What is anxiety?

Big worries affect many children, it doesn't matter how old you are or where you are from.

Big worries are also called anxiety. Anxiety is when you feel really worried 

or nervous about something. 

You can feel tense, sick in the tummy, and find it hard to breathe. You might cry or shake or feel like something bad is going to happen. You may even feel that you can't breathe at all and worry that you're going to stop breathing altogether.

You can't see anxiety which can make it hard to explain. You can see a bruise or a scratch with your eyes or a broken bone with an X ray. You can even see a fever with a thermometer. But there is no way for others to see your anxiety unless you tell them.

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It's a good idea to tell your parents or special grown up. Feeling anxious is normal and you should not feel scared or embarrassed to share your thoughts and feelings. They are just thoughts and feelings, they are not who you are. It's so much easier to handle strong emotions if you do talk about them instead of keeping them inside. But if you can't tell your mum or dad or special grown up, there are other people who can help. 

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Psychologists, therapists and counsellors are all people who can help you. They sound like scary words but these adults care and only want to make you feel better. There are also special phone numbers for kids to call when they feel there is no one they can talk to.

Click the button below for more information.

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