Re: Re: anxiety / irrational fears

[Guest guest]

We found out that my older son would get extremely anxious when taking

too much P5P (a more absorbable form of B-6). His anxieties made as much

sense as your son's - if someone said " hi " to him when he wasn't ready,

it would provoke a huge tantrum. He had other reactions as well until we

stopped all supplements with the P5P and that ended the anxiety pretty

much.

Hope this helps.

( & Malachi's mom)

[Guest guest]

I can certainly sympathize with the wild fears. I had to literally wrestly my

7-year-old son to the floor in the supermarket this past week to keep him from

bolting in terror from the paper towel aisle. It took a half hour of

painstaking interrogation, but I finally located the source of his

phobia--Brawny paper towels. The latest tv ad for Brawny shows a woman picking

up a paper towel which turns her arm into some monster cleaning machine that

drags her all over her house. So now my son is afraid to go near them. Like

Dana said, it's not exactly irrational to him. I have found the only way to

help my son with his phobias is to get to the bottom of what causes them, remove

the things (at least temporarily) that he is seriously afraid of and reintroduce

them little by little. A year ago, he suddenly refused to eat in our dining

room because he decided a painting (that had hung there his whole life) was

going to talk. He has recovered from that and many other phobias, but he is

still prone to them. I believe it all stems from the under developed ability to

discern between fantasy and reality that our kids tend to have.

[ ] Re: anxiety / irrational fears

> But (didn't you know a " but " was coming???), we are still dealing

> with some pretty severe irrational fears.

There is no such thing as an " irrational fear " . All fears have a

basis in reality. This is one of my peeves, that people believe some

fears are irrational. No I am not trying to flame you, just to let

you know there is a RATIONAL reason for these fears, at least there is

to your child. Find the reason, and you can remove the fear.

The other replies here so far mention phenols, including certain

supplements. Those can trigger fears, so you can consider reducing or

eliminating those items.

http://home.pacbell.net/cscomp/phenol.htm

For instance, my ds

> (almost 7yo, Aspergers) is very afraid of most kid cartoons, videos,

> etc... The Monsters Inc. commercial sends him screaming and running

> from the room.

Many AS children have difficulty with animation, because it does not

make sense with reality. Is this a " new " fear for him, since

beginning enzymes? If so, he may be experiencing things at a new

level of intensity, which is actually " normal " but to him seems

" loud " . If it has been happening before enzymes, it is generally

because it is confusing and does not relate to reality.

He just got a " leap pad learning system " for his

> birthday, and one particular page scares him to death (there is

> *nothing* scarey on the page - it's actually a preschool book and

> that page pretty much is like all the others that he *loves*).

Have you asked him to describe for you why that one page is scary?

You might receive what sounds like a strange answer, but you can use

it to explore things and find the bottom line.

Or you can describe it for me, along with other pages in the same

book, and I can give you ideas. But asking him would be better.

He

> was miserable on a hayride recently because they had someone dressed

> as Santa, and he was extremely frightened.

Santa is VERY frightening, for many reasons, primarily because he is

large, and loud, and asks you questions, and touches you, and does

things which are unexpected.

>

> Can anyone suggest a solution to this? As he gets older, these

types

> of things become more and more socially debilitating. I'd

appreciate

> any advice / suggestions.

I would start by asking him questions, maybe start with leading

questions, or something like that. You can also do desensitizing

sorts of things, like watching Santa from a distance, or asking

someone you know to rent a Santa costume and then have him put it on

WHILE YOUR CHILD WATCHES.

Dana

[Guest guest]

Thank you Dana,

Just to clarify, is only four and not very verbal yet. We cannot tell

if there are any vision issues. He did use his peripheral vision a lot until

the magnesium and calcium supplement but that has now gone. He gets very

close to the TV sometimes but we are not sure if there is a problem. He

doesn't seem to have a problem with books etc so at the moment I suspect not.

Regarding the camera. The problem seems to be with both the flash and the

fact that a camera is held up to the face. When we use a digital without a

flash and on screen so that we don't need to hold it up to the face he is

okay. The same thing goes with a video camera. He has no problem with one

of these.

puts his hands over his ears for both sound and vision for example when

he is anticipating something (like a noise), when he sees a facial expression

that he doesn't understand, AND when he is frightened of something so it is

very difficult to untangle these to find out which response is appropriate.

With regards to water. It is when he is having his hair washed - no other

water issues. Someone told me that it is likely to be due to the sound of

the water near his ears and we recently started to use a sponge rather than

just letting the water drop into the bath. It seems to be working a little

and we hope to try some Auditory Integration training after Christmas to see

if that helps too.

Thank you for the other tips, we are prepared to try anything at this stage!

[Guest guest]

Dana,

That was extremely useful and has given me a lot of things to try.

Thank you

[Guest guest]

:

I would say that if he's had anxiety since he was 3,

it's not the food, it's just him. Have you talked to

his doctor about this? It sounds really bad, and it

interferes with his life. Have you thought about

trying some medication for anxiety? My nephew is PDD

and he had very bad social anxiety, and he's been on

Paxil, and it has made such a wonderful difference in

him. Something to think about and talk to your doctor

about.

Let us know how it's going!

Martha mom to 4.10 global developmental

delay, SID, weak hand muscles, possible CAPD &

17 months.

--- lasorrell_uk <lasorrell@...> wrote:

> Hi, I've had a dreadful night with my poor son

> worrying and crying

> about taking his 11 plus exam (NEXT January...). We

> are used to

> these awful anxiety bouts, he has had them since

> around age 3, and he

> is totally irrational and gets a bit " trance like "

> sometimes when in

> one of these states (maybe every few weeks on

> average). Obviously we

> tell him things like we dont mind if he doesnt want

> to take the exam,

> it doesnt matter how he does, we're not bothered we

> only want him to

> be happy etc. but it doesn't stop his anxious mind.

> His ears went

> bright red, as they often do, and I've never known

> whether to put it

> down to the stress and anxiety he is feeling, or is

> there something

> other than his own personality precipitating that

> stress and anxiety,

> i.e. food.

>

>

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

My son has big anxiety issues also--weather related, that can immobilize him.

We also went the Paxil route--but unfortunately, had a very bad

experience--made my son hugely physically and verbally hyper, huge sleep

disruptions, and worse anxiety due to lack of sleep. Lots of kids do really

well on Paxil, but, my son's dr. did admit, after the fact, that

hyperactivity is a frequent side effect because some kids just can't tolerate

it. We are still dealing with the interrupted sleep patterns that became a

habit with the Paxil some 6 weeks after he went off of it.

I'm actually looking into hypnotherapy for my son, to give him positive

strategies to deal with his anxieties. I'll let people know if this is an

alternative.

[Guest guest]

I wondering if you sit down with him and the 2 of you write out a list of fears

surrounding the test taking. You may need to tell him some fears and he may not

be able to articulate them on an individual basis. Once he has written down a

number of fears, then write possible solutions to each fear. Have him keep the

list for reference when the fear strikes him again. Good luck!

Lorelie

[ ] Re: anxiety / irrational fears

> Hi, I've had a dreadful night with my poor son worrying and crying

> about taking his 11 plus exam (NEXT January...). We are used to

> these awful anxiety bouts, he has had them since around age 3, and

he

> is totally irrational and gets a bit " trance like " sometimes when in

> one of these states (maybe every few weeks on average).

I don't see this as irrational. He probably has real fears about

these exams, I would suggest you talk to him about it, after he has

calmed down a little, and see if you can determine a reason.

> I'm feeling a bit despondent because he had Zyme Prime and Peptizide

> before a " lamb, potato and veg " gfcf meal, and no other offending

> foods. However, he did eat some of his sister's bacon, and a piece

> of a gfcf chocolate cake (the chocolate was gfcf too)

Bacon probably has nitrates/nitrites, which enzymes do not help.

Chocolate is high phenol, which most enzymes do not help.

http://www.autismchannel.net/dana/phenol.htm

which we made

> during the evening. He also had a few gooseberries with dairy free

> ice-cream.

Berries are high phenol. It sounds like your child has a phenol

issue.

> Any ideas on main " anxiety provoking " foods?

Phenols, plus yeast issues.

Should the enzymes

help

> with them, or is it all trial and error with each individual?

Trial and error, unfortunately.

Dana

[Guest guest]

Hi, I thought I would respond. My son is also of the anxious, fearful type of

person. He was a little anxious as a small child. However the MMR booster at

age 12 increased his behaviors--that is anxiety and fearfulness. He can't eat

anything with nitrates as that will immediately give him a runny nose, red ears

and make him extremely fearful and withdrawn. He can wake up fearful and

withdrawn the next day after he has had nitrates to eat the day before. We have

him on a gluten-free and casein-free diet to control the extreme constant

anxiety he got right after the MMR booster, and we give him Rescue Remedy when

he has to go out of the house and face people. People make him anxious.

He also has mercury poisoning from the vaccinations of which one of the symptoms

can be extreme fearfulness and anxiety. He is being chelated for mercury

poisoning, and it is starting to help a little with the fearfulness and anxiety.

See mercury files /files/ We are

also giving him a lot of other supplements as it seems the mercury messed up his

mineral transport system and many other systems including his immune system and

limbic system. He is taking the Houston enzymes, but is not taking them all

the time, yet. Rose

[ ] Re: anxiety / irrational fears

Hi, I've had a dreadful night with my poor son worrying and crying

about taking his 11 plus exam (NEXT January...). We are used to

these awful anxiety bouts, he has had them since around age 3, and he

is totally irrational and gets a bit " trance like " sometimes when in

one of these states (maybe every few weeks on average). Obviously we

tell him things like we dont mind if he doesnt want to take the exam,

it doesnt matter how he does, we're not bothered we only want him to

be happy etc. but it doesn't stop his anxious mind. His ears went

bright red, as they often do, and I've never known whether to put it

down to the stress and anxiety he is feeling, or is there something

other than his own personality precipitating that stress and anxiety,

i.e. food.

I'm feeling a bit despondent because he had Zyme Prime and Peptizide

before a " lamb, potato and veg " gfcf meal, and no other offending

foods. However, he did eat some of his sister's bacon, and a piece

of a gfcf chocolate cake (the chocolate was gfcf too) which we made

during the evening. He also had a few gooseberries with dairy free

ice-cream.

His sister (who had a meal of bacon, jkt potato with cheese (planning

on going cf in a couple of weeks, to stagger the removal) broccoli

and baked beans had a bad nightmare last night, to make things

worse. She also had ZP and Peptizide before her meal, and no other

offending foods that I am aware of.

I am wondering whether the bacon, or the chocolate spread on the

cake, could be anything to do with their anxious states - it's just

so hard to know, because we are used to dealing with these behaviours

and always have been.

Any ideas on main " anxiety provoking " foods? Should the enzymes help

with them, or is it all trial and error with each individual?

Exhausted, confused and extremely grateful for any advice

> > Hi list,

> >

> > We have had great success with the Houston enzymes (no gfcf) and

a

> > couple of other supplements. Lots of " happy child effect " and

> other

> > gains.

> >

> > But (didn't you know a " but " was coming???), we are still dealing

> > with some pretty severe irrational fears

>

>

> I don't know if this will help, but I just happened to be reading

it

> last night, and got your post today, so I'll pass the info along.

>

> " Sodium lactate, a substance added to many meat products,

> precipitates panic attacks in susceptible individuals. When sodium

> lactate is given intravenously, adrenal hormone levels are

> increased. Whether or not these high cortisone levels induce the

> panic attacks in unknown.

>

> In a study patients who were diagnosed with multiple chemical

> sensitivity syndrome (symptoms typical of panic disorders, chest

> tightness, shortness of breath, palpitations, paresthesias

[abnormal

> touch sensation in the absence of touch, such as tingling or

> burning], light-headedness, and mental confusion) were given either

a

> normal saline solution placebo or an infusion of sodium lactate,

> which is know to produce symptoms of panic disorders. Every

patient

> who received the sodium lactate infusion experienced a panic attack.

>

> Only the chemists at Mayer know how much sodium lactate is in

a

> box of Lunchables or other processed foods. Amounts of additives

are

> not listed on the label, so it is difficult to determine if the

> children or adults experiencing recurring panic attacks are

actually

> responding to levels of sodium lactate in the food. "

>

> ( " The Crazy Makers: How the Food Industry is Destroying Our Brains

> and Harming Our Children " , by Carol Simontacchi, pg. 119)

>

> Hope this helps!

>

> Carolyn