Bad Wishes/Thoughts.

[Sophm88]

Hi all,

A bit stuck with where to turn. My 6 year old has started coming out with saying she's having bad wishes. She gets really upset and says things like she wished all the oxygen was gone and we were all going to die. I've tried reassuring her and telling her to think of nice things but nothing seems to be working! I don't know what to do!

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[BunnyN]

Its good to encourage her to think about good things but I'd say its important to let her talk about how she is feeling too. Maybe ask her why she feels like that and what gave her the ideas, if it was something someone told her or something she saw. Try and see if she is really wishing bad things will happen or prehaps its more that she keeps thinking about them and is afraid they could happen.

Could she be getting the ideas from watching TV? Maybe e careful about what she sees for a while. DD is really sensitive to what she sees on TV.

 

[Sophm88]

Thanks Bunny, she has said she needs to tell us the wishes otherwise they will come true. I am limiting what she watches on TV but it still seems to happen. Every so often she'll say she has a really good wish and is so happy bless her.

I think I'll tak your advice and try and see if she'll say what made her think these things to see if there is anything I can prevent. It's heart breaking she's so upset by it!

 

[Lady_Bee]

Is it possible they are not wishes exactly but intrusive thoughts? Just an idea as when I was little I used to get horrible intrusive thoughts when I was anxious. Sometimes they were really upsetting like I would picture my little brother getting run over by a car or my dad falling off a cliff and stuff like that. Heck even now as an adult I get these sorts of intrusive thoughts sometimes and it's horrid when you can't stop it.

ETA if this is what she's experiencing, I have no idea how she could stop it. It's not so easy just to think nice thoughts! I would have to distract myself by doing something totally different but when the intrusive thoughts came at bedtime or when I had nothing to distract it was unbearable.

 

[suzib76]

Start keeping a diary of everything and always encourage her to tell you things. That way you may be able to pinpoint these thoughts with something in her day to day stuff, sounds like of course if there was something you would know, but often it's not until we write things down hat they became clear. Once you have more info you could go to your GP if it's something that is looking like you need more help with

 

[Sophm88]

Thanks everyone! It does seem to be worse at night, she's just getting worse as the day goes on - I've counted 24 bad wishes since she's woken up! I'm trying to distract her etc but nothing seems to be helping! I think keeping a diary would be a good idea to see if there is anything that I am not pin pointing and if it carries on maybe I'm beat to take her to the doctor! it's horrible that I can help her!