Hi all, hope your day has been kind to you and someone or something gave you a reason to smile,😀

Ours has been very good, Niki was selected to be student rep she loves this and is talking about how it will help to have that on her resume. She had her first GCSE maths lesson today and she said it was ok. This is the subject that she has missed out on the most always used to be one of her strongest before diagnosis.

Jake had his ear crystal test done at physio today and we now have more excersize’s to do as well as a new one for the dizziness, we have to perform the Epley manouver 3*a day.

Not to hard for him to do with help. Jake’s hips need more work to build up so hopefully his inturned foot and leg will slowly stop happening once this area gets stronger, that could me less falls in the long run.

I got to sit and have lunch with my hubby Nik and watch a movie so that was relaxing trying to keep my mind calm and centered so I can remember what I need to say a Ehcp meeting Thursday.

Today I want to share a little of how my kids anxiety can present itself,

When we talk about anxiety and the panic attacks which can be hard on them both mentally and physically,

We often forget about talking about the quiter symptoms that others might not actually pick up as anxiety.

The staring into space, the clenching of hands, the hair pulling Niki used to pull the front of her hair out this we didn’t know was cause by her anxiety before but as we learnt more about her anxiety we come to look back on quite, tell tale signs we may have missed before Niki has the unfortunate extra diagnosis of tourettes which really does highten during the anxiety. She had an inability to talk when they were very bad, they both can’t tollorate noise at time or being spoken to because they are trying to keep Thier control.

Niki gets really hunger at high anxiety moments so having something sugary near by helps the feeling she gets in her tummy, braking pencils , pencils in the leg was one thing Jake did, not having anyone touch you during a panic is another thing. The inability to follow instruction is not ignoring a request but simply that they are metaphorically speaking glued to the spot. Hiding in tight spaces, being loud to drown out notice they feel intolerant to at the time, fast heart beats, sweating fainting in ability to catch a breath, self harmna big worry during these times we kind of talked openly with the children about this because not talking about it is pretty dangerous. For Niki we brought washable markers, and much to everyone’s dismay t that being on her arms it saved her from perminant scars, I don’t regret giving her an alternative how ever many times we were brought up how she looked.

They both have a need of tight spaces Jake climbed in to boot of car whilst his school anxiety was bad, or the foot well of the car, under a table .

Niki it was bins or cupboards or toilets, being the only girl in the communication unit ment she was feeling safest there they both message me when it is bad and could communicate Thier needs to Thier support workers or teachers.

anxiety is wripping paper in to tiny pieces, it’s needing sensory input sometimes and not wanting it others.

It is wanting to get out but not moving . It’s the shakes, the emotions chopping and changing it can last minutes days,weeks or months or week without,

My kids are able to use techniques now but the anxiety is always there,

It’s worrying something bad is going to happen,or generally not feeling safe, it is seeing someone you have argued with or someone who has hurt you .

Jake couldn’t stop washing his hands at one point, he wouldn’t come in the house when we had scaffolding put up because the anxiety of walking near it or under it that day his dad had to come out and carry him in.

This is just a few of the ways the kids anxiety has shown,

Maybe by talking and sharing these little signs it brings understanding to displayed behaviours for others who are not trained in anxiety disorders.

It is seeing and hearing what is going on around you in a heightened way and then forgetting everything after maybe it’s the Brian’s way of protecting itself .

That’s all for today

Have a beautiful evening

Much love

Faye xx