How to explain anxiety to children

Anxiety affects many people - adults as well as children. It feels different for everyone.

It happens because a tiny part of our brains called the Amygdala (am-ig-da-lah) is a bit like an alarm that goes off when it thinks there is danger.

The amygdala’s job is to get us ready to run away from the danger or fight it. We call this ‘fight or flight’.

It makes sure we can be fast (to run away) or strong (to fight) by sending special brain chemicals, like adrenaline and oxygen to fuel our muscles. It does this very quickly.

That’s great when there’s a huge hairy monster coming straight toward us! But sometimes the amygdala gets it wrong and ‘goes off’ when there is no danger…

"Has the smoke alarm at home ever gone off when someone burns the toast?"

The smoke alarm can’t tell the difference between a real fire and the toast burning. It just wants to let us know it thinks there is danger so we can act.

The amygdala is like the smoke alarm. It can’t tell the difference betweensomething that might hurt (like a huge hairy monster) and something that won’t,(like trying something new).

When the amygdala goes off and there isn’t a risk of getting hurt, the oxygen and the brain chemicals including adrenaline - don’t get used and this why is we feel anxiety.

The amygdala is like the smoke alarm. It can’t tell the difference between things that might hurt us (like a huge hairy monster) and those that won’t, like trying something new.

When the amygdala goes off and it is safe, the extra oxygen and brain chemicals, don't get used. But they hang around in the body. This why we feel anxiety.

From an article by Dr Karen Young on the Hey Sigmund website an excellent place to find great advice and insight about anxiety, including Karen’s wonderful books for children

Anxiety in the body

If the amygdala alarm goes off when there is no danger . The oxygen and brain chemicals aren't used up. This is why we feel anxiety. The unused chemicals can build up and affect our bodies