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Parenting a child with Anxiety/Panic -- Let's talk!
Wed, 2011-10-19 13:49 | by LSZ
My son began seeing a psychologist when he was in 2nd grade after being so anxious about going to school that he told his teachers he didn't want to live any more. After seeing the psychologist and changing his school environment to one that is more positive, things improved. For awhile...
He is 12 now. He's bright, athletic, and has a great sense of humor. He also is a "worrier" as he puts it. The thing that he worries most about is vomiting. When he was younger he would only say "you-know-whating" and didn't want anyone to say words that meant vomit. He has gotten past that point in part I think by his older half sister showing him a list of funny ways to describe thowing up.
Within the last couple of months, he's had a couple of more "acute" panic attacks. A call to the pediatrician has resulted in the suggestion that we discuss medication. This isn't a decision that my husband and I take lightly. So, we're doing the research, which led me to this forum.
Does anyone have experience they are willing to share related to using medication for anxiety/panic with their kids? Are there other things that you tried first that worked?
Best regards,
L
My daughter has suffered from
My daughter has suffered from anxiety her entire life. She is now 12. She has social phobia as well as agoraphobia. She also has had fears of vomiting in public. She has a lot of food issues, she can't eat at school because her already nervous stomach will hurt more, she claims. She does not have body issue problems and is actually quite happy with herself. She is also very funny, happy at home & kind, but no one can see that at school because of her anxieties.
About 5 years ago we tried lexapro. We were reluctant to go on medication, because we were nervous it would change her in a negative way. We used lexapro for a year with no noticible change. Looking back, I think the doctor never upped the dose, so maybe that is why. She also has been seeing a therapist who uses cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), which is very helpful, but when she gets into a panic situation, all that she learned she forgets in the moment.
So, this past June, we decided to try medication again, because this past year was her worst year ever with anxiety. The counsellor and also the psychiatrist said that the use of medication combined with CBT will definately help her. The medication will help to calm her and make her feel more confident and therefore will help her to learn how to use the tools she learns in therapy. One day she will no longer need the medication because she will know what to do when she panics. We tried zoloft this time. The doctor said that this is the best medication for kids with anxiety and is best when combined with therapy. We started on 25 mg, then up to 50 mg. after a month. Not much change. Then up to 100 mg. We started noticing she was able to go places at the spur of the moment, when before, we could not get her to go anywhere, even a friend's house down the street or the beach. She was able to get on her bike and visit her friends! That was this past summer. It has not all been perfect, though. We went on vacation to Washington DC and she had a hard time, did not feel well (the usual stomach ache, headaches, etc.). She would have stayed in the hotel room the whole trip if she could. We dragged her to a few museums and to dinner, but we sure had to suffer! So that was very hard on everyone.
Then school started and she did ok, until about a few weeks into school. She would cry in the car and I had to practically drag her out of the car to get her to go. So back to the doctor. He upped the medication now to 125 mg. So far it has been much better. She organized a Halloween party this past Saturday with her friends at school all by herself and they all showed up and she did a wonderful job! But then this morning she did not feel well and tried not to go to school, but I told her she had to. Again, I had to leave her at school crying. So it is very good most of the time. Like I said in another post, 1 step forward 2 steps back. But the medication really has helped so far. Also no negative side effects. She is still her sweet, happy funny self.
anxiety about illness
My son has the some anxiety. He is 9. It has caused him to be disruptive in school because if he hears of a child sick or someone says they don't feel good he will start to become paniced thinking he will get whatever they have. If you mention throw up or he sees it in a movie he will instantly get an upset stomach. He will cry, get himself very worked up, hard to talk to becasue he won't calm down. Won't go to a water park. We went on a weekend trip and both boys got very sick with the flu. He is convinced it was the waterpark. he will not eat hot lunch for fear of the germs. The doctor said he has IBS due to his anxiety. I am not a person who like to medicate. We are trying to search for ways to help him work through it. Having a worry journal, Helping him to understand that sometimes there are situations that he can't control whether it will effect him or not. Anyone else have any suggestions to help ease his anxiety?
Our 12 year old daughter has
Our 12 year old daughter has suffered from social phobia and agoraphobia since she was a toddler. We tried not to medicate for many years, but it seemed to only result in more suffering for our daughter. My husband is a pharmacist and he even wanted to see what we can do before we medicated her. She spend many years in therapy, cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), learning great tools to deal with her anxieties, but when she would be in the attack, those tools went out the window. They say the medication (combined with CBT) helps clear your mind and makes you more receptive to learning how to help yourself when you need it. I also was worried because my daughter is 12 and these years are not going to be getting any easier with her becoming a teen combined with her anxiety. We have seen great improvement so far since she has gone on the zoloft. It was not overnight, but it happened. No negative side effects either. Also we are happy to know that she will not need to be on it forever. It is just helping her for now.
We were also told by the counsellors to have her do the things that she is afraid of even if it is uncomfortable for everyone involved. By avoiding situations and uncomfortable places, that was just making it worse for now and for when they grow up. I know it is very hard. We have spent years avoiding going places because it was too much trouble. Now we just go, she has to come, she will have her attack, get it out and then we are fine. It is very hard and we feel so bad that she is crying or suffering, but when she gets through the attack, she feels a sense of accomplishment which will add up in time. I am not saying to force him to eat - our daughter refuses to eat breakfast or all day at school for fear of getting a stomach ache or throwing up. We are working on that and it is very hard. She will just not eat at school.
Also just listen and validate your childs feelings. Sometimes they do not want us to figure out their problems, they just want to let you know how they feel. We are learning to say "I know you are nervous" or "I know your stomach hurts" with a hug. These are just suggestions that we are working on right now. It is very hard though.
I am not trying to pressure you to try medication, just wanted to share how it has worked out for us. Good luck!
From everything that I've
From everything that I've read and been told, cognitive behavior therapy (talk therapy) can be very successful in helping kids learn better coping mechanisms. If your son is open to seeing a counselor of some sort, I would strongly encourage you to do that.
I can relate to the avoidance that you describe. My son once got sick after eating food in an airport before we got on a plane. He now avoids eating before or during flights. This can be very difficult because if he's hungry, his stomach gets upset, if his stomach gets upset, he worries he will vomit. It is a downward spiral.
We have not yet started medication. However, we are doing the research and are going to most likely give it a try. Our psychologist pointed out that the anxiety can cause other physical problems. I hope to be able to avoid that.
I am guessing IBS is Irritable Bowel Syndrome?