Maggie's story: childhood anxiety

For Maggie, 63, her crippling anxiety started when she was five years old and has stayed with her throughout adult life. Your Call explores childhood anxiety, a debilitating disorder.

It's normal for children to feel worried or anxious from time to time, such as when they're starting school or nursery, or moving to a new area. But for some children, anxiety affects their behaviour and thoughts every day, interfering with their school, home and social life. Most anxiety disorders in childhood do not persist (anxiety is common in childhood) but most adults with clinical anxiety started to have problems in childhood.

Teenagers with an anxiety disorder are more likely to develop clinical depression, misuse drugs and feel suicidal. Last year our service responded to 72,407 patients with mental health-related conditions across the North West that included suicidal thoughts, self-harmed, overdosed and misused drugs.

“I developed anxiety worrying about my mum constantly and the things she would say to me. My anxiety escalated into social anxiety and I couldn’t get out the door. I became paralysed with fear and I couldn’t function and do everyday things like go to school and it didn’t leave me. My mum continued to suffer which only prolonged my suffering. I remember being ten years old and I couldn’t open my eyes - I was petrified of the world around me. I felt like I was living in a scary film that I couldn’t escape from and nobody around me understood.

I was living in a scary film.

“My mum had learning disabilities and suffered anxiety and depression from a trauma that happened in her childhood. She leaned on me at an early age and I knew she was different to other mums as she would always cry and tell me she didn’t know how she was going to get through the day.

“It was only when I reached my 40s I got a clinical diagnosis of depression and anxiety. Looking back, my disorder has taken away things in life I won’t get back – I’d always wanted to be a nurse. If I’d had the help back then that’s available now, I maybe could have had the career I’d always wanted.”

Maggie now uses her experience to help other people and shares her story with service users at the Recovery Academy, a project set up by Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust which provides a range of free educational courses and resources to help people with mental health and substance misuse issues.

Expert view Bridie Gallagher, Clinical Psychologist from Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust works with young people in the specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service. “When children feel scared they will do pretty much anything to not feel those awful anxious feelings in their bodies. Avoidance works well in the short term and they feel better, but then they never get to find out that the feared thing was not that scary and they could have coped with it just fine. Gently encouraging children to face their fears is a really helpful response.

Bridie Gallagher Clinical Psychologist from Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust.

“The main protective factor for good mental wellbeing is the presence of a consistent caring adult who listens and understands. This can protect a child who has an anxious temperament or who has to cope with trauma and adversity.

“This is why services often offer support to families instead or as well as the child or young person. Professionals know that the family are best placed to offer the support and maintain positive change. When children learn to manage their fears and worries early in life this sets them up to be able to cope with anything life throws at them.”

Symptoms of anxiety in children:

• Finding it hard to concentrate.

• Not sleeping, or waking in the night with bad dreams.

• Refusing to go to school or do activities they usually enjoy.

• Not eating properly.

• Quickly getting angry or irritable, and being out of control during outbursts.

• Constantly worrying or having negative thoughts.

• Feeling tense and fidgety, or using the toilet often.

• Often crying.

• Being clingy.

• Complaining of tummy aches and feeling unwell.

•Your GP may refer your child to the local child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS).

Getting help:

• If your child doesn't want to see a doctor, they may be able to get help directly from a local youth counselling service. For more information, visit: youthaccess.org.uk.

• There are lots of great resources available, visit: youngminds.org.uk.

• Books on prescription: “How to parent an anxious or depressed child” Sam CartwrightHatton or Overcoming Your Child’s Fears and Worries” Cathy Cresswell and Lucy Willetts.