The past several weeks have been a series of ups and downs where Monster Man is concerned. School starts this coming Thursday. For Monster Man, that doesn't just mean a new school year; it also means a new school. Monster Man will be moving up to middle school this year.
At the end of last school year, he was so excited about the new opportunities that lay ahead. He was eager to join the band, attend after school clubs, and go to his first school dance. Most of all, he was looking forward to having a locker. Middle school would be filled with exciting changes!
Then the anxiety hit. Kids in middle school can be mean, as Angel Baby so nicely informed him. Middle school comes with more responsibility, and he suddenly realized that the school work would get harder too. Just the thought of harder work alone was enough to bring Monster Man to tears. He began to have panic attacks at the mention of middle school and the start of a new school year.
I was in between a rock and a hard place. On one hand, I wanted to be able to stay at home and homeschool Monster Man again. I wanted to be able to hold him back and protect him from all the things he found so frightening. On the other hand, I knew that sheltering him from the things that scared him wouldn't help prepare him for the future. I also knew that my own busy school schedule wouldn't allow me to be home to homeschool him.
Just when I was about to give up my own classes to stay home with him, he decided he was excited again. Over the past couple of weeks, Monster Man has continued to go back and forth on the issue. One day, he's excited about going to school. The next, he's back to being scared. His backpack is packed and ready to go now. We meet his teachers Tuesday night. Thursday morning, I hope to be able to get him on the bus without his anxiety building up too much. If it comes down to it, I will drive him to school to give him more time to calm his nerves.
I am sure he will be fine. I can't wait for Thursday to get here so I can hear how his first day of middle school goes!
Showing posts with label panic attacks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label panic attacks. Show all posts
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Panic Attack!
I knew anxiety pretty much goes hand-in-hand with Tourette Syndrome, but it still didn't prepare me for the major scare that Monster Man gave me Tuesday morning. It was early in the morning. Little Man was playing the Wii and Angel Baby was still asleep. I was taking advantage of the quiet, lazy morning. I sat on the couch, working on my computer, doing the first required assignments for my online classes, which were due to start the next morning (I like to get ahead as much as possible). When Monster Man woke up, he came downstairs and curled up next to me on the couch, his head resting on my shoulder.
Within a few minutes of walking down the stairs, he started shaking uncontrollably. He balled up almost in the fetal position, still keeping his head on my shoulder while bringing his knees to his chest. He continued to shake like that, gasping every few minutes. When I asked him what was wrong, he said he didn't know. All he did know was that he didn't feel right and that he was struggling to breath.
He'd been experiencing some problems with anxiety the night before, so I figured the whole episode was anxiety related. I had him breath deep, having him copy my examples in an effort to calm him down. I considered calling his pediatrician, but I knew if I was advised to bring him in that he would never let me get him in the car and drive him there. He wanted me to hold him, to reassure him that he'd be okay. Instead of getting up to make the call, I decided to continue the breathing exercises with him, all the while running my fingers through his hair and keeping one arm wrapped around him. After what seemed to me like forever but was probably only a matter of minutes, he fell asleep in my arms. He stayed there, sleeping in my arms, for about 15 minutes before he woke up feeling a lot better but still exhausted.
In asking for advice, I discovered that panic attacks are not uncommon in those with Tourette Syndrome. I also found out that his behavior during the attack was pretty typical for those who have experienced them or have children who have experienced them. It was a huge relief to find out that this was just another normal part of the TS, and that he isn't (as he started worrying after he had it) 'going mad'. He's had two more panic attacks start to appear since then, but he has been able to control them with breathing and prayer before they got as bad as that first attack. If he ever has another bad one, I've received some good tips on how to handle them: deep breathing, warm showers, massages, and distraction techniques.
Within a few minutes of walking down the stairs, he started shaking uncontrollably. He balled up almost in the fetal position, still keeping his head on my shoulder while bringing his knees to his chest. He continued to shake like that, gasping every few minutes. When I asked him what was wrong, he said he didn't know. All he did know was that he didn't feel right and that he was struggling to breath.
He'd been experiencing some problems with anxiety the night before, so I figured the whole episode was anxiety related. I had him breath deep, having him copy my examples in an effort to calm him down. I considered calling his pediatrician, but I knew if I was advised to bring him in that he would never let me get him in the car and drive him there. He wanted me to hold him, to reassure him that he'd be okay. Instead of getting up to make the call, I decided to continue the breathing exercises with him, all the while running my fingers through his hair and keeping one arm wrapped around him. After what seemed to me like forever but was probably only a matter of minutes, he fell asleep in my arms. He stayed there, sleeping in my arms, for about 15 minutes before he woke up feeling a lot better but still exhausted.
In asking for advice, I discovered that panic attacks are not uncommon in those with Tourette Syndrome. I also found out that his behavior during the attack was pretty typical for those who have experienced them or have children who have experienced them. It was a huge relief to find out that this was just another normal part of the TS, and that he isn't (as he started worrying after he had it) 'going mad'. He's had two more panic attacks start to appear since then, but he has been able to control them with breathing and prayer before they got as bad as that first attack. If he ever has another bad one, I've received some good tips on how to handle them: deep breathing, warm showers, massages, and distraction techniques.
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