7 year old scared of things but not the usual things

[73krissy]

My 7 year old has become scared of everything.  she goes to sleep fine etc. but any kids movies, swimming lessons (which she loves to swim) trying new things she cries and cried about.  She has an identical twin sister too.  She has been having nightmares more lately but handles them well.  she wants to be home with me all the time.  She is involed but doesn't want to be, this one I kind of force, i.e. soccer, daisies. Help!

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

She displays an anxiety disorder (likely an obsessive-type obsessive-compulsive disorder) and this requires treatment. Arrange an evaluation with a child psychiatrist.

[73krissy]

The anxiety has gotten worse but I wouldn't say there was a sudden onset.  If she has done something wrong she will fester about it for weeks, she still brings up the time her seatbelt didn't slick, that was 2 years ago.  She made my tell our neighbor who is a police officer about it.  We noticed it kind of started with her twin sister becoming more popular and the kids at school liking her more (this is what she thinks not neccessarily true).  She pulls a lot of the you love sister more then me etc.  What should i do about her anxiety?

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

Sudden onset of anxiety is generally due to some upsetting event or trauma (vs more chronic anxiety that usually does not have a precipitant). Have you noticed anything that may have prompted the anxiety? Or is it more of an exacerbation of an anxiety that has persisted for quite a while?