Ds anxiety getting tooooo much :/ advice please

[crazygal]

Oh I just don't know what to do any more!
Ds is 9, he has ADHD,(quite bad) and milder aspergers,
He's on 36mg of concerta and 3 melatonin at night.

Thing is he's always been alittle anxious but lately it's getting really bad!
We have been seeing camhs,but only for the last two weeks,and they say there gonna spend more time getting to know him before going in with treatment if you like...

Ds won't go fro. One room to another with one of us,he's seems scared of everything!
He says he doesn't know why?!
It's getting very tiring for us,
This morn has been horrendous. I had to sit in the loo with him,
He also want to open a box of toys,and I had to be beside him to do this,
He was looking for gloves and he wanted me to open the drawer etc etc...

At night it's the same,he won't go to sleep be himself,,he used to two yrs ago maybe)
He wakes at night screaming for us coz he's alone,
And sometimes says someone is in the room or someone is standing at his door!
He's convinced,
We try to reassure all the time,and talk things through but he has none of it,or he clams up and says "I don't want to talk about it"

Any advice pls?

Ds is very much like this, he saw CAMHS for years. He suffers with separation anxiety and general anxiety. He wont touch things such as toothpaste tube as he is anxious about his hands getting 'sticky'. He will not touch the car door handle if its been raining as his hands will get wet, to name a few.

He is 9 and its only been the last few weeks I have managed to get him into his own bed, with the help of Melatonin. He is scared of the dark and often sees things in his room etc, etc.

It is very hard to get a balance, given the choice ds would just avoid these kind of things totally or have me do them for him.

I think its about trying to empower him to do these things for himself, by giving him coping strategies.

Toothpaste for example I tell him to wash the tube first, rather than doing it for him.

Bedtime, seeing things, I tell ds that night time is exactly the same as day, except dark. I give him examples of times when I have thought the same, dressing gown on the back of the door for example, might look like a person etc.

Also bedtime routine for ds, includes relaxation techs and visualising, which help him with positive/nice thoughts. He has a night lamp and a bubble lamp, his walls are full of posters of his choosing of kittens and puppies, he has a torch next to his bed etc.

Also waking during the night, is your ds taking slow release Melatonin?

My ds also has ADHD but his anxiety can be a problem, although not at the level of your ds', his mainly expresses itself as anger explosions. This may be a drop in the ocean but I have had quite good success using hypnosis stories written for children. Ds himself without prompting said they made him feel much better.
The two books I use are www.amazon.co.uk/Stress-busting-Children-Best-kept-Secret-Christmas/dp/0954819500 and www.amazon.co.uk/Harry-Hypno-Potamus-Metaphorical-Tales-Children/dp/1845901177/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1385984988&sr=1-1&keywords=harry+the+hypnopotamus

Thank you all. That books look really good!! I'll try anything!

you could try working through Thrive by Rob Kelly. I think you would have to do it and then apply it to him if that makes sense but it could really help. It helps you to change your thinking patterns.

I have been following it for a very severe phobia I have which has been ruling my life for as long as I can remember. I have met Rob and I do remember him saying he has had success with children when the parents have worked through the book and put it into practice with the child.

Obviously it may not work in your case but if you have £20 to spare then I really think it might be worth a try. If nothing else it could certainly help boost his self esteem and confidence. When I started reading it I really felt for the first time it made sense.