7 year old talking about death and doing dangerous things

[Anonymous]

Not sure what is happening with my sweet, very sensitive and smart 7 year old girl......

A few weeks ago she saw a newspaper headline about someone who was killed in a car accident. A baby died in a book we were reading together (set a long time ago). I also think kids at school are talking about scary/spooky things, war and who knows what else. My daughter is now very weepy and has had dreams about herself and my husband dying. Every day she is talking about death and dying. She talks about not wanting to die, talks about me dying before her, asks what happens when people die, etc. I constantly reassure her that most people don't die until they are very old. I checked with her teacher if she is doing ok at school, and she is.

In addition, I'm not sure if this is related, but she has also started saying things like sometimes she feels like sticking her finger in an outlet, putting a plastic bag over her head, chewing on her fingers to make them bleed. She is a very sensible girl and I really don't think that she would actually do something to harm herself but it is disturbing to hear her say these things.

She is so ready for summer break. I'm hoping this phase will pass when it comes. In the meantime, please let me know if you have any advice. I'm struggling here!

[Anonymous]

This is scary, but it is a form of OCD/intrusive thoughts. The fact that thinking about these things upsets her is a way to know that she would not actually do them. Everyone has intrusive thoughts but most people are able to dismiss them without much thought. Some kids just get stuck on them.

Here is a good article: http://www.worrywisekids.org/node/120

One of my kids has this. She started talking about suicide and being afraid she would hurt herself and she was terrified. Also about bad or violent things happening or the rest of us. We have had huge success with cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety (OCD is a form of anxiety). It took several tries to get a therapist that really helped though. She also takes anxiety medication which was the only way she would even begin to use the skills she was learning in therapy. (I wouldn't start there, but it was the combination that worked for is.)

I don't think it will go away on its own. Her baseline anxiety might be lower when schools out which will help but in our case, it can get really bad too which has resulted in severe panic attacks. It's tough to come back from that point even with medication.

[Anonymous]

Normal in our home but we have had significant losses and visit a nursing home regularly to see a relative, so she gets what is going to happen.

[Anonymous]

Oh.. not normal is having a plan.. that would concern me. Talk to your ped and get a therapy referral to watch it.

[Anonymous]

Thank you so much for the responses. That is such a helpful article 00:11. Thank you so much for including it.

[Anonymous]

Most kids go through a phase of realizing everyone dies, and being freaked out by it.

Her saying she wants to put a bag over her head or electrocute herself is NOT normal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most kids go through a phase of realizing everyone dies, and being freaked out by it.

Her saying she wants to put a bag over her head or electrocute herself is NOT normal.

This. I have a 7 DD and she has been talking about death lately, especially me (mom) dying and what happens when she dies, if she can still see her family and so on. But she has never ever talked about putting a bag on her head or killing herself in some manner, that would freak me out a lot.