Anxiety Disorders in Children Support Group
Childhood","This community is for parents and caregivers of children who exhibit signs of anxiety. Anxiety refers to a complex combination of negative emotions that includes fear, apprehension and worry, and is often accompanied by physical sensations such as palpitations, nausea, chest pain and/or shortness of breath."
My son has had a recent fear of tornadoes. He has never been in a tornado so I don't think it's really about that. It may have more to do with his father living several hundred miles away. He had very bad anxiety when his father and I divorced and I had him on zoloft. It seemed to work well but he has since gotten off of it. He checks the weather station all the time and watches for winds and rain. If it seems at all cloudy or windy he panics! He has been sleeping in my bed since returning from a 2 week stay at his father's. He is going into middle school next year so it's not like he is terribly young. When I ask him if he feels his fears have anything to do with Daddy being far away he says no. He can talk to him on the phone and text anytime. He would however panic if he couldn't reach him at all. I'm looking for some advice. He is not a talker in therapy, I tried that and it didn't work. Not sure I want to put him back on meds. right away. Any one have advice?
Thanks, Cherie
Thanks, Cherie
My daughter had a specific thunderstorm phobia as well that was very responsive to CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy). Given your son's age, he would be an appropriate candidate. It is not really the kind of therapy where you 'talk' out your feelings but a matter of 'exposure' to the issue that induces the stress. In the case of my daughter the first weeks were dedicated to having her understand and manage that panic feeling through calming exercises. Then, they introduced pictures of storms, sounds of storms, movies of storms and then we had her experience an actual storm from sitting inside and then outside each time with a reward she picked ahead of time for managing her panic symptoms along the way using the calming excercises she learned. Best of all, the CBT translated to other areas that she was developing fears about (the dark, scary movies, etc.). I hope this helps. Specifically look for a CBT program and research what the therapist will offer.
I will look for this!
Cherie
I have an older son that had a fear of volcanoes. Our windows look at the largest Mountain in the continental U.S. When he was young he had a difficult time going to sleep due to nightmares.
I parent by the seat of my pants, but it seemed to me that if he felt that he had some control over the outcome he could put aside some of that fear. So, one afternoon we discussed what would happen if it did blow. We worked out all of the details. He was afraid for his friends that were in the lahar path. So, we invited them to stay with us if it happened. We talked about bringing in animals and having enough food for them also. We worked out the details of where everyone would sleep. He was able to put his fears to rest and now that he is off to college I am the one with the fears..............
Good luck. I know this wont work for everyone, but maybe worth a try.