Fear changes in just months...

by crystal
(lex, KY)

My 9 year began having fears of storms (even clouds) turning into tornadoes. He always has his eyes on the sky. If he sees a dark cloud he doesn't stop talking about it. If it storms he panics and prays and rocks and wants to leave. I try reasoning with him to calm him down and let him know that if he were in danger that his father and I would help him be safe. He has started chewing his nails and his having bad stomach aches and indigestion everyday (even when the weather is beautiful). He wants to take his temperature constantly and thinks it's making him feel better. He has taken some mylanta when we thought he was just having bad indigestion and it helped for a while.?

Could this just be a phobia that has given him some temporary physical ailments. Will he outgrow it with maturity and reassurance?


Hi Crystal

I'm sorry you are having concerns about your son.It certainly may be that it is a phobia, but if it has lasted more than a few weeks and is disrupting his life I would suggest you consult a therapist. The other thing to keep in mind is that sometimes children who have concerns about illness have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and you may want the therapist to assess for this. Not to alarm you, but it's important to catch things early as OCD is very amenable to the right treatment, which is called exposure and response prevention. It may be general anxiety, or a phobia as well, but it seems to me it's important to get help for him in the event that it worsens.

Good luck,
Sincerely
Kristen McClure