Teen age anxiety

[Elisa68]

Hello, I am new member of Mumsnet and I would like some advise on how to deal with the anxiety my teen age daughter is currently experiencing.

Every night at bedtime she starts feeling anxious, saying she is afraid of the black angels/demons entering her body. She (G) becomes very panicky and sweaty and cries a lot because of this fear. I have reassured her several times by talking and holding her hand until she falls asleep, by putting a bible under her pillow and other people spoke to her to reassure her that that is just not real. She attends a catholic school and during an RE lesson this topic was covered by the teacher. G has also seen a couple of trailers, shown by a friend on the internet about exorcism but she walked away because she found them very disturbing. G has also been having a counselling session with a counsellor of Kidscompany and I was told that in their opinion, G is just under a lot of pressure at school because of the GCSEs exams they are starting this year. I am trying everything I can to reassure her and calm her down during those awful moments of distress, including lavender oil on her pillow.
I am worried, very worried and distress to see her so anxious. She is a lovely girl and seeing her crying for such a reason is breaking my heart.
Do you have any advise please?

Thank you so much.

It sounds very distressing for both of you. Was she generally anxious before the RE lesson? Do you think the notion of demons & possession has become the focus for more generalised anxiety about her exams?

I think I'd take her to the doctor to start with, and try to arrange some counselling. Or ff you are catholic, perhaps talking to your priest could help?

What type of councelling is it? She might benefit from a short course of CBT, that means she would have coping strategy to help herself.

My DD had a nervous breakdown at 11 due to anxiety and she had 6 courses of cbt, she would still use it now 3 years on.

Reassurance, as you have been, is key. My DD find Rescue Rememdy spray helps her, it may be a placebo effect but I'm not bothered!

Good luck x

It sounds like the anxiety was already in her system and it just 'latched on' to this demons thing. May just be that it was badly explained though (I'm a Christian by the way, but these things need to be handled well). If you have a good/sympathetic priest maybe they can put this particular fear to bed?

From experience, both with my own anxiety and with similar issues with a teenage girl I'm very close to, try not too hard to meet the anxiety with explanations and bibles under pillows, but try to teach her some coping strategies. What with practice is very effective is the creation of a safe space in your head, a detailed scenario of your favourite time and place, and when the anxious thoughts start you deliberately think of these much nicer thoughts.

Reading a nice positive book and not watching telly/being on PC before bed can also help.

Lavender oil only does so much. You can try Rescue Remedy Nighttime. It is safe and suitable for everyone, even babies. It doesn't make you drowsy, it just calms your thoughts a bit.

If problems persist as GP to refer to CAMHS.

I agree with with not using the Bible under the pillow, that is reinforcing the fact that it is true and the Bible is there to ward off evil.

For some reason my google isn't working so I can't link, but if you google Bach Flower remedies you can go on a site that with make up your own remedy. There is a flower remedy that is for unwanted thoughts but i can't remember what it is.