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These vary in intensity and duration. Patients with SAD often want their parents to be available by telephone or otherwise easily accessible while they are away from home. Children and adolescents with SAD may also refuse to attend sleepovers or other activities that force them to be away from their parents or away from home for several hours at a time. Those with more severe cases of SAD may engage in school refusal behaviors or be unwilling to sleep alone in their beds. 22 Avoidance behaviors often cause patients to miss developmentally appropriate activities.

It seemed like other kids could have fun most of the time rather than worrying so much. Tim suffers from generalized anxiety disorder. STATISTICS About 6% of the United States population suffers from generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). 13 Most adults with GAD report that their anxiety started in childhood or as a teenager. They usually say they have been worrying all their life. 14 Children and teenagers with GAD often have other anxiety disorders, too, such as separation anxiety disorder and specific phobia.

The medications that have shown the most success in controlled studies of anxiety disorders in children and adolescents, including GAD, are the antidepressants that are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). In Tim’s case, an SSRI medication helped reduce his anxiety and depressive symptoms so that he could participate fully in CBT and make a successful recovery from his GAD. Dr. Smith worked with Tim, his family, and his school to help Tim address the impact of GAD in various parts of his life.