Temper Tantrums, Panic Attacks

Updated on June 24, 2010
W.C. asks from Greensboro, NC
5 answers

I am looking for suggestions - where to go next: I am trying to have my 6 yr old son seen for an initial evaluation with a child psychologist covered under my health plan. Here are the "symptoms" which by the way came on suddenly after a child threw up near him in the classroom. He will not ride the bus, cries, can not be reasoned with, when I carpool him, his teacher meets me and she has to pull him out of the car, although he settles down after about 10 minutes. He dreams of vomit, complains he isn't hungry in the morning. complains of stomach pains and lately has had a 100% personality change from a mild, sweet happy child to a terror - he is throwing temper tantrums, kicking screaming, hitting if he doesn't get his way. He is hitting his older sister etc. Okay, those are the symptom highlights - now the child psychologist left me a voicemail and said,"I can not help you because your insurance company is asking for too much paperwork for the initial evaluation. No practicioner could be expected to perform all this testing in 1 session and by the way, I'm sure it will be diagnosed as panic disorder, go see xyz and pay out of pocket $60 / session." Where should I go from here, surely others have experienced this and have a way to work around the system?

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K.D.

answers from Raleigh on

I wanted to recommend EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique). It is a tapping technique that taps on acupressure points.

There is a free manual at www.emofree.com and you can get a free cheatsheet at www.tapping.com . This website also has a free manual - http://www.schoolmademucheasier.com/ . Here are some more basic instructions - http://www.thrivingnow.com/for/Health/basic-eft/ and a diagram - http://www.thrivingnow.com/for/Health/eft-tapping-points/ . It is very easy to learn and use on children.

Here is a bedtime routine that you can do:

http://www.eftuniverse.com/index.php?option=com_content&a...

Here is a case where they resolved a fear of vomiting:

http://www.eftuniverse.com/index.php?option=com_content&a...

Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful
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M.R.

answers from Columbus on

I would suggest that you find another professional. Also check into a psychiatrist instead of a psycholgist. A psycholgist is not going to be able to give you a diagnosis, he has a medical issue if it is panic disorder or anxiety, and you need a medical doctor. I am baffled at this person being willing to do "all that testing" for $60 out of pocket too, and this is not the kind of individual you want to see if they are not willing to do the job for the negotiated inusurance price.

A psycholgist is a good choice for talk therapy once your son has a diagnosis, if that is the treatment plan. There are plenty of pschologists and psychiatrists out there who will probably be happy to work with your insurance company or work with you to find a way to get help for your son. I would look for someone else.

M.

1 mom found this helpful
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E.M.

answers from Louisville on

is he only acting like this when he goes to school or is he like this with say a baby sitter or friend too? i would try it out if not, just to see if he reacts this way to leaving you or going to school. if hes just acting like this when going to school somethings not right. talk to his ped. about this and they can help you find a therapist. you can also try calling your insurance company or going to their website and they should have a list of providers. hope this helps and good luck!

D.B.

answers from Memphis on

May I ask if there have been other thins you've noticed like OCD tendencies or sensitivity to lights, noise or crowded rooms? The reason I ask is when our 12yo son hit 10 he did a lot of what you're describing. He would scream at all of us, unplug everything if he got mad, throw things at us, yell that he hated his sister, but he was also obsessed with going to Target, Star Wars Legos. He threatened to take our Garmin and walk from TN to TX to live with his big brother. He questioned if we were his parents!! He also got to where he couldn't be in a crowded room, noisy room or with too much light. Last July he was diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome and so many questions were finally answered. BTW, a pediatric neurologist is who diagnosed our son. They will work with your childs school also to help them get answers to what he's going through.

Best of luck to you. I know how exhausting this can be and how you may feel like you're a failure as a parent. After all, our son is our 5th child & he has been so different than any of the others. He made me realize I didn't have all the answers I thought I did but helped me to ask questions I didn't think I'd ever have to. I wouldn't trade my life for anything despite all the strife.

L.B.

answers from New York on

Call you insurance company and ask for a referral for the name of several pediatric psychiatrist that are in network. Then call and get an appointment.
That will solve the paperwork problem because the psychiatrist's office will already be familiar with the insurance company's policy and procedure. It is easier to get coverage for a psychiatrist than a psycologist. Alot of psycologist don't accept insurance anymore, or are not willing to do the paperwork because they work out of small offices that do not have the money or staff to do the paperwork.

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