anxiety, twitching, very worried

DinkyDooDinkyDoo Posts: 3,588
Forum Member
✭✭✭
My daughter is 16 and has been sleeping badly for months, she developed a slight twitch a few months ago at night, our gp didn't seem overly concerned. Ive had her at the gp early lasy month because she was feeling very low, was tearful and still not sleeping well. As a result we are waiting for a assessment appointment at the local clinic that deals with these issues.

Im now worried because he twitches are getting very frequent, day and night and they are very noticeable,and shes now started making noises as well as the twitching.

Shes starts her GCSEs in a little over 2 weeks and i know shes feeling under alot of pressure to do well (from school not me and her dad)

I am taking her back to the gp asap, but wanted to know if what I've posted sounds like just anxiety? Ive no idea how to help her :(

Comments

  • InspirationInspiration Posts: 62,694
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    Make sure you make a little log of when it's happening etc so you can inform the doctor. They'll then be able to advise and do any tests required. Try not to worry. Let the GP do their thing.. just make sure they know how often it's happening and what's happening.
  • Frankie_LittleFrankie_Little Posts: 9,271
    Forum Member
    Oh the poor girl. It probably is just anxiety, she's got a lot on her plate. As Inspiration suggests, keep a diary. Note what happens, and when, and if there's a trigger. I hope you get some reassurance from the GP and I also hope your girl aces her exams and is able to have a chilled summer.
  • RellyRelly Posts: 3,469
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    I really don't know much about this sort of thing, but I wanted to wish you and her well.

    Do you know if it happens to her outside the house, or just around you/at home? I ask because I did a bit of reading, and if a child does this at home (nowhere else) then it's apparently a sign she feels safe and able to relax with you.

    Maybe you could ask your GP to bring forward the appointment for her. GCSEs are a terribly stressful time for kids, and if you can get her some help sooner then it can't hurt, eh?

    This is one of the sites I found:

    http://www.handsonscotland.co.uk/topics/unusual/tic.html

    Good luck. x
  • steveh31steveh31 Posts: 13,516
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    Make sure you make a little log of when it's happening etc so you can inform the doctor. They'll then be able to advise and do any tests required. Try not to worry. Let the GP do their thing.. just make sure they know how often it's happening and what's happening.

    Anxiety can have many many symptoms the brain just trying to get the attention unfortunately it maybe something that only settles after the exams are over.
  • fadedfaded Posts: 2,858
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    May be an awful thing to consider but is there any possibility she's being bullied? Or possible trouble with her friends?

    Wish you both luck, sounds like she has a very supportive family so I'm sure she will be fine
  • DinkyDooDinkyDoo Posts: 3,588
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Thank you,

    Shes not being bullied,that was the first thing i spoke to her about. Nothing is going on outside of school or home, she is either at home or at her boyfriends. school are putting all the kids under alot of pressure, shes been told its because the last group to take the gcses did quite badly and school want a better result this year.

    Im also worried she will get booted out of a exam for twitching and making noises....

    This is happening all the time, at school, at home, when shes out with her boyfriend (shes hit him while twitching a few times poor lad) i picked her up and she was doing it in the car.

    Will see what the gp says.
  • Toby LaRhoneToby LaRhone Posts: 12,916
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    Relly wrote: »
    I really don't know much about this sort of thing, but I wanted to wish you and her well.
    Do you know if it happens to her outside the house, or just around you/at home? I ask because I did a bit of reading, and if a child does this at home (nowhere else) then it's apparently a sign she feels safe and able to relax with you.
    Am I reading this right?
    If she twitches and makes odd sounds only when at home, but acts normally outside the home, and can't sleep at night, it's a sign she's safe and relaxed?
  • miss_astridmiss_astrid Posts: 1,808
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    First thing that came to my mind when I read this was Tourette's Syndrome, however, I know very little about TS (only what I've read on the NHS websites), and obviously I am no doctor.

    I just wanted to say I wish you and your daughter well, and hopefully you get to the bottom of this.
  • Toby LaRhoneToby LaRhone Posts: 12,916
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    First thing that came to my mind when I read this was Tourette's Syndrome, however, I know very little about TS (only what I've read on the NHS websites), and obviously I am no doctor.

    I just wanted to say I wish you and your daughter well, and hopefully you get to the bottom of this.
    Again, don't seek medical advice on a "chat" forum.
    GP.
  • RellyRelly Posts: 3,469
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Am I reading this right?
    If she twitches and makes odd sounds only when at home, but acts normally outside the home, and can't sleep at night, it's a sign she's safe and relaxed?

    Again, don't seek medical advice on a "chat" forum.
    GP.

    If you'd read the OP, you'd have noticed that DinkyDoo wondered if the symptoms sounded like anxiety. You'd also notice that both myself and miss_astrid gave the disclaimer that we weren't experts, and I suggested she tries to bring the assessment forward.

    If you'd read the link I posted, you'd see why I mentioned about the child only having the symptoms at home in a relaxed environment. It also offers a bit of comfort for the parent.

    Rather than jump all over people who try to help (albeit in a limited way), why not offer a bit of comfort yourself to a person who's obviously worried about her child; a parent who's already going down the route of medical help?
  • DinkyDooDinkyDoo Posts: 3,588
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Again, don't seek medical advice on a "chat" forum.
    GP.

    I wasn't seeking medical advice from a forum, i was asking a question.

    Im at the doctors shortly with my daughter, the gp has already said that she suffers with anxiety and is referring her on to a clinc, im sure plenty of people do suffer with anxiety and may have had similar twitches.
  • frisky pythonfrisky python Posts: 9,737
    Forum Member
    Hope the GP appt went ok DinkyDoo. I would let the school know what is happening and ask what they can do to help in the school environment. Also raise the issue about her twitching and your worries about what it will mean if she does so in her exams. Does the school have a counsellor on site you can talk to?

    Other things you can do to help is helping her calm her breathing (deep slow breath in through the nose, and slow breath out through the mouth). Also Lavender is supposed to help relax (you can get a roll-on lavender perfume for the wrists), then some people swear by Rescue Remedy too. Also exercise is a good stress/anxiety reliever too, just dancing around to some music at home may help if she doesn't want to do much else.
  • Seamus SweeneySeamus Sweeney Posts: 3,997
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Again, don't seek medical advice on a "chat" forum.
    GP.

    The OP seems sufficiently intelligent to deduce your pearl of wisdom out herself.

    It annoys me when people post patronising comments like this, knowing full well that an OP is merely seeking to extend the range of understanding, and to see what others have to say, experiences there are..and sometimes left of field thoughts/ideas that give a poster pause for thought.

    Plus when worried, and maybe wanting to talk about something..even if just to recount circumstances..it can be nice to involve yourself in a community where others show interest and support. The OP said in her very first post she was taking her daughter back to the GP asap.
Sign In or Register to comment.