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Parenting

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Original poster

PLEASE help me - I really don't know how to deal with this

12 replies

tortoiseshell · 26/10/2004 17:13

Please help - ds who is 3 woke up this morning with a temperature, and screaming in terror that there were wild animals running round the house. I have never seen such absolute panic - he was clinging on to us, screaming, and was inconsolable. We've brought his temperature down with calpol, but he is now refusing to ever leave the house again, insisting on having the front door locked etc. I've moved his fear away from wild animals by looking through a wild animal book, ascertaining he is frightened of foxes and wolves, and finding where they leave, and convincing him they are not in his playroom. But he is now scared of monsters and other wild animals. I really need help with this. He is panic-stricken. And so am I!

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Titania · 26/10/2004 17:16

what is his temperature? a very high temp can cause hallucinations. my doc said to put the child in a cool bath then gradually run a bit more cold into it and sponge him down. HTH

bundle · 26/10/2004 17:18

sounds like night terrors

ponygirl · 26/10/2004 17:38

Hi tortoiseshell. Can you ring your gp? Or NHS Direct? It sounds like its associated with the temperature to me, rather than night terrors. AFAIK night terrors are forgotten in the morning (ds1 had one once: it was awful and the behaviour was much as you describe, except it was night time, he didn't have a temperature and I don't think he was really awake). I think try and keep him calm and quiet, talk to a professional if possible, and he may sleep it off. Sorry, I know that sounds feeble, but take it slowly. Hope he's better very soon!

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Tinker · 26/10/2004 17:42

Definitley sounds like a temperature thing. Daughter had this the other week. Very odd to watch but completely forgotten by her now

Original poster

tortoiseshell · 26/10/2004 18:08

Thanks for the replies - I think it probably is related to the temperature, as it came out of nowhere - I haven't actually taken his temerature, but he just 'felt hot'. He is very fragile generally today - the slightest thing setting him off into tears, but this terror at having the door open is scaring me. He had hysterics at the thought of having to go in the car to pick dh up from work, calmed down once the car doors were shut, and then was adamant that dh should not open the boot door.

I will see how it goes, and then maybe go to the GP/health visitor if this isn't just a 'being ill' thing. If anyone has anything to add to this, I'd still be grateful for ideas - this is really worrying me! I think it probably isn't night terrors, as he was definitely awake when he was so panicky - we alleviated them with Thomas stories, but then he started again once we tried to go downstairs.

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WideWebWitch · 26/10/2004 18:37

Is there something he watched/heard that he's misinterpreted Tortoiseshell? They can take funny meanings from the most innocent things at that age. What does he say if you ask him? I always went with 'monsters absolutely don't exist' but I know that line's not for everyone. And ds used to be fascinated by wolves and was reassured that they don't live in this country. I think you have to stay as calm as possible (only because anxiety is infectious and he needs to see you're not worried) and just keep telling him it's ok and you're there and give him lots of cuddles. Poor thing, I hope he's feeling better soon.

Kittypickle · 26/10/2004 18:57

My DD did this when she was just 4, but not with a temperature, although she was sweating, but I think that was from fear. She woke in the middle of the night absolutely screaming in terror about a giant bee coming at her out of the rug. It took the best part of 2 hours to calm her down - she was so terrified that she wet herself. We tried everything we could to calm her, she would for a few minutes but then start again - she kept on screaming that the be was coming to get her and clutching onto us, it was horrendous, so I do feel for you having gone through that last night. We took the rug out of her room but she was still really terrified, she didn't want to be in her room. She was still really upset the next day about it and was terrified about bees for ages afterwards, despite our best efforts, although she has been much better the last couple of months (she's 6 after xmas). I explained to her nursery the next day what had happened as I knew she would talk about it there. The lady who runs it came over to me when I picked her up and suggested that we got her a dreamcatcher. I got a kit and we made one and I explained very carefully that this would stop her having bad dreams again, that all the dreams get caught in the net, the bad ones are destroyed by the sun and the moon and the good ones are released down the ribbon so she can dream them. Amazingly it did work, it wore off after some months but worked again when I told her we just needed to add feathers to it. The nursery teacher also added that my dd has a very vivid imagination (she would spend hours on imagninary play) and children like this are more prone to this kind of thing.

Original poster

tortoiseshell · 26/10/2004 19:01

kittypickle, that does sound exactly like ds - he has a really vivid imagination, and spends a lot of time acting out roles, making up stories etc. Www - my mum told me he saw some foxes/wolves on Tikkabilla yesterday which were snarling a bit, so I guess that is the root of it, and maybe the temperature sparked off a more vivid than usual thought. You're right about staying calm - I must try to! The dream catcher idea is an interesting one kittypickle, I wonder if something like that might work with ds. He does live in his imagination, more so than any of his friends. It was just so alarming, the way he was clutching at us - he looked like he could 'see' the animals!

Thanks again everyone!

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Lonelymum · 26/10/2004 19:11

My ds2 is prone to high temperatures (often for no obvious reason) and can hallucinate when he has them. It is really wierd and scary, especially when they happen at night, but by the morning, he is not so scared. Perhaps when your ds is feeling better, he won't be so terrified either. Thinking of you.

Lonelymum · 26/10/2004 19:12

Meant to say, my ds "sees" sharks swimming around the house. It makes me smile now, but it is really freaky at night when he is in the grip of the hallucination.

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tortoiseshell · 27/10/2004 15:26

Well, ds is a lot better today - was nervous about going out of the house, but coped ok - again, was nervous when I opened the boot door to the car, but I think we're over the worst. We went to the zoo (as a kind of counteraction to the fear of wild animals), and he got his face painted as a lion (SO cute!), and when I pretended to be scared he said (wait for super-cute moment) - don't worry, Mummy, I will always be here to look after you and keep you safe, because I love you.

Thank you for your helping advice - I was seriously panicking yesterday!

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Jimjams · 27/10/2004 19:45

ds2 is getting scared of everything at the moment. Started when a friend's dd came downstairs at her house dressed in a buzz lightyear mask and wearing a blanket. he clung to me screaming and shaking and it still scared of buzz. Since then its been other things although not as fearful as with buzz. For a while it was a winnie the pooh sticker on his window- he'd come down in tears and say winnie the pooh was taking his trains. Tonight its the wind.....

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