Anxiety & OCD

General anxiety or worries are things all children, teens, and people of all ages experience. However, when anxiety and stress start to impact a child’s ability to function as they would normally, a more clinically significant problem may emerge. Children tend to worry about a variety of topics often surrounding safety, health, or performances and some may ruminate over things said or done and require frequent reassurance. At Milestones Psychology, we’ll work with you and your child to determine whether the anxiety they’re feeling is part of a larger clinical concern that needs to be addressed.

Many kids experience a degree of separation anxiety when leaving family members. For example, going to kindergarten for the first time or staying at a friend’s house for a sleepover could induce separation anxiety. Separation anxiety disorder (SAD), however, points to a persistent worry related to being apart from their loved ones. Children may worry that something bad will happen to them or the other person if they are not with them. This could present as clinginess and may result in tantrums and refusal to leave their parent’s side.

The fear of being in social situations is known as social anxiety. Also referred to as social phobia, social anxiety in children and teens may result in frequent embarrassment or humiliation, fear of being the center of attention, fear of “messing up” or looking stupid, self-consciousness, resistance to going to school, avoidance of social settings, and more. Our clinicians will work with your child to get to the root of their social anxiety and develop skills to overcome it.

The anxiety disorder known as Selective Mutism (SM) is when individuals do not speak in certain situations. While they are able to speak in comfortable circumstances, they avoid doing so in others, such as at school, around certain peers/family members, etc. Selective mutism affects 1 in every 140 children and typically starts between ages 2-4. Children may speak less in social contexts, whisper to friends, or speak minimally in social contexts, but at home, will show a different and more genuine personality. Trained clinicians like those at Milestones Psychology can help children with selective mutism and related symptoms.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder that can affect individuals of all ages, including children and teens. Patterns of recurring thoughts and behaviors, as well as repetitive compulsions are signs of OCD. It’s important to note that OCD may present in a variety of ways. For some children, it may look like compulsive checking, handwashing, or verifying that they did things “just right.” For others, it may present as the inability to escape intrusive thoughts. Our team at Milestones Psychology provides evidence-based treatment to children and teens who may have OCD to help them overcome the challenges associated with it and live fulfilling lives.

Refusal to attend school is often associated with separation anxiety, social anxiety, and general anxiety disorders. Noticing repeated school refusal in your child may be a sign that it’s time to explore therapy with a professional.

Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) is a type of eating disorder in which people refuse to eat certain foods due to disinterest or fear of the food item (i.e., fear of choking, foods being so spicy they will cause pain, or fear of vomiting). While many children are picky eaters, ARFID is different. The extreme selectiveness of the foods a child with ARFID eats could lead to developmental delays, poor growth, and nutritional issues.