How do you deal with parental anxiety? Warning: upsetting content

[RedCrab]

Thinking specifically about things that have happened to other children? I keep thinking about Jamie Bulger. My youngest is the same age as he was, and every time she cries, I immediately think - that poor child, he must have been terrified and distraught - and I can't shake it. It just pops into my mind, imagining them taking him, making him walk so far, abusing him and then finally murdering him. I can't stop myself, these thoughts keep tormenting me. Every time my child cries, I think about Jamie crying.

I know this is symptomatic of general anxiety but I don't know how to stop it. I feel almost paralysed with distress over these thoughts and force myself to think/look at other things but still - these thoughts keep coming.

I don't know what to do and I feel - not ashamed but ridiculous - because I still have my children, this didn't happen to me and yet I keep getting upset about it. I was ten or eleven when it happened, I have never given it a thought other than empathising with the horrific nature of it. I read something on here about it the other day and now I can't stop these thoughts.

[SeasonofTheWitch]

Hey crab

It sounds as though you're right in saying it's about anxiety rather than the specific cause of the anxiety, if that makes sense?

These google hangouts on social anxiety by psychiatrists and psychologists might be helpful as they're talking about how we can see our thinking for what it is and therefore have a different relationship to it:

www.youtube.com/channel/UCnuvygU1YxKg6OJ20ys9U0Q/videos?shelf_id=4&live_view=503&view=2&sort=dd?=SAIO

For more on this method have a look at my blog which list other resources too: threeprinciplesblog.com/finding-out-more/

Hope this helps you.

[RedCrab]

Thank you, very kind of you to post those. Will check those videos out.

[SeasonofTheWitch]

You're welcome :)

I haven't had a chance to listen to this myself yet but I just saw this about anxiety and thought of you. The woman speaking is wonderful and has so much experience in this field so I'm pretty sure it'll be great!

www.blogtalkradio.com/icecream4thesoul/2014/02/26/is-anxiety-just-a-simple-misunderstanding-one-womans-story

[Suicidal5833]

Red crap I often find myself doing the same everytime I hear about a child being molested or killed. I get through it in two ways I avoid triggers so that means no news or newspapers as then I hear a horrid story and it makes me start thinking how scared the child must of been e. T . C I also press the information button before watching a program and skip it if it's about child abuse if it doesn't say in the right up I turn it off as soon as I realise.

The second thing I do is meditate by relaxing every muscle in my body in turn when I have a intrusive thought.