Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion issues with anxiety in DS7 - long

Yes, I strongly agree!

Sometimes I think parents are dismissive of the need to really deal with kid's worries because we assume they will grow out of them. While yes kids will likely outgrow the fear of make-up (or whatever other wacky thing) the fundamental personality traits of sensitivity and anxiety may not go away. For this reason, I am a fan of getting kids help early on instead of letting them struggle for years. Cognitive behavioral therapy is quit effective. We've seen huge improvements for our child all without medication. He's still a sensitive person and will always be so, but he's not having to live with such ongoing feelings of anxiety.

thanks passthepotatoes for your post and other responses....we got concerned with seeing DS7 experience panic attack after panic attack after the whole Plaster of Paris episode....we took him to a top specialist out of town after our doctor gave us an official diagnosis of Acute Stress Reaction (which is the stage before Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome...ASR occurs up to 90 days after a traumtic event and if symptoms persist past 90 days it is consiered PTSS). The psychologist also agrees with the diagnosis - DS7 actually was afraid for his life during the plaster of paris experiment because of the "exaggerated" warning label that was on the package. We have been doing several weeks of a mix of play/cognitive behavior therapy and are also looking into hypnosis to try to help him get over this. The poor little guy is having flash backs, cold sweats, full blown panic attacks when confronted with anything that reminds him of that day. We are making progress - so thanks to those that suggested that maybe there may be something a little deeper than a little one just being sensitive. His Psych said that DS7 is darn smart and that just makes things a little more trickier because he is learning things that his brain can handle but his emotional age is having trouble digesting. Thanks guys for the support!!!

So glad to read your update. Good for you for not letting him 'grow out of it' and seeking help for him. I hope the therapy helps him get past this or at least cope with it all.

Belle, I'm so glad that you posted about this, and that your son is doing better. My DS6 just went through a "trauma" this week, and I was looking for advice about extreme sensitivities.

We found out last week that DS had a small cavity (because a back tooth chipped and the protective enamel was missing). He seemed brave when I took him in for his filling and was talking about how he wasn't at all scared. The dentist is AMAZING with videos/headphones/cute apparatus/you name it.

However, the second the "jelly" went in his mouth, he went into an extreme panic, screaming hysterically that he couldn't breathe. They stopped and talked with him and showed him everything, but he kept having the same reaction. After 20 minutes of calming and showing him what was happening didn't work, I approved the nitrous oxide (in a cute little bubblegum flavored elephant nose!), but that did nothing for him. They ended up putting him in a kangaroo pouch (straightjacket!) and a psychologist-trained nurse sat on him and whispered to him while the dentist and hygenist calmly explained everything, but he was still screaming and hyperventilating for over an hour. It was AWFUL! He was in such a panic that he couldn't even make eye contact with me when I was soothing him, and afterwards didn't even remember my being there next to him. (I would've stopped it, but our next option would've been sedation at the hospital, and I knew it would be worse if we had to go home and take him back to that.)

Then, the second it all came out of his mouth, he calmed down, decided it wasn't so bad, and went off for his stickers.

Luckily, so far he hasn't had flashbacks. I understand what happened because my monkey mind has a way of spreading fear over rationality too, but I've learned to put it in check. I need to figure out a way to help him do the same thing. As a 6 year old boy, I'm pretty sure he's going to face tougher things than a cavity filling, and I need to find a way for him to learn to cope.