way to obtain an accurate diagnosis, and will also open up new treatment options. Children who suffer from a phobia are going to grow up as phobic adults, and these anxiety disorders are sometimes easier to treat in childhood.
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Tips & Warnings
Don't force children to confront their phobias unless you are instructed to do so by a licensed therapist.
