Anxiety
Normal Anxiety
Fear of strangers (6 to 18 months)
Fear of monsters and being separated from parents (2-3 years)
Fear of the dark and of sleeping alone (3 to 6 years old)
Fear of physical danger and school (ages 6-10)
Concerns about friendships and social exclusion (ages 10-12)
Concerns about identity, physical appearance, social integration, intimacy and the future (adolescence)
Fears are common in children and decrease with age. Their focus changes over time.
Pathological anxiety
Persists and disrupts development
N'est pas constructive
Disrupts daily functioning
Causes extreme distress that is not due to real or imminent danger
Difficile à calmer par la réassurance ou la raison/l’évidence
Leakage or avoidance
Signs that may indicate an anxiety disorder
Psychological
Excessive embarrassment or shyness
Fear of dying, of losing control of oneself
Anger or crying spells
Exaggerated fear of others' opinions
Excessive need to always feel reassured
Phobia (irrational fear) of an object, situation or place
Apprehension of danger or impending disaster
Difficulty being in the presence of others (seeks to avoid them)
Difficulty concentrating
Physics
Increased muscle tension
Trembling, profuse sweating, palpitations, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
Feeling of shortness of breath, choking, shortness of breath
Tingling or numbness
Chest pain
Sleep disorders (difficulty falling asleep, night wakings, nightmares)
Inability to relax
Excessive fatigue
Etiology
Predisposing factors
Temperamental traits
High behavioral inhibition, high negative affectivity
Insecure attachment
Behavioral inhibition, maternal anxiety
Parental control
Parenting behaviors characterized by over-control and negativity
Learning pathways
Vicarious learning (observing others experience distress when confronted with a stimulus)
Direct traumatic experience
Vicious circle of anxiety
Reversing the vicious circle of anxiety
Staying in your comfort zone
Risk avoidance strategy
Very short term: reduction of anxiety through avoidance
Short and medium term: regrets, dissatisfaction
Long-term: increased anxiety and avoidance, dissatisfaction
Get out of your comfort zone
Risk exposure strategy
In the very short term: stress and effort to dare to launch and overcome fears
Short and medium term: satisfaction, positive self-perception
Long term: decrease in anxiety through habituation and increase in skills through learning
Anxiety disorders
Click on the icon to access the content