10 yo dd scared of everything
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10 yo dd scared of everything
| Wed, 05-28-2008 - 8:24am |
My 10 yo dd is scared of everything. Just day to day things. If there is a gun on a commercial, or tense music, she will close her eyes and cover her ears. Up until very recently, she would cling to us like glue whenever we went anywhere in public. She still tends to sit on our laps if we go to visit anyone. She won't run into a convenient store by herself if I'm parked right outside. She was scared of a kiddy funhouse (she was in it last year, and it wasn't scary, just spinny walls and stuff) at a local picnic recently. She also wouldn't go on the big slide. She won't ask her teachers questions, was terrified of swimming class this year, etc..... She's always been very shy and unwilling to try anything new, but it seems to be getting worse instead of better. It's at a point where her friends are even starting to say , "Boy, you're scared of everyhting!" They actually get quite annoyed with her. I know it's good to have a healthy fear of strangers, but I think this is a bit extreme. Maybe I sheltered her too much when she was young? She's always been very timid since she was tiny. I guess I thought she'd outgrow it a bit.


My ds (11) was the same way. We were able to get him counseling and it has helped tremendously. The counseling featured positive self-talk, directed self-hypnosis, and systematic desensitization. It also featured teaching dh and I to carry on helping him in the future if need be! We were also taught that these techniques can be used for any and all fears.
His biggest fear was to dogs but he was afraid of so much more: lightening, school fire drills, swimming (and swimming lessons), all animals (it's not fun to watch a 10 yo boy run screaming from a chipmunk that is scampering across the yard), loud noise, and really any new experience. He's made huge progress, has more confidence in all areas, and is not so noticeable when it comes to the things that are frightening to him (I don't think that he'll ever own a dog or be a lifeguard but he doesn't attract negative attention from his peers anymore; he can keep his cool even if still a little afraid).
If you can swing counseling then that is the route that I would suggest!
I would strongly urge you to have her seen and evaluated for not only Anxiety disorder but also