When it comes to treating anxiety disorders, research shows that cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, is usually the most effective option. That’s because it directly approaches the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that are standing in your or your child’s way.

Often, these are the symptoms of anxiety and fear:

• Feelings of panic and dread
• Shakiness or sweating
• Nervousness, restlessness
• Rapid breathing
• Fatigue or exhaustion
• Difficulty falling or staying asleep
• Trouble focusing or thinking clearly
• Hesitance about change or trying something new
• Anxiety surrounding a particular life event or experience

Common fears include:

• Vomit or vomiting
• Heights, dark, storms, and water
• Cars, planes, and buses
• Enclosed spaces, such as elevators
• Doctors or dentists
• Needles, shots, and blood or blood work
• Animals, such as dogs, spiders, bees, and snakes

In therapy, you or your child can identify core fears and face these situations even when feeling nervous and unsure. You can look at situations in a new and less frightening way, and develop better coping and problem-solving skills.