Thread by @docbhooshan

#ExamStress
#India

It is quite common in India to see children suffering from severe exam stress.

Traditionally (and heavily supported by ignorant popular media), parents are blamed for this.

Please read on to know the truth. #thread

Children who develop severe physical symptoms of anxiety (body tremor, agitation, crying spells, sweating, poor sleep, nausea, etc) near exams actually have long standing issues with managing anxiety.

These go un noticed and untreated as compensatory mechanism like help from school and parents can contain this anxiety to some extent.

Eventually it unravels. This happens close to so called important exam of 10th std.

In almost all cases of such severe anxiety, medication is needed to reduce physical symptoms.

But as every practising psychiatrist in India knows, misinformation and deliberate fearmongering about psych medications is rule and not exception in our society.

So these helpless and severely troubled children are taken to various so called "professionals" before "final" option of psychiatrist's consultation is exercised.

By then most of the kids have developed consequences of long term severe anxiety like insomnia, weight issues (weight loss or weight gain), serious loss of self confidence and even suicidal thoughts.

Treatment is a combination of medications, family counselling and psychotherapy for the child.

It takes time and many time the so called important exam is compromised. Not that 10th std matters in life, but it leaves a scar on minds.

I have frequently seen such severe anxiety leading to life course alteration and permanent personality change due to trauma of living with untreated severe anxiety.

Most people don't realise but severe untreated anxiety is a disabling condition and changes life for worse.

It does not get attention and support that other severe mental health conditions like Bipilar disorder or Schizophrenia get (sometimes).

Untreated severe anxiety and depression are silent killers. They affect the child and their family in a serious way.

Please wake up. Get help.

Parents are in no way responsible for creating such severe anxiety in the child. In fact many parents, sharing the same genetic pool, have anxiety disorder themselves.

But society is so happy to blame them for everything that goes wrong with the child, that they don't get help.

Entire family needs help while treating anxiety of a child.

Help is available. Don't shy away. Don't suffer silently.