I'm going crazy. My 8 year-old girl has begun to chew the corners of her little fingers down so far, that they're almost bleeding. She's also seemed to have developed this nervous habit of wiping the inside corners of her eyes, as if there's something there. She also closes her eyes real tight and then twitches her nose. I don't know what to do!

My husband has been having a number of health issues that we haven't fully explained to our daughter. She knows somethings up, but not everthing. In August my husband was in detox for a week and she was so upset having him out of the house. So I know that's a stress. But she also doesn't really understand what's going on. So when she hears "sick" her little mind just runs with it. For instance, she'll keep herself up at night crying because Daddy smokes and he's going to die from cancer. I pray with her, explain that even though Daddy smokes that doesn't mean he's going to die. And although we're all going to die at some point, that doesn't mean tonight.

She's very chatty, so she's always talking to us. But I'm wondering if she needs to speak to a counselor or something.

Any ideas? Anyone have any experience with this?

Thanks!


~Lynn~

I think your daughter is finding her own ways to cope with the stresses she is sensing at home. Is there any way that you could talk to her and give her a little more information about what is going on? Kids fear what they don't know or don't understand and assume the worst. It would really help her out a lot to know exactly what is going on (in a way she will understand) and let her ask you questions about it. If this doesn't help maybe it would also help to have her talk to someone else about it.