To be very worried about this behaviour?

[poopsqueak]

I am worried about my daughters behavioural changes over the past month.

She is 5 and bright and loud to begin with. We have a very stable family life although we have seen some 'big' events over the past month (bridesmaid duty, family holiday, very ill Grandma)

Over the past month we have seen an alarming switch to 'manic and aggressive' with intrusive thoughts.

Manic meaning fidgeting constantly, running everywhere, talking nonsense, not listening or trailing off in the middle of sentences and beginning a new conversation, unable to sleep, impulsive behaviour (stealing food from others plates).

Aggressive being shouting, swearing (in the 'child' sense, think 'shut up' 'stupid. 'hate you!') being violent to myself and her father, going from 0-100 (in terms of calm to raging) and not being able to calm down once she is up a height. She has also kicked the cat in her rage. We have told her we will get rid of him if we even think she might do that again, for his safety.

Intrusive thoughts are mostly about private parts (I'll spare you the details) but essentially the growing realisation that everyone has them, and that she wants to look at everyones all the time. Or saying that she is 'thinking about private parts' all the time. Shes also making up horrible songs/rhymes in her head (and telling us, in guilt) that she can't get out. Shes asking us constantly if we are going to 'tell on her' for every little infraction and believes the police/school are going to get her if she does anything wrong.

The worst ones are the things she has come out with such as 'I want to punch someone to death with my hands' and thinking the recent fire in london was 'really funny'.... I honestly dont know what to do. i think I am going to book an appointment with the GP for a chat as its (her behaviour) has changed so much in such a short period of time.

Has anyone had any experience of this before?
What would you advise?

Haven't RTFT, sorry, but did she have a virus, or similar, just prior to the behaviour change? It reminds me a bit of PANDAS.

Jesus Christ OP, I'm so sorry! What kind of jackal would be able to justify that to themselves!

I'm not on twitter, but i hope there will be a swathe of backlash to this story.

And the woman from the NSPCC - what the fuck was she thinking?! I truly hope you complain at the completely damaging inappropriateness of this whole thing.

Like you needed more to deal with right now. Absolute cunts.

Very scummy of the Independent. Will not be reading it again.

I genuinely cannot believe they've done that.

God, what scumbags.

I'm so sorry they've taken this.

It's also such an indication of lazy journalism as they've taken your whole post and simply added a few lines from NSPCC.

What utter bastards to print this :(

My first thought was OCD or early onset bipolar. Of course it could be any number of things and no one here should be so sure of what is going on.

I hope you get to the bottom of it all OP. I can't imagine how you are feeling right now. Much love and strength

So sorry they've done this - lazy.

Please don't leave you need the support

Would any parents consider writing to the lazy shit journalist to tell them just how disgusted we are with taking stories of people's real lives in this fashion?

They could cover issues without referencing real people they have not actually spoken to! The paper and Mumsnet should know this is an appalling trend and an intrusion of privacy.

Does anyone think that would help?

I just don't know.

I would not want to do that OP, unless you felt it was a good thing to do, to complain to the newspaper?

Wow, we thought the Daily Mail were bad!

An other option. Crazy as it sounds.

A friends daughter went a bit like this she was a little younger though. She was going through very very early puberty. Turns out that something rather sinnister was pressing on her pituity gland.

So she was getting the usual teenage angst but 1000x worse as she was to young to process it or understand these strange new thoughts etc.

Just a thought not saying something sinnister is going on meddically but it may be worth asking the dr to test her bloods for hormones etc.

An other option. Crazy as it sounds.

A friends daughter went a bit like this she was a little younger though. She was going through very very early puberty. Turns out that something rather sinnister was pressing on her pituity gland.

So she was getting the usual teenage angst but 1000x worse as she was to young to process it or understand these strange new thoughts etc.

Just a thought not saying something sinnister is going on meddically but it may be worth asking the dr to test her bloods for hormones etc.

Whilst I agree that it is horribly upsetting and intrusive for the OP to have her story stolen by the independent, especially while she has no answers for her daughters behaviour yet, we must remember that mumsnet is a public forum, accessible by anyone. There is no privacy here except the fact that we are anonymous.
Maybe as well as getting angry we should just hope that a child somewhere may be saved from abuse by a parent reading the article.
I also hope that this doesn't stop people from using mumsnet in the future to seek advice in traumatic times. The hive mind of mumsnet can be incredibly supportive and helpful for us all.
The article is out there now, might as well try and hope for positives.
Sending hope for you and for your DD OP, I can't imagine how horrible this must be.

Sun I know it is a public forum. But that does not make it OK. In my book a journalist should not be doing this. And it is only socially acceptable because people do not complain.

If, having read Mumsnet, a journalist feels moved to write a story they should contact NSPCC and ask for anonymous unconnected examples and do a proper piece. They have taken the OP's words, which we do not know are about child abuse, and linked then in an article about child abuse. The child may be identifiable from this thread. so I think the journalist piece is bordering on liable.

Journalist can always write about this topic using proven anonymous cases. This journalist has also added to the OP's concerns.

So shit job journalist!

And Sun this may mean others do not share so much on Mumsnet, so I don't see it as positive.

I agree with all you've said Italian, the positive I meant was that a child somewhere might be saved from more abuse. It was the only positive I saw but one I thought worth pointing out.
You are right, it's shit.

I know MN is a public forum. I know that.

But I didn't think a newspaper would do this.

Especially not the independent.

I came on here for advice and now I dont want to elaborate on anything in case it appears in an 'updated' version of the article.

Well, well, well. The Independent can no longer claim an inch of the high moral ground. What their lazy journos have done is outrageous. Frankly I would report them to the Press Complaints people.

Yes, this is a public form blah blah BUT they have intruded in a very difficult situation and have not given a single thought for the people involved. This sort of "journalism" is despicable.

I just saw the Independent article on my Facebook feed and just came on here to let you know.

I think it's awful they've taken this thread. They could have easily put one together that didn't refer to your story. I'm sorry for you 😞 💐

I refuse to read the article.

Sun yes see your point I just fe this is not a child abuse story. it is a what's going on with my child story! NSPCC should be offering interviews with trained staff and anonymous examples of abuse cases where abuse has been proven. Not relying on stories that may be unconnected to abuse.

OP Pm me of you want me to complain to anyone. I am so mad for you.

But let's get back to your little one and the real issue. which shit journalism obscures and confuses.

How disgusting of the Independent to do this, OP. I am so sorry. Has anyone complained directly to them? I think both the journalist concerned and the editor should hear what low behaviour this kind of intrusive journalism is.

Italian I absolutely agree, however a lot of people with first hand experience recognised the behaviour as OP's Daughters behaviour as indicative of abuse. I understand that this may not be the case for OP's daughter, praying it isn't. I'm not condoning this journalist at all, I think the whole thing is really horrible and the journalist should be ashamed. I am merely hoping that a side effect will be a child somewhere getting the help they need.

oh FUCK OFF Independent!

Sorry they've stolen it OP, you don't need this shit.