I think my son might be suffering from separation anxiety.?

Question

He cries each day before he goes to school. He tells me that he's afraid something is going to happen to me or his siblings. What kind of doctor should I take him to where they won't try to put him on medication?

Answer 1

You can take him to a psychologist and look into behavior therapy. The choice to put him on medication is up to you, not the doctor.

I have suffered from anxiety(which started like your sons), since I was 8 years old. I wish my parents had gotten me to a psychiatrist/psychologist when it first started(it could have been corrected much easier and quicker). I finally began seeing a psychiatrist when I was 14, by then the anxiety had escalated, and many years later I still suffer from it.

If he is suffering from anxiety and has been for three months or more, get him help. It will not go away on its own, and the longer he has it the worse it could get. The longer these fears are validated to him the more ingrained they become.

There are many therapies available that do not involve medication. He can do traditional therapy where he talks to a doctor about his fears. There is behavioral therapy, where he will be forced to face his fears and see that they are irrational. He can combine both types of treatments, which is very helpful.

Behavioral therapy is fairly new and becoming popular. It involves experiencing your fears, and anxiety and realizing that your fear is not rational. The more he experiences the situation, the better he will be able to cope with it. For example, I have anxiety when in traffic, in behavioral therapy I would place myself in situations that involve traffic. I experience the fear, go through the anxiety attack, etc. If I need to I pull over and regain my composure, but I go on and cannot go back to get rid of the anxiety. Going forward trains my mind, and shows me that my anxiety is just a feeling and will pass, and that I am strong enough to keep going. Reversely going back would re-instill to my mind that I could not make it and my anxiety was something I couldn't deal with and the only way to deal would be to go back to my "safe" area or person.

There are so many resources out there to help your son. Do not wait to treat the anxiety, the sooner the better. I would suggest picking up some books in order to understand the disorder, unless you suffer from anxieties it is hard to truly understand what it really feels like and why it control people lives so strongly.

Answer 2

try speaking to him nicely and quietly and take a day off and spend it with him

Answer 3

I don't think your son needs to see any kind of doctor.

I would say just keep reassuring him that everyone is going to be fine and that you all love him very much.  He probably is going through some kind of seperation anxiety so you just need to make him feel secure.  I am sure once things have settled down a bit he will be fine :-)

Answer 4

You didn't mention how old he is or how long this has been going on.  A little of this is normal, but if he's been doing it the whole school year then something is wrong.  Have you asked his teacher how he seems at school?  Talk to his pediatrician and perhaps a psychologist.  You probably just need to keep talking to him about his fears, but I too would not put him on meds.  Good luck.

Answer 5

just work with him on it. and asure him that its going to be ok

Answer 6

a councelor......a regular councelor does nothing but talk and try to solve it that way, they are not even licensed to distribute meds you have to go to a pshychiatrist for that.