Anxiety

leejayem
leejayem Posts: 120 Member
in Chit-Chat
I have struggled with anxiety for years. It became a significant issue following the birth of our 3rd child & our GP described my symptoms as a form of PTSD. Thankfully, after lots of therapy, I am doing OK these days - but now the baby mentioned above, who is almost 5, has started to show signs of anxiety. We had a family holiday in Brisbane just recently & although she coped well on the way over, she said to us that she didn't want to go on the plane again & was very panicky when we flew home. And last night over dinner (after we had been home for over 24 hours) she suddenly had a full blown panic attack, screaming & sobbing that she never wants to go on a plane again, that she hates the "bubbles" in the spa & that I should have stopped "them" from turning the bubbles on!! It was very shocking to witness this & very hard to calm her down. Does anyone else have anxiety issues or kids who struggle with it? This is like my worst nightmare come true - watching one of my children suffer from this horrible disorder & not really knowing how to help her. I was on meds myself for a while but I'm not a big fan really as I felt like it shut down the creative part of my brain. There is no way I would want my little girl taking anything unless it was deemed absolutely necessary. Thoughts anyone??

Replies

  • erinfog
    erinfog Posts: 95 Member
    i suffer from anxiety really badly. it was repressed when i was younger but i remember being terrified/shaking every time it rained and locking myself in the bathroom if we ever went to somebody else's house. my mom had me go to therapy; it was helpful and i was able to get through middle/high school relatively normally. in february 2004, when i was a freshman in college, it came back big time though after i had a blood clot and almost died. so i can certainly sympathize with the ptsd part of it. i've been on klonopin (and some other things on and off that didn't work out) and in therapy ever since. i'm not sure if i'll ever feel 100% normal, but i hope to someday :).

    i hope your daughter is ok. therapy was helpful for me as a child because i was very shy and basically 'lived in my head'. getting my thoughts out and talking about it took a huge pressure off me and let me calm down/live my life instead of worrying.

    also, i know you mentioned that you're iffy about medication. i certainly am also for the anti-depressants that they try to put you on to 'generally calm you'. those made me feel like a zombie. but taking a very low dose of klonopin or xanax when i start to feel anxious has been a life saver. they don't stay in your system very long so side effects are minimal other than being a bit lethargic for a few hours. but again my anxiety is super extreme, like i get hospitalized for it so the pros outweigh the cons :).

    good luck and i hope some of this was helpful!
  • needernt
    needernt Posts: 675 Member
    swimming can help alot . It works for me in some ways.
  • kaylaandthestarcatcher
    kaylaandthestarcatcher Posts: 836
    I have social anxiety. It sucks. I hate it a lot. There have been a couple times when I was supposed to go see counselors or therapists, but I was too anxious. Some days, it's worse than others. Sometimes I have 'bad days' that last for months. A lot of times I just really want to be normal so I try to force myself into social interaction but I usually end up having panic attacks later and not being able to be around people for a few days. idk, it just really sucks.
  • LoveleeB
    LoveleeB Posts: 560 Member
    I am currently a mental health therapist for kids and families. I would not suggest medication either, at least not at this point. I saw teach her deep breathing skills (Practice them with her!) and make sure she has a place (in your home) or an item with her (if out) that comforts her. Usually, stroking a stuffed animal helps a lot and also making sure you are consistent with her as a parent.

    Good luck and I wish you both the best!
  • StrengthIDidntKnow
    StrengthIDidntKnow Posts: 543 Member
    I have anxiety issues and try to stay off medication as much as I can. The therapist I see has done wonders, we work on how to soothe when I feel the anxiety building. My daughter is also starting to show signs of anxiety too. She was seeing someone but is taking a break for now. Her therapist basically did the same for her as mine did for me.
  • haleydself
    haleydself Posts: 66
    Mine started when I was in 2nd grade. We went to the Smokey Mountains the summer before school started back, and we were all walking through one of the trails in the mountains. I was walking far ahead of my family and they kept trying to call me back with them, but I was wanting to go fast. So they decided to scare me a little and all hid on the edge of the trail. So when I turned around to see where they were, they were all gone. I thought I was lost, or that my family just left me. I started screaming for mom, and they came out laughing and said they were just joking, that I needed to stay with them....

    After that, I panicked constantly after school. I would be scared mom would NEVER come pick me up. Every day when 3:00 rolled around, I would panic. I would stand outside, shaking and my heart would beat so fast. I would almost end up crying, and when I saw that blue van coming around the corner, I would always be so relieved. There were times when she would take me with her to go get gas, and even while she went in to pay, I just KNEW she would find a back entrance in the store and leave me in the van forever. I was just constantly panicking! I remember doing these things until I got my licence to drive. But the attacks found another reason to come around.

    In high school, I had them a lot. If just ONE thing was different in a classroom, I would panic. Like one day, my Spanish teacher was out sick. We had a test that day. And we had a substitute. So I panicked. More because of the sub than the test. I ran out of the class, and passed out in the hallway. Mom finally realized I wasn't faking (she always thought I was), and took me to the doctor.

    Doctor put me on medicine, and yes, I turned into a zombie. I was leaving school one day, and almost T-boned someone coming into the parking lot. I was inches away from wrecking... Didn't phase me at all. I just kept going. It was so weird. So I had to come off the meds.

    After that, I just learned to talk myself out of them. I read online about them, everywhere. You can't die from a panic attack. That's what kept me from going over the edge. I would just keep reminding myself that you can't die from a panic attack!! To this day, I still have one EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE. But I just sit down, and wait it out. I talk myself out of it, and just go on with my day.

    I really hope everything will be ok with you and your family!! Try meds, try everything until something works, because it's different with everyone. I knew a girl who took meds and she was fine. She had a great personality, energetic, and no panic attacks. But some people can't do that. You just have to keep trying things until something works! Will be praying for you guys :)
  • leejayem
    leejayem Posts: 120 Member
    Thanks so much for all the insight guys! My little girl had another panic attack tonight as she was going off to bed & after she settled & went to sleep I determined that we need to look at EVERYTHING including her diet, bedtime routine etc & try to eliminate some things. And a friend today shared with me that her daughter is seeing a great child psychologist who is helping her with anxiety so we will likely look into whether our little one could also benefit from this. Always good to be able to recognize that there is help available. :wink:

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