Awful anxiety in 9 year old

[Batsaftercats]

Any tips from other parents who have faced similar?
my DD has gone from being a happy, relaxed girl to being so anxious. She had a tummy bug at start of School going back which was unpleasant but not serious. Since then she’s clingy to me, and each day as soon as we get into the playground she says her tummy hurts and looks panicked and tries so hard not to cry ☹️I put on a brave face and send her in with a hug and smile and save my tears until I’m back in the car. She says she doesn’t like her teacher (she cant say why, and from what I’ve seen she seems nice to me and caring) and that the days feel so long without me. Says she counts down until home time bell. She has some friends in to play with a break and lunch time so I don’t think she’s lonely, though her best friend sadly moved to another school at the end of last term and I’m certain she’s missing her.

at home she is ok but has developed some tics which I’m sure are anxiety related, and she keeps tapping things 10 times saying it feels like it’s not right until she does. I’m sure this is ocd behaviour and again related to this new anxiety ☹️I don’t know how to help her as she’s fine in between- went to 2 parties this last weekend etc. I did call the GP who said likely back to school nerves and to give it a month. also said next step would be a CAMHS referral and that is 12-18 months!!!

thanks in advance

If you can afford it try to find a therapist who will work with children. The sooner this is tackled the better.

Sadly definitely can’t afford a private therapist, I’m a single mum on low wage and its simply out of my reach ☹️

The book "what to do when you worry too much" is CBT based work book for children with anxiety, you would do it with her of course and make sure she understands the premise and techniques. Also speak to school and see if they offer in-house counselling or any support for anxiety from their senco.

It’s worth popping in and talking to the school. In ours there’s interventions they would put her on to help deal with anxiety. Lego therapy etc. They’d also keep an extra eye on her. I didn’t know they offered multiple interventions till my daughter accessed some via the school due to grief.

If this has been as sudden onset as it sounds I would have a read up on PANS / PANDAS as it can present like this. Key features are the onset of OCD, tics, separation anxiety in a short timeframe. Happy for you to PM me,

We went through similar with DS through years 4, 5 and 6, although no tics. In our area the local council offered an online course for "parents with children with worries and fears" - I do think there's lots of excellent strategies you can learn. Some work for your child and some don't I found. I was so worried about secondary school but DS is now year 8 and flying. I hope this also passes for you. For now though, I can only say it sounds like you are responding perfectly and she is lucky to have you.

Just checked and it wasn't council it was NHS local trust. Worth googling to see if your area has similar. Ours was not well known and I can imagine GPs not signposting to it. I only found out through a friend and it was self referral. The strategies were helpful but so was the very sympathetic course leader and hearing from others in the group.

This did come up when I was looking up anxiety in this age group. I mentioned it to the Gp but they said impossible as they’d never met a child with it, incredibly rare and she’d be throwing stuff around the house, being violent etc, I didn’t really feel they gave it the time of day. It has come on suddenly since her tummy bug and out the blue has tics, insane separation anxiety and new ocd.

My dd used to have intermittent tics and some ocd traits all through primary- and I swear they were always preceded by viral illnesses. Nothing too severe like the PANDA thing- but lots of compulsive behaviour, vocal tics etc. She did see CAHMS at some point. The 'what to do when...'books were really helpful way to manage her urge to tap things. To reassure you, it has always been intermittent, and she is a teen now and manages her emotions very well - I would even go as far as saying she is laid back! Not a description of her 9 year old self....

BTW I have mentioned my 'thoughts' that her anxiety and tics were linked to illness to a few gps - they all dismissed it. I'm fascinated to know if it's a thing.

Have you spoken to the senco to see if any signs of ND as anxiety and tics can be a sign?

Hugely comforting! Thank you!