Childhood Anxiety: From Symptoms to Support in a Time of Rising Rates

The PedsDocTalk Podcast: Child Health, Development & Parenting—From a Pediatrician Mom

Dr. Mona Amin

Medicine, Kids & Family, Health & Fitness, Parenting

4.9 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 10 September 2025

⏱️ 42 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Anxiety in kids doesn’t always look like worry. Sometimes it shows up as stomachaches, sleep struggles, irritability, or even constant visits to the school nurse. As pediatricians, we know this is one of the most common challenges families face today and parents are often left wondering: Is this normal? Do I need to be worried? What do I do next? In this episode, I’m joined by pediatrician and author Dr. Natasha Burgert, who just released Managing Childhood Anxiety For Dummies. We talk about how anxiety can look different in kids, when parents should reach out for help, and the many supportive steps families can take before medication is even on the table. We cover: The many faces of anxiety in children (it’s often a chameleon) How to talk to your child about anxiety without making it scarier Why early screening matters and what those forms really mean (spoiler: not a label) Common myths about medication and how SSRIs actually work How school transitions (hello, September stomachaches) can trigger anxiety To connect with Dr. Natasha Burgert check out all her resources at https://kckidsdoc.substack.com/. Follow her on Instagram at @kckidsdoc. Buy her “Managing Childhood Anxiety For Dummies” book here: https://l.instagram.com/?u=http%3A%2F%2Famzn.to%2F4dYyaim&e=AT16kIumYZsC0TK4slk9a-qlSR7mzOsrHwpM4fOhdheESkam-cNuVmg2csHv-v6wgf8dHsUidIsW79nQA45rMXUvzxKmwOktxXr63UcHi-2Fxwq2 Another great listen: What is the gut-brain axis and how does anxiety play a role We’d like to know who is listening! Please fill out our Listener Survey to help us improve the show and learn about you! 0:00 – Understanding Childhood Anxiety: The Great Mimicker 01:21 – Welcome & Why Anxiety Matters for Kids Today 03:19 – Recognizing Signs: What Anxiety Looks Like in Children 08:00 – Talking to Kids About Anxiety in a Supportive Way 09:51 – Screening, Diagnosis & Why Rates Are Rising 17:33 – First Steps After a Positive Screen (Beyond Medication) 21:28 – Medications, Myths & How SSRIs Actually Work 30:17 – Parental Mental Health, Myths, and Back-to-School Anxiety Our podcasts are also now on YouTube. If you prefer a video podcast with closed captioning, check us out there and ⁠subscribe to PedsDocTalk⁠. Get trusted pediatric advice, relatable parenting insights, and evidence-based tips delivered straight to your inbox—join thousands of parents who rely on the PDT newsletter to stay informed, supported, and confident. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠! And don’t forget to follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠@pedsdoctalkpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram—our new space just for parents looking for real talk and real support. We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on the ⁠PedsDocTalk Podcast Sponsorships⁠ page of the website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Well, I call anxiety the greatest mimicer. It is truly a chameleon because it can look like so many
0:06.2	different things. And that's why it is easy to miss. So I think parents need to give themselves
0:10.6	a little bit of grace that this is not hard for pediatricians to diagnose. So certainly for parents
0:15.5	to immediately recognize. I see anxiety that looks like inattention, like ADHD. I see it look like OCD and compulsive behaviors.
0:23.6	It can look like temper tantrums.
0:25.3	I can see, I've seen anxiety look like appendicitis with severe abdominal pain.
0:30.8	And so understanding that anxiety has three components, it has behavioral. It has physical and it has emotional. And
0:38.6	parents can see behaviors, behavior change. They can see physical symptoms, but we can't read our
0:43.8	kids' mind. It's very hard to find that third component. So identifying anxiety is going to take
0:50.6	some time. It's watching for patterns. It's watching for situational patterns.
0:55.8	Reaching out for help if you need it to help define it further. But most importantly, it's addressing
1:00.4	and validating that feeling that they're having. It's directly managing pain that pain or
1:05.8	discomfort they may be experiencing, all while continuing to observe and watch and then bring it to your pediatrician
1:13.7	or mental health provider if you're worried.
1:21.3	Hello and welcome back to the show. I'm Dr. Mona, your online pediatrician mom friend,
1:27.4	and I'm so glad that you're here.
1:29.5	We're debuting this episode right as the school year kicks off, a time when so many kids
1:34.0	feel nervous. New classrooms, new teachers, new friends. It's normal for children to feel jitters.
1:40.3	I mean, I felt it too. But here's the important question. When is it just nerves and when is it
1:45.1	actually an anxiety disorder that needs more support? As parents and caregivers, we want to support
1:51.5	our nervous children while also recognizing when anxiety has taken the driver's seat and is
1:56.7	interfering with daily life. That's when compassion and guidance really matter.
	...

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