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Child Behavior (Expert Forum)
Child scratches self
Answered by
Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D. - Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy, Family Therapy, Crisis Intervention
Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates
This forum is for questions and support regarding child behavior issues such: Child Discipline (behavior management), Normal Child Development, Parent-Child Communications, Social Development
Child scratches self
by james f, Apr 03, 2007 12:00AM
I am worried about my 7 year old daughter. I would describe her as sometimes anxious, high strung, and always worried. For example, when she got a splinter in her foot, she screamed and cried at the top of her voice. We tried to tell her it was no big deal, and it could easily be fixed if we could examine her foot. She continued to scream, but would not allow anyone with tweezers near her. I tried holding her while my wife examined her foot, but she only screamed and kicked more. She kept asking, "will I die?" I tend to lose my patience easily, so I told her if she wouldn't let me examine her foot, I couldn't help her. Of course this only made her scream more. Eventually, it was determined that if there was a splinter, it had come out on its own. Yesterday, her teacher told my wife and I that she will scratch herself when she doesn't know the answers in her school work. We have never pressured her to be perfect in her school work, but she seems to think something bad will happen if she makes a mistake. What should we do?
James F
James F
Doctor's Answer
by Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D., Apr 04, 2007 12:00AM
, Apr 04, 2007 12:00AM
I often refer to such children as 'anxious worriers'. Now, some children come into the world with this temperament. They are not displaying emotional disturbance, but rather a basline temperament given to nervousness. You can read about such children in Stanley Greenspan's book THE CHALLENGING CHILD. On the other hand, it could be that your daughter is displaying an anxiety disorder (likely Generalized Anxiety Disorder). It wouldn't hurt to have her evaluated, and at the very least you and the clinician can collaborate re: tactics to help your daughter manage her anxiety.
