Child Anxiety

Anxiety does run in families...and as I saw behavior in my son that my parents ignored in me thinking it was just a "phase"...I wanted him to learn coping skills now at age 9. When I called the therapist (she is child psychologist, does not prescribe medication) she asked how old he was and when I told her nine she was very enthusiastic because it is a great age to start CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy).

We have only had two sessions and my son between the first and second went from not being able to sleep in his bed alone to sleeping all night alone in his bed. We are now working on falling asleep alone and it is going really really well.

Find a really good child psychologist (you might need to interview several)at deals with phobias and anxiety/panic.

He is so young that he shouldn't need medication just some good professional assistance in getting through this...you can private message me if you want and I can share more.

Big hugs to you and I am so glad you are looking into getting him some help.

My 12 yr old daughter has high anxiety, and fear of vomiting is one of her worries. She has always been high strung, but the panic attacks started in December of this school year when she felt sick at school one day. She left the classroom two times and returned before finally going to the nurse. She never threw up, but was very close. A month later, she felt sick in class and had a panic attack. The nurse called me saying she was inconsolable and that I should come and get her. I did, and again, she never threw up. The next day, I got another call that she was feeling sick and was again inconsolable...When I picked her up, all she could talk about was being afraid of throwing up. This turned in to weeks of her not wanting to go to school. She would cry every evening and every morning, and some mornings refuse to get up and get dressed. I called her pediatrician and she recommended counseling with a social worker or psychologist.

She's been seeing a psychologist for a couple of months now, and it has helped. She's at the point now where she only needs to go once a month to check in and address anything new or old that may have cropped up.

Best wishes to you and your son. I know how hard it is. Hang in there!

Our son has anxiety, including OCD. We work with a therapist and he also takes medication. The medication has really taken the edge off of the anxiety for him.

I would definitely start with a therapist/child psychologist, who can help him work through his anxieties. It's not something you're going to be able to easily resolve on your own. It helps to get an expert involved.

This is a real phobia, emetophobia to be precise, and my daughter has it and we went through everything you are describing, including the endoscopy! At one point it got so bad she scrubbed her hands raw (germ worry) and practically stopped eating (fear of contamination/food poisoning.) Our salvation came in the form of a therapist who deals with anxiety in kids and teens. It's WAY more common than you realize.
Get a referral from your pediatrician and get him into see someone as soon as possible.
My daughter still gets anxious about feeling sick, and seeing or even hearing other people vomit, but the therapist really helped her get to a point where she can handle it without having the full on panic attacks you describe.
Good luck!!!

Sometimes medication is highly appropriate. It helps take the edge off and keeps a panic attack from happening. After a while they feel better and can wean off the meds.

Meds also help us to feel even mentally when we're digging deep and going through the issue causing the anxiety.

Take him to a psychiatrist that does kids too. Then they'll be up on the most current meds for his issues.

I think it's important to note that anxiety and panic attacks run in families. I am not sold on running to the doctor for meds just yet since you already had him checked out and he got a clean bill of health. I would definately work on coping mechanisms and assuring him that it's okay if it happens. Distraction methods and breathing excercises can help. Chances are this may change over time and something else may become a trigger. I think it's important to let him know that although unpleasant and even embarrassing, it's his body's natural defense to protect and rid itself of bad bugs. Perhaps you could try giving him mint flavored tic tacs to take when he feels a moment of panic? Mint is homeopathic and soothes the tummy and might even give him the confidence that they actually do more than they "do". Maybe play into it with a favorite superhero character or something? Good luck!