Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Parenting

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

Intrusive thoughts

2 replies

toddlermom99 · 07/01/2023 23:05

Hi, I've NC'd for this as I'm feeling quite embarrassed and ashamed of this. I just need to vent so I'm sorry if this is a long message.

My child underwent a life-changing surgery last year. They are in perfect health now but I do think the anxiety around this very serious surgery brought a lot of these issues on and I can't shake them.

I can't stop having intrusive thoughts about my 2 year old; particularly at night. It keeps me up for hours. I think of all the ways he could possibly be injured, or worse. I Google symptoms for hours incase he may have cancer or other serious illnesses.

The other day he tried to run into the direction of the road, I obviously caught his arm before he even go close. But I lie awake at night thinking 'what if I wasn't quick enough, a car could have hit him' but it is obsessive intrusive thoughts like this that I physically can't sleep thinking about.

We have just booked a cruise for next year and now I can't stop thinking about him falling over-board. He will never be out of my sight, I am a good mother and I don't doubt my abilities, but I can't stop thinking about it? I'm even debating cancelling the holiday.

Without being dramatic, it's severely affecting the quality of my life and it's been so bad these last couple of weeks. In a few weeks it will mark one year since this very serious surgery, so I'm not sure if the feelings surrounding this is affecting me but I just can't cope anymore.

Can anyone relate? Did it get better? I feel physically sick with worrying about what could potentially happen to him.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Whowhatwherewhenwhynow · 07/01/2023 23:50

Sorry I have no personal experience with this. It sounds very distressing though.
Have you spoken to anyone about the thoughts in real life?
Do you think it might be worth doing a trip to the GP to see if they can refer for some support. Maybe it can be something like PTSD from when your son had surgery?

Backtothe90ties · 07/01/2023 23:57

Please go and get some support from your GP for this. I’ve lived with intrusive thoughts and honestly it’s very difficult to overcome without support. It is debilitating and could get worse without intervention. You have done nothing wrong and I can see you are very logical about your thoughts as was I but I needed counselling to fully recover. I had also experienced trauma and the thoughts centred around the unprocessed grief from the trauma. I recovered with medication and CBT. Good luck

New posts on this thread. Refresh page