Acute anxiety 13 year old DD

[MrsDaisy2]

Please can anyone help me to help my lovely Dd13. She's a kind, sensitive child and I hate seeing her suffer.

For the past week she's had really intense anxiety. Her sleep is very poor, she's exhausted and looks so pale.

She has explained that she can't stop worrying, she seems really hyper.

A lot of her worries relate to me, we're very close and she keeps having intrusive thoughts that I'm going to die. I assure her that I'm young and healthy but she can't stop worrying. I'm a couple of stone overweight and this really concerns her.

I don't know what to do to help her. Im trying to keep her busy and distracted. She loves to run and is going on longer runs to help get some endorphins pumping. I'm working so can't join her but we have quality time in the evening.

Poor love - lots of relaxation. Lavender baths and lots of kindness. Board games etc in the evening.

It's probably the stress from Corona virus. There's a real risk to teen mental health atm.

Have a look at the calm app. Can you do some meditations together from it to get her into the routine? Does she liked yoga?

Not sure what to suggest re: whether your weight is impacting in her. Do you want to lose a few stone? Is it news reports around covid affecting people who are overweight that's triggered it, do you think?

It's she displaying any signs of food restricting? What's she likes it she doesn't run?

Can definitely recommend the Young Minds website both for her and to give you some insight into how to help.
A therapist also suggested this anxiety "first aid" to us: hold an ice cube in each hand for as long as she can: the physical feeling of the cold should help to push the intrusive thoughts away.
Best thing for our DS has been the school counsellor who has really really listened and helped him to figure out how to deal with his thoughts.
My best wishes to you and your daughter: it's very scary for her and horrible feeling so powerless for you.

My DD (almost 13) also suffers from anxiety. If you can afford it get a therapist - it really helped. Or get the NHS to refer you although that may take time or perhaps a school counsellor. Does your school have 'place to be'? The therapist gave her simple strategies that were very useful. I'm very close to her and we talk a lot (but kept it light before bedtime ). I also gave her a rose quartz worry stone which she has found surprisingly helpful. Best wishes to both of you.

My ds is 12.5 Normally he's a cheerful happy preteen but in October he suddenly burst into tears, climbed into my lap- the first time in years - and said he was scared of me dying. He did the same for about 10 days. I kept hugging him, reassuring him that I'm completely healthy and not going anywhere for decades. That I have his dad and aunts to back me up. That he didn't need to worry about those things if he didn't want to.

I don't think it was specifically covid. I think he's just realised that mortality is inevitable and it frightened him. After a while he seemed to put it out of his mind.

I'd be wondering if there are hormonal issues going on.