A Mom’s Experience: Child with Anxiety/ Obsessive Behaviors

This week, I want to share a story a client wrote about her experience of receiving help for her daughter for anxiety and sleep issues.

“I started taking my daughter, NR, to see Ariana when she began showing intense anxiety each night around bedtime. NR has always had a difficult time sleeping, ever since birth (she’s 9 now) – but this panic was a bit of a new manifestation, and couldn’t be easily explained. We hadn’t just moved. Nothing significant had changed in school or home life. Yet, suddenly, she was overcome with compulsive thoughts and behaviors that felt “out of control.”

NR would you engage in repetitive behaviors once we turned out the lights…. sometimes for hours. She would get angry with herself and totally frustrated that this was happening. She’d scream and cry out. She felt panicked and confused and scared.

I had already been seeing Ariana for my own treatments for about a year, and was confident that she had the tools to ease this anxiety and fear. And she has helped my daughter immensely.

Additionally, I found a lot of comfort and support for myself through this challenging period with my daughter. I quickly noticed that her struggle was dramatically impacting myself (and every member of our family). In order to best support my daughter, Ariana supported and coached me as well…easing my own anxiety and tension I was experiencing. When something big is happening within our kiddos…. we all feel it. I needed support too.

NR is often squirmy and wiggly on the table, but loves coming to see Ariana. It’s a safe space for her to be herself, and feel good in her body.

During sessions, we have talked about NR’s traumatic, premature birth. Ariana has explained to NR some of what happens when babies are born early and how some of that can impact us for a long time. NR listens, and feels comforted being able to better understand why she may be experiencing some of these undesired thoughts and feeling and sensations.

Now, NR goes to bed quickly and easily. She exhibits less compulsive behavior not only at night, but during the day too. It’s as if she’s settled into her body a bit better. NR has noticed it too. And we are beyond grateful for the restorative healing and peace.”

I want to really thank this mom/ client for sharing about this challenging time and her experience of receiving support. Anxious kids are close to my heart– I have (and was) one my self, and it can be such a journey to help them through the roughest phases, especially when they trigger BIG emotions inside of us parents!

Part of the work I do is helping the body learn how to get into the “rest, digest, sleep, and heal” nervous system state– as opposed to the “fight or flight, be-on-the-alert” state than many of us live in. The more practice a person gets in moving into that peaceful, safe state, the more they can do it on their own.

Some children have had rough introductions to life, traumatic experiences, or hypersensitivities that keep them more keyed up or anxious, and need the extra help learning the feelings of calm and safety inside their bodies. I love helping kids and parents together in this way.