Therapist's Video Goes Viral As She Highlights 15 Subtle Ways Children Express Anxiety That Parents Often Overlook
Living with anxiety is a lifelong battle that requires focused attention to control and even defeat. While millions of adults understand what it's like to have this constant and unwanted companion following their every decision, it usually returns to where it all began, and that is childhood.
An alarming number of children are suffering from anxiety, but many are unable to receive treatment due to a variety of factors. One of them is that parents frequently miss warning signs that can appear in a variety of different and subtle ways.
Melissa Griffing, known on TikTok as @momtherapist, has recently taken on the challenge of teaching people how to spot anxiety in children and explain what a heavy burden it can be. In a recent video that has received more than a million views on the platform, the 33-year-old child therapist and mother of three discusses the subtle ways children express worry or anxiety.
Melissa guides parents on how to recognise these signals, how to catch them, and how to help children understand what they're going through, from "my tummy hurts" to "nobody likes me." So keep scrolling to learn more about it, and continue reading to find out the discussion it sparked on the platform.
Melissa Griffing, LPC, RPT, gained popularity on TikTok after posting 15 subtly expressive forms of anxiety in children that parents frequently miss
momtherapistA growing number of kids are living with anxiety, but several factors keep many from receiving treatment
Keira Burton (not the actual photo)Parents frequently fail to recognize anxiety in children because it can present itself differently in children than it does in adults, despite the fact that it is one of the most common mental health issues in children and adolescents. Research indicates that children's anxiety and sadness are on the rise, thus this is cause for concern.
Kids talk about anxiety
momtherapistAnd here are ways they do
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Numbers 13-15
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The therapist with her family
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So that the little ones don't feel overlooked, ignored, or alone, it's crucial to have conversations about mental health and what disorders like anxiety can look like in children.
The entire video, which has received more than a million views, is available for you to watch below
In a subsequent video, Melissa shared advice on how to assist children in overcoming anxiety
In a different video, she suggested that reading books about worry can improve children's ability to identify it
She concluded by offering guidance on how to assist kids who worry too much all the time and about everything
Melissa told BuzzFeed in an interview saying:
“Kids often don’t understand that they are feeling anxious or worried. Instead, it comes out as symptoms… ‘My tummy hurts’; ‘My head hurts’; ‘I don’t want to go’; ‘I don’t feel like it.’ These are all ways to avoid the thing that is making them feel anxious and all phrases I have heard repeatedly from kids or parents describing the issues they are experiencing with their kids.”Melissa's observations were praised by viewers, who also shared their own stories in the comments section
Leia_Solo
My tummy hurts
t0astyeggs
When this user was a kid
Nicole Edwards
This user's son uses most of the statements
Mimo
What this commenter's baby says
Kiarah G
Oh my
Denise
In a span of a day
Destiny_pauline
The biggest overlooked one
GlitteryGrime
I'm not hungry
Tiktok
The anxiety realization
Raya
My stomach hurts
GenXDiva
How do I help?
Clair Groves
This commenter said these a lot
@mama2bubba&beans
There is a lot of people
Twentytwo
Having a much easier time
Kat Norris
Woah
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They're hurting her
Miranda Roberts
This Redditor is already in tears
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My baby every day
The Dark Mother
My legs hurt
badbadlulu
Anxiety can be discomforting, especially for a child in his or her formative years, but with proper identification or diagnosis, this condition can easily be put under control. And most importantly, these children will go about their lives normally.
What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments section below.
