Anxious 9 year old

[Gemst199]

My 9 year old son is really struggling with anxiety. He's been assessed and is on the waiting list for 'tier 1' help which is a short course of counselling at school, but it's a few weeks wait.
He's very troubled by a specific worry, which is that all the adults will disappear from the earth and he won't be able to keep his little brother (5) alive.
Any ideas what we can say to deal with this worry in particular? Obviously we've told him it's ridiculous and that the adults aren't all going to die/disappear, we've let him know who would look after him if something happened to me and his dad but this 'all adults' scenario is very real to him and our words aren't getting through!

Any signs of autism. My dd was diagnosed at 17. She told me - yes in her late teens - that as a child she thought that she lived in a third dimension and that everybody else was not real. She never mentioned anything at the time. But there was just something about your description that chimed. She was very quirky, had some sensory things and struggled at transitions. But other than that she seemed fine until it all
dissolved after she started secondary.

My 6 year old has just been diagnosed with anxiety. We have been recommended the cbt workbook starving the anxiety gremlin. We have done 2 exercises so far and she has really taken to it. They do them for different ages so make sure you get the right age group if you are interested in it.

He has some sensory issues - wears headphones at school, chews his clothes, insists on wearing vests under his t-shirts even in this weather. I think we'll get him on the (2 year) waiting list for an autism assessment so that if as you say it gets worse as he moves to secondary he won't have long to wait.

Some children are more anxious than others. My youngest has always had fears of big events like floods or fires. They aren’t ridiculous at all - and I think it doesn’t help to say that it is a ridiculous fear. better that someone feels listened to and understood than dismissed for being silly.

This might be a terrible idea but is there something you can do to help him prepare for survival situations? If he truly believes this is a possibility.

A special box with long life food/water/first aid kit for him and his brother?

I had anxiety as a child at exactly this age, all based around a fear of my parents dying. It was truly awful. My parents didn’t understand and to make me get over it,
made me stay with my grandparents for a few days, who didn’t like me and who I realised later were the cause of the anxiety as I was terrified that I would be sent to live with them if anything happened to my parents. I needed love, patience and reassurance which I didn’t get but it sounds like you are doing all you can to help your little boy.