Separation anxiety issue

Nessia

No not DS, DD has the problem. She refuses to go anywhere if I'm not going. She use to be okay with hanging out with grandma and grandpa or visiting them for a day or two. FIL offers to take her to school occasionally but she wants me to do it. She doesn't want to visit my mom in SA if I'm not going. She also cries about everything and then gets upset if you don't comfort her. She will cry if you tell her no, if someone says she's being mean to grandma, if she thinks you're scolding her... Forget thunderstorms. She freaks out! It's gotten worse in the last few months. She developed a canker sore last week and I really think it was because she went on an overnight trip with her grandparents but she was upset in the evening when I wasn't there.  I wonder if she's just now developing issues with having DS around? I'm starting to worry it's going to be a bigger issue that will involve some sort of treatment.

 

ali-1411

I think its Post Spring Break Trauma or something because Jakob has been the same way the last couple weeks!  Not with separation, the kid loves getting away from Mom and Dad

But every little thing has been hurting his feelings.  He was upset last night because we had chicken for dinner.  WTF? 

But with her separation thing....some kids are just like that.  I was like that.  I never went to a sleepover until I was 10 years old or something because I couldn't handle being away from my mom.  She still gives me grief over how many times they had to come pick me up from someone's house at 10pm because I had a 'stomach ache'.  I wouldn't worry too much about it

Kim777

I know that most people will say don't worry about it, it's a phase, etc., but here is my point of view as someone who has generalized anxiety. I know now that I had it as a kid, but no one around me recognized it and it was not diagnosed until I was a young adult. I wish now that someone had recognized it and gotten me help (but certainly don't blame anyone) because it did affect my life and I missed out on a lot of things. Looking back I know that I always struggled with, even back to my earliest memories around 3 years old.

It sounds like with your DD it does go beyond just separation anxiety to more generalized anxiety so I would definitely keep a close watch on it. If it seems to be going on for an extended period of time and affecting her life, her relationships, etc. then it wouldn't hurt to ask her pedi if you should be doing something for her. I think the keys are how long it continues and does it really affect her day to day life. I know people think I am nuts so I don't generally bring this up except to people who we are close to, but I feel certain that Rhett struggles with generalized anxiety. I am going to ask his pedi about it tomorrow at his two year checkup because I don't want him to suffer like I did. If it will help him to work through it and be able to be more independent and not miss out on things then it would definitely be worth it to me to put him in therapy. The way I see it, it would be much better to teach him strategies to deal with it at a young age than to try to learn to do deal with it at my age!

MrsHoyt

I had horrible seperation anxiety when I was a kid, all the way up to about age 14 or so.  Just like Ali, mine popped up at sleepovers when I would suddenly get sick and my mom would have to come get me.  One day, I just didn't have it anymore.

I saw a therapist once in college for unrelated reasons, and she said that it was just part of my personality and that I'd prob been that way since birth.  Its no big deal.  I was able to go off to college and function, but I can imagine its hard for you now.