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Child mental health

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10yr old with extreme anxiety, triggering my anxiety

1 reply

Nogodsnomasters · 13/09/2024 09:18

Hello, I have long term anxiety (several different diagnoses) which I'm medicated for and have tried every therapy under the sun.
My 10yr old son was admitted to hospital in March for 4 days and it seems to have triggered terrible anxiety in him which is only getting worse. He does still have some physical health problems which are being investigated (severe nausea, problems with bowels, lack of appetite) but he panics that these will make him end up in hospital again. He has a diagnosis of ASD but attends a main stream school and usually copes relatively well there with support but he's not been to school 4 days this week now due to anxiety.
Reassurance has not worked, distraction is barely working, we're working our way through the CBT book "what to do when you worry too much" but it doesn't seem to be helping. We've been to the GP but they only wanted to deal with the physical stuff and have put him on dissolvable Omeprazole. School have referred him for in house counselling but if I can't get him in to school then that's pointless.

The problem is his anxiety triggers my anxiety and I'm finding his panic attacks so difficult to deal with. I'm trying so hard to fake being calm in front of him. I don't know what else to try. Does anyone else struggle with anxiety because of their child's issues?

OP posts:
Nogodsnomasters · 13/09/2024 09:20

This morning the first thing he said when he opened his eyes was "my hearts racing, I'm scared", I felt his chest and it was pounding. He's a sensitive kind gentle soul but this is taking his lovely personality away. It's killing me to watch him suffer and not be able to fix it.

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