Specific phobias are fairly common in children. Unlike other anxiety disorders like Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) which focus on multiple, every day things, specific phobias focus on very specific things. For example, in children, the most common phobias include, but are not limited to: dogs, doctors, shots, costumed characters, thunderstorms, small animals/insects, water, and the dark (WorryWiseKids, 2015). Although it is more contained than most forms of anxiety, suffering from a specific phobia can be just as isolating and impactful. For example, a child might avoid certain social situations if there is a chance that dogs might be present. Having a phobia can negatively affect a child's confidence, considering it might be embarrassing to be afraid of something that other children are completely fine with. Children who suffer from specific phobias will often avoid situations that might result in exposure, and if they are unable to avoid it completely, they may experience severe distress (WorryWiseKids & ADAA, 2015). According to the National Institute of Mental Health, the graphs below illustrate the frequency of specific phobias in children:
Causes
As with almost all anxiety disorders, specific phobias causes are unknown, yet closely tied to genetics, environmental factors, and sections of the brain (ADAA, n.d.).
Signs & Symptoms
According to Worry Wise Kids, an awareness organization created by Dr. Tamar Chansky, in conjunction with The Children's and Adult Center for OCD and Anxiety, here are ten red flags to look out for:
Excessive, persistent fear of a specific situation or object
Exposure to the situation evokes immediate, extreme distress about feared situation or object which can be expressed by clinging or freezing in young children.
Avoidance of feared situation or object, refusal to participate in activities where may encounter feared situation, endures situation with great distress
Furthermore, the Anxiety and Depression Association of America released it's own list of symptoms that accompany specific phobias: