Sudden onset of anxiety in 6 year old

[shaz298]

Hi All,

Sorry this is long. If you make it to the end, well done :)

Luuk is/was such a happy little boy but has suddenly developed all sorts of anxieties, crying really easily, bad dreams, saying he's scared of things he was previously ok with and his tummy is scared (which would indicated he is actually feeling the anxious tummy feelings).

For example, we had ordered take away the other night ( she who is supposed to be losing weight ) and I said to my mum that if it didn't arrive soon Remy ( my hubby) would collapse ( He's not good when he's hungry). Luuk, who was sitting at the table with us, drawing, began to cry saying he didn't wan't daddy to be dead! EEk!

He is worried about people getting angry with him in school, but is clear that no-one gets angry at him, they do get angry at other ( but his teacher isn't the shouty kind so not sure what that's about)........

Went to visit friends yesterday and he was crying that he wanted to go home, wouldn't speak to anyone........and he usually loves it there as their kids are fab with him

Anyone she any light? Have talked to him and tomorrow we are going to make a worry box and each day if he has any worries we'll help him to write them down and we can then talk about them before putting them 'away' in the worry box. Giving him lots of reassurance and positive reinforcement (which is how we operate anyway). He is such a fab wee man and i can't bear seeing him like this. This is worse for me than any of the times I've left him in theatre, or watched him when he was unwell. Just feel so sad for him.

Trying to remain positive and direct him to the positve things while acknowledging his worries, but am just worried that due to his poor speech that there are things he'd like to get off his chest but isn't able??

He has been unwell recently ( nast tummy bug a couple of weeks ago) and he does have a wee cough just now, but no temp or anything, so maybe he's just feeling rubbish?

Was also thinking that maybe his blood sugar is fluctuating too much due to him now having bolus feeds ( breakfast, lunch and dinner and then a 3 hour pump feed at night). For almost the entirety(sp?) he has been fed continuously so am wondering if the fact he's not having an even continuous flow of calories is maybe having an impact and I need to insert a few 'snacks' into his day.?

To be honest, with all the things he's been through mnedically and all the things he stiull has to endure I suppose some form of anxiety is to be expected. It's just that this has appeared suddenly from a little boy who has taken everything up until now in his stride.

(P.S: Have also spoken to him at length about the fostering situation - at 6 year old level- and he is adamant he wants anothr little boy/girl to come and live with us, so not thinking it's that, although there may be something there...)

Any thoughts, pleasde throw them this way..........

Thanks

Sharon x

My son has periods of this.

We sometimes forget how literal he is about stuff. He's definitely worse when under the weather too.

My son has vivid dreams and he struggles to understand which are real and which are not. This affects his anxieties too. He also worries about getting into trouble at school.

I've got no solution really, we just keep everything the same and give him lots of cuddles.

Hi

I have a 6 year old DS. We're not sure if he's borderline aspergers, but definitely has an anxiety disorder. (his sister is is SEN).

DS has recently been referred to CAMHS who will start working with him soon. I have also found a website www.anxietybc.com which has lots of strategies that you can implement at home. School are also doing self esteem classes with him.

It's only recent that we've realised it's anxiety as he's more vocal about how he's feeling, before it has manifested in his behaviour. I understand that you have to show him that he is safe when you're not around. I have been doing the reassurance thing but apparently too much reassurance can make it worse.

I would speak to your GP about it and query whether CAMHS could help him.

It was also at this age that my DD, who is frequently hospitalized, became anxious about hospital treatments. We were given the number of the play specialist so we could contact her prior to DD's treatments (when not emergency). She would then demonstrate on a teddy bear what was going to happen which did help a bit.

Thanks folks. I have often wondered if he mnaybe has Aspergers or something. He does have lots of traits. However up til now we've put this down to the hospitalisations etc he's had. He has spent lots of time in hospital for surgeries and ilness and does have serious anxiewties about procedures etc. But this has always been the case.

This is now I think a general anxiety and not sure even he is sure about what is bothering him. I think there is klots going on for him and maybe he's remembering things whihc have happened and is trying to sort that out emotionally. In additon I think he is realising more and more how different he is ( mobility issues, tube fed completely and speech problems) and that is possible adding to it...........am thinking it may be time to speak to the developmental pead about my worries about Aspergers and see what she says. School have also said ( just today when I was talking to them about his anxiety) that he isn't reading social cues/situations that well, so that would fit too.

Thanks for your replies. xx

Hi shaz not sure it will help but my dd has recently had a lot of her oral food taken away.She is allowed tasters but no more.We have found that since that was done she has periods of being anxious and shaky between feeds-pump feed am and pm bolus feed lunchtime.Tis hard to say whats going on as she has no speach and her epilepsy is a bit unsettled too but seems a bit of coinsidence that it started when the oral food was removed.

sorry did i miss how old your DS is? sounds like anxiety attacks but if your really concerned id see gp and/or ask to see the paed at child development clinic esp if you have had worries abt asp sounds like a mixture of AS and his health issues perhaps hes worried after his reaction about daddy, did he witness something you dont know about in hospital? that scared him , you were probably with him so i guess unlikely?

Poor thing, my dd1 suffers from anxiety she has Aspergers, she has bad days and good days but when she is having a bad day it can be very upsetting, i while ago we started to write down 'nice things she had done during the day' on sticky notes and stuck them on her wall by her bed, so when she had a bad thought/anxiety/worry she could look at all the sticky notes on her wall to remind her of all the good things she had done.

Marne that's a great idea for when Luuk's older, but he can't read very much just now, although he is progrewssing very well in that area. Coulkd do little pics though. xx

Hi PipinJo,

Thanks for replying. We have thought through the whole fostering thing and believe it could well be very positive of DS.

Due to our circumstances and Ds's needs we are looking at long term/permanent fostering so there shouldn't, in theory, be too many changes.

Not going into it with our eyes shut. I worked with looked after children for a very long time, in a number of settings and fully aware what we're getting in to.

Re the ASD - I have thought about this for a long time, but like I already said he doesn't have big meltdowns or get angry and aggressive at all. His form of meltdown would be to cry and just get stuck ie repeat over and over I want to do ........ so not sure if that fits.

xxx

Dd1 never gets aggresive with meltdowns, she just cry's and talks/argues (repeats). Some times its best to leave her on her own (as she will get herself so worked up arguing with me) or find a way to distract (take their mind off of whatever it is thats worrying them).

Re fostering - i would love to foster in the future but at the moment (having 2 dd's on the spectrum) i would'nt think it would be fair on them, if you think you ds can cope then i think its a great thing for anyone to do.

Marne, that helps to know that aggression isn't always present. I'd say he was the opposite of aggressive actually.

He has a review meeting next week in school and ed psych will be there so will raise concerns and see what she says.....

thanks

xx

You know sometimes I feel like a right eejit and can't see th ewoods for the trees. Was talking to a friend this morning and chatting about Luuk's anxiety and then go on to subject of school. The sibject they are doing in school just now is 'HOSPITAL'.She suggested that maybe this was adding to his anxieties.........why didn't I think about that.

Luuk has spent so much time in hospital, most of it experiencing horrible procedures, pain etc and she thinks that maybe the whoe having a 'hospital cornenr' and all the talk fo hospitals and what happens is maybe getting him A) thinking about his experiences B) Worrying will he end up back in C) becoming confused about his identity, because as she rightly pointed out, when he is in hospital he is a completely different child ( institutionalised to some degree due to number and lengths of admissions). Will carefully tery and chat with him about how he feels about talking about this in school when he comes home.

Add to that they will have been asking him lots of questions about being in hospital and proceudres/operations ( by they i refer to adults and children) and I know they are using his wheelchairs in PE this week ( which he seemed really pleased aobut as he was being the 'teacher' and teaching the children how to get around in a wheelchair), but can't help feeling that although he was happy about it, the whole subject will be reinforcing how diffeent he is from the other children too!!

So hopefully can at least help him to identify if this is a bit of the anxiety issue and if so speak to school about how we support him through the rest of the time spent doing this topic. He is a very bright wee cookie so I can only imagine the turmoil going on in his head and heart right now. xxx

At least you know now what might be causing it, can you speak to his teacher and see if he is showing signs of anxiety when the talk about hospitals?

If he's anything like my dd he will have a great memory when it comes to remembering bad/scary things that have happened in the past.