Terrified for 6yo

[Admodean]

For a while my 6yo has started having separation anxiety and not wanting to go to school. He’s also complaining of an achy tummy sometimes, which the doctor says is anxiety because he doesn’t like school.

I’ve read an article in the news about a child who died with DIPG brain tumour and those were the early symptoms. My blood ran cold. Now I’m absolutely terrified and can’t sleep. I feel sick.

Stop googling and talk to someone about your health anxiety.

It is very, very common for children to complain of tummy ache when they are anxious about something. A brain tumour is vanishingly unlikely, but i am sure you know that really.

I do have health anxiety. I worry about myself as well. I’ve never really worried about my son before. But the anxiety and upset tummy match what this person said happened to their child at the start.

I did seek help with my health anxiety. They gave me 6 sessions of CBT which was about redirecting worrying thoughts and telling yourself what is the most likely cause, probably not serious. It hasn’t helped me or stopped me worrying. Bad things happen to me all the time,

I'm certain your child does not have a brain tumour!

Can you think of anything that's changed at home or in your lives recently? Could he be being bullied at school or struggling with the work? I expect the tummy ache is just an excuse not to go. Have you simply asked why he doesn't want to?

Thousands of children have anxious upset tummies every day. That really is the simplest and most likely explanation. Can you try to use any of the CBT techniques to try to calm yourself down a little?

You know you have health anxiety, and on a conscious level you can tell yourself you are catastrophising, but I know it is very hard to rationally argue yourself out of panic mode.

Google is not your friend all it has done is up your anxiety which does nothing to help ds with his.