Hi Anu, I'm a guest faculty working at a government educational institute.
I have a son who will be 5 years on August 13.
He is very active, smart and kind.
Recently I have noticed him crying and scared of death- Thanatophobia.
Every day in the evening he will start crying thinking the world will end. He will die or me and his Dad will die.
I explained him quiet spiritually that no death can come shiva will protect us. But he is not satisfied.
This particular behaviour of him has started since his school started.
Is this separation anxiety. Please help me how do I make him lead a normal life as he used to be?
Ans: Dear NS,
When did this exactly start after he started school?
It helps to go back to that point in time to when this first started to affect him.
Was there a death in the family? A movie that he watched? A story that was narrated to him? Someone in the school shared some content that is frightening?
It is unlikely that he might suddenly have this kind of a fearful reaction.
To assess if this is separation anxiety will require a detailed understanding of his situation.
Children that age as your son can extrapolate one story into another and weave a new story that might have never happened.
Their imagination can take on new dimensions. It will be worth the effort talking to his teachers and the school counsellor.
My suggestion to you is to gather all this information and go to a professional who can handle this.
Is this necessary? YES, as they are trained to deal with fears and panic.
This will help him release these unwanted feelings and breathe easy. Wait no longer.
Till then, surround him with much love and support him by reassuring him that his family loves him no matter what.
All the best!
