“Why is my daughter so nervous most of the time?”

The answer to why she doesn't want to be alone depends on her age. Younger children (under 7) have a natural fear of being separated from their parents/caregivers. If the child is 7 or older, then we diagnose them with Separation Anxiety Disorder and treat it, mostly with psychotherapy, but medications can be used in cases when the therapy doesn't work or the anxiety is extreme.

As for being extremely nervous, we will often treat it with play therapy when they are younger (up to 7 or 8 years old) and psychotherapy for older children and adolescents. Medication is generally reserved for severe anxiety in older children and adolescents.

As for why she has these issues it is generally due to either congenital high anxiety (usually genetic that runs in the family) or there was a traumatic event. Young children can be easily traumatized so you many not have realized an event was traumatic for them. Common causes including getting lost in a store or a parent getting sick and having to be hospitalized. Divorce can also trigger it. The child often doesn't know why, but you can usually figure it out through psychotherapy.

There are so many reasons a child can become very nervous. Some are very serious - an undisclosed trauma or a medical condition and need to be evaluated by a physician who looks at her as a whole person. Others can be temperamental (inborn) or due to a form of anxiety disorder. Working with a therapist or child psychiatrist is recommended

The reasons for this type of nervousness can be many. Sometimes these symptoms are caused by a chemical imbalance and are helped by antidepressant medication. Other factors such as traumatic experiences could be playing a role. She should be evaluated by a child psychologist