Our Kids dealing with Anxiety

[jmckinley]

We are 2 weeks into high school and Ryan is loving the difference. HOWEVER, he came home last Thursday and today so anxious and upset :ymadver something he can't control. I have talked to him about it but his perfectionist personality is not going to let this go. I can tell. And I failed to mention that he had loose bms both days because of the upset.

So my question is this...anyone have Crohn's kids on anxiety meds? I hate to put him on another med, but I don't want to end up in the hospital in a flare again either. I see the med as a temporary solution to finding him a way to cope.

 

[Mom2oneboy]

I have wondered this so many times! My guy tends to be a bit of a worrier and gets anxious in new situations. Him getting real nervous will almost always cause him to need to go to the restroom. I want him to learn how to control his emotions and carry on with what he needs to do because I think it's a normal part of growing up. On the other hand, I don't like seeing him get his gut all out of whack from nerves.

I'll be curious to hear what others have to say.

 

[Clash]

My son also has had those days in the last few weeks at school where things have made him anxious or stressed due to his drive. It has also affected his bms for that day. He has the option of going to the councelor anytime he feels he needs to destress. He doesn't even have to speak with her he can just go to her lobby and take some time to work out his anxiety. Even though I was grateful that the staff and admin. at his school put so much thought into helping C in anyway they could(as this was an idea the 504 director and nurse came up with) he is in highschool and I'm not entirely sure he would take the opportunity to go to the councelor just due to the stigma of it. At this age they don't like to stand out at all and ibd already ensures that in some instances, adding going to the counselors office on top might be a tad much for his teenage psyche!
Still being so new to all of this we are trying to work through all the dynamics of cd, the physical, emotional, and mental stress of it all. Sometimes it is so hard to know where to begin or what direction to take.
I hope you find a good solution to your sons anxiety and I'll be interested in all the responses. Please forgive the typos as I am on my mobile which always trips me up typing!

 

[Jennifer]

He can still see a therapist outside of school, then no one at school would know.

I saw one when I was in high school (well actually grade school to grad school, not the same one obviously). Might be a good idea to start with a psychologist and then move up to a psychiatrist if needed. When you go on meds for depression and/or anxiety you really need to see a specialist rather than get a random script from a GP who hands them out like candy to anyone who asks.

 

[jmckinley]

Ryan drive is getting him too! He has that option to go to the counselor also, but probably wouldn't do it. He gets so wound up his voice shakes just telling me what is wrong. I can only imagine that he goes through the day all tied in a knot. With the episode last week, we went to the teacher. But with a second problem so soon, I think it's an issue with Ryan expecting other kids to behave the way he wants. Good luck with that one! Aaagh!

 

[DustyKat]

My son had issues through most of primary school but he didn't have Crohn's at the time.

I can see that it is a far more delicate balance with what you are facing jm. :hug:

I am trying to put myself back to that time and imaging it if Matt had also Crohn's. I know the physical symptoms coming to the fore would freak me out and I do think son's stress is as valid a reason as any to seriously consider the medication path. That said it will still only be a bandaid solution and the underlying issue has to be dealt with.

My son was reluctant to have counselling but he did consent to it. Unfortunately the counsellor was somewhat lax in arranging the initial meeting and so my son blew it off, if she couldn't be bothered why should he. What do you say to that?? That aside I do believe if you find a good counsellor it will be well worth it.

Do you have any inkling at all what the underlying issue is?

Dusty. xxx

 

[Clash]

C is the same way, since he was small he has always seen things in black and white...no grey areas which I think contributes to his anxiety...goodness knows you can't let what you are unable to control, control you especially when it elicits a physical response from your body that is damaging since you have an IBD. It s a work in progress, teaching him to let go of things and avoid getting knotted up about things that may seem monumental at the time but are just a blip in the whole scheme of things! Aggh! Good luck, hope you are able to find a solution!

 

[Twiggy930]

My son has been going to a psychologist for about 4 months now. He is going mostly for pain management which they are addressing through deep relaxation/meditation. It seems his anxiety makes his abdominal pain worse and has made his insomnia (which predates Crohn's) worse. The deep relaxation really does seem to help. The psychologist has made him a recording that he can listen to when he feels like his pain is coming on and it really does dial back his anxiety about the pain. I also think just talking to the psychologist has really helped him process the whole Crohn's diagnosis and allowed him to cope with it much better. I realize this is a bit of a different kind of anxiety but some sort of deep relaxation/meditation might help.

Also our psychologist specializes in dealing with children with chronic illness.

 

[NMMom]

I spoke with a dietitian last week who recommended that we start working with Ellie on relaxation and stress management techniques. She said that although a well rounded diet and nutrition was great it would serve her well to be good at handling stress. Maybe try yoga or some meditative breathing?

I once knew a man that whenever he was absolutely the happiest he would pinch his thumb and pointer fingers together as hard as he could. He said after doing that for a while he could 'relive' those awesome feelings regardless of what was going on around him just by pushing his fingers together. I know there is some term for this but I've thought about it so much over the years. Might be worth a try?

 

[Jmrogers4]

Relaxation/deep meditation tapes and yoga. My son also the perfectionist is the same way in fact when he was first diagnosed I remember his doctor saying it is a trait in a lot of the Crohn's kids he sees

 

[Farmwife]

My Grace love the sounds of nature. I was thinking of getting tapes of that.

 

[Patricia56]

Cognitive therapy is the most effective treatment for anxiety. Guided meditation and things like yoga are also helpful but sometimes the anxiety is so overwhelming that you need the therapy in order to benefit from those other techniques.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the gut produces much of the serotonin our body and brain need. Serotonin is a major neurotransmitter and how much serotonin there is in the brain is strongly associated with mood fluctuations. I think this biologically sets our kids up for anxiety and depression even if the symptoms and anxiety didn't.

I know of two older teens with IBD who have attempted suicide in the past year. In both cases their families were shocked. They knew their teens were troubled but had no idea how severe it was until it was almost too late. My own son has struggled with depression for a long time.

I think we as parents need to take this aspect of their illness very seriously and not assume that it will all be OK if they seem fine. There is a tremendous stigma toward mental illness that makes it easy to ignore the signs or to hope the problem will just go away once they get into remission. These kids are generally unable/willing to talk to their peers or friends about their illness - at least at first. And there's only so much they want or can say to their parents, especially as teens when they should be pulling away from us and creating a separate identity.

Those are some of the reasons I think most of our kids need some kind of professional therapeutic support if it's available. Even young children can benefit from play therapy and for adolescents I think it is essential if they have any insight at all.

And be careful with yoga. If you are going to pursue that be sure to look for a class/type of yoga that is slow paced and avoids the more dangerous poses that put backs and knees (in particular) at risk of injury.

Another thing to consider is art therapy or just plain doing some kind of art or creative writing/journaling.

 

[my little penguin]

Second the therapy.
We will be starting behavioral therapy to help DS deal with the pain and stress.
It was recommended as part of our pain management visit.

 

[jmckinley]

Great advice ladies! Clash...Are we raising the same child? LOL Ryan is BLACK AND WHITE for sure. It really gets in the way of compromise and change! Add a perfectionist personality and you've got trouble. He's been this way forever, but it really takes its toll now.

He plays saxophone both in school and in a band outside of school which is a great stress reliever for him. Problem right now is other kids in band...because he loves it so much, he can't understand WHY in the world the other kids don't want to learn their stuff and practice. He is a section leader and it is driving him nuts.

I pulled out his copy of 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens and asked him to read a certain chapter. Outside of that, I will make him take some quiet time and do some meditation that he learned from the welllness Dr. I may call the therapist he used to see also. If we do meds, it will only be a short term thing. He is so blind when he's upset that he can't see any way out.

Patricia, the serotonin thing makes sense. I always see a change towards a weepier self when Ryan has a flare coming. That must be the reason! There is so much more to IBD than gut reactions!

 

[jmckinley]

Funny thing is, we got him a puppy for his birthday because he was so sure that would help him feel better and honestly, we thought a tried and true friend would work. It's been a little more work than he anticipated, so it's adding some stress. Heed my warning :ybatty:


:banana::banana::banana:

Just to add some GREAT news....got a call from the GI today. Ryan's CRP is less than .5 and SED Rate is 9...WOOP WOOP!!

 

[Clash]

:dance::dance:Awesome news on the CRP and SED Rate!!!:dance::dance:

And haha we may be....it drives his older sister crazy, of course being the world weary sophmore in college she is constantly going on about how it is going to socially/academically derail him in the real world. I just fix up and freeze some homemade dumplings and send her back into her world of academia(real world...yeah right I wish college was the real world) with groceries, clean laundry, and expense money for the month...sheesh teens these days!!:ybiggrin:

 

[mnsun]

Hi all,

I just happened to see this recent post and thought I'd recommend an article posted in the latest, Sept 2012, Monitor on Psychology magazine titled, "That Gut Feeling" by Dr. Siri Carpenter (pg. 50).

The article basically explains studies, mostly rats, that show it's a two-way street; the whole brain-gut dynamic. Meaning psychological upset can cause gut upset, just as much as gut upset can cause psychological upset via the "vagus" nerve which somehow connects gut microbiota populations(probiotics) to neurochemical responses resulting in depression/stress/anxiety.

The article detailed a few studies in which varying stress responses were shown to be reversed, or caused, by the introduction, or wiping-out, of specific probiotic strains. Of particular note were: Bifido Infantis, Lactobacillus Rhamnosus, Bifido Longum, and Lactobacillus Helveticus.

There werethree studies involving humans which showed promise. A study of college students observed diminished lactobacilli populations when comparing samples from the first few days of school to exam week. British Journal of Nutrition in 2011 found that "a 30-day course of probiotic bacteria (l. helveticus, b. longum) led to decreased anxiety and depression in health human volunteers." An as-of-yet unpublished neuroimaging study, examining the effects of probiotics on brain activity, revealed an "observable" effect on brain activities while they viewed either neutral or negative emotional stimuli.

I would definitely give such things due consideration. Whether or not you or your loved one has noticed digestive effects from various brands of probiotics should perhaps consider the mental states as well. That being said, different brands vary in quality and effectiveness greatly. Also, certain formulations may only be helpful for certain segments of the digestive tract--just my unqualified opinions.

 

[jmckinley]

mnsun,

You are right about the probiotics. Ryan has done better on a probiotic with 8 different strains of bacteria vs the one strain brand he was taking. The GI loves VSL3 which is most helpful in the large intestine.

Things seem to be more stable in the mood variety here....odd thing, I asked him to stop eating/drinking dairy this week to see what would happen ?????? Could just be hormones!!!