Nervous child?

[Mel1981 11]

Hello all,

Has anyone had a child that gets stomach aches maybe when getting nervous? My 7 year old son seems to have an attachment issue and gets stomach aches near the belly button but seems to be when we have to leave the room or when he thinks of something that makes him uneasy or nervous.

[Ironman 72]

8 hours ago, Mel1981 said:

Hello all,

Has anyone had a child that gets stomach aches maybe when getting nervous? My 7 year old son seems to have an attachment issue and gets stomach aches near the belly button but seems to be when we have to leave the room or when he thinks of something that makes him uneasy or nervous.

Separation anxiety.  That would take some CBT.  You would need to find out what is making him so nervous - the triggers.  Then reassure him that things will be okay. 

Then, work on times of separation - start short, then build.  He knows you are coming back; it just needs to be worked on.

[Mel1981 11]

19 hours ago, Ironman said:

Separation anxiety.  That would take some CBT.  You would need to find out what is making him so nervous - the triggers.  Then reassure him that things will be okay. 

Then, work on times of separation - start short, then build.  He knows you are coming back; it just needs to be worked on.

Thanks Ironman.  I'm trying to narrow down if it's only when we aren't around.  He doesn't seem to complain about it when he's busy doing something like playing outside.

[jonathan123 2359]

 Hi. Mel. As a child I had this problem. If anything came up that I did not want to do or that upset me I got stomach ache. It was an excuse not to go to school or do something that  I  could get out of if I was ill. It was real stomach ache and not just put on. My mother fell for it every time, and I lost a lot of schooling that way. She should have insisted I go to school or whatever to make me realise that these things in life have to be faced. Even now I get stomach twinges if something comes up that I find difficult. The mind stores so many memories, most of which we would rather forget. When your child's mind is occupied with things he wants  to do he forgets all about being separated. Ironman is right. You need to slowly build his confidence in himself. 

[Mel1981 11]

6 hours ago, jonathan123 said:

 Hi. Mel. As a child I had this problem. If anything came up that I did not want to do or that upset me I got stomach ache. It was an excuse not to go to school or do something that  I  could get out of if I was ill. It was real stomach ache and not just put on. My mother fell for it every time, and I lost a lot of schooling that way. She should have insisted I go to school or whatever to make me realise that these things in life have to be faced. Even now I get stomach twinges if something comes up that I find difficult. The mind stores so many memories, most of which we would rather forget. When your child's mind is occupied with things he wants  to do he forgets all about being separated. Ironman is right. You need to slowly build his confidence in himself. 

Thanks Jonathan. He tells me he's not thinking about anything sometimes when it happens but I'm betting he is. 

[MotherOfMaya 15]

I also had separation anxiety as a child. I distinctly remember my mother, who was an RN, leaving to do the overnight shift and I would have a meltdown. I cannot quite remember how old I was at the time but it was intense and neither my mom nor dad knew how to help me. By chance, has your son been doing school remotely and now has to return to the school for in-person learning? I think a lot of kids are having difficulty with this transition.