Hi all. I'm hoping someone can share with me some resources to help my daughter. She's 7 nearly 8.
She's very bright, reasonably independent and has a very strong sense of self. But her behaviours is getting very difficult. She's always been quite highly strung. She had full blown tantrums until the age of 4. She spoke quite early and was good at articulating her feelings and frustrations but sometimes her emotions would get the better of her. For the last few years she has released this as anger and aggression, mainly towards her brother who is 4.(poor lad)
When she gets cross or frustrated etc she is very very rude to me, dad and brother. We are quite firm when she is and this ultimately ends up with her in even more of a rage. It's like she loses control and cannot stop herself. I can see when it's all over that she's bloody exhausted and embarrassed by her actions. Usually we can talk it through when she's calm and she can explain what had set her off but we are going around in circles.
Yesterday after another outburst she explained to me that she has thoughts in her head when she's in those moments telling her she is stupid, not good enough, ugly, a horrible person etc. She said he has no control of these thoughts but that she hears it and finds it hard not to believe them. I have some experience of what intrusive thoughts are so naturally I was a little alarmed by her admission. We talked a little more about it but it has me worried.
Could she be suffering from anxiety? Low self esteem? What can I do to help her?
When she is good she is wonderful but she has at least one of these outbursts a day and it's exhausting for everyone, especially her. I just want to help her.