Daughter having intrusive thoughts
My daughter is 6 and recently she has been having intrusive thoughts and feels scared. This happens especially at night. She always wants to sleep with me but I try not to do that because then she will get used to it and never want to sleep in her own bed, she says she feels safe with me in my room which I am glad about but I tell her she’s a big girl and needs to sleep in her own bed. I let her sleep with me the night after she sleeps over her grandmas house. But things have been so hard lately. I still lay with her to fall asleep but even with me laying with her she says she feels scared and tells me about intrusive thoughts she has like she’s going to die or I’m going to die. She worries if she accidentally ate something like a staple if she used it for crafts or other things. I reassure her as much as I can that she is safe, she didn’t swallow anything, and she isn’t going to die and that mommy is okay too. The other night she told me she had a thought that her mind is telling her she “wasn’t supposed to be in this world” it broke my heart. I told her she was meant to be here and this world is so much better with her in it. Getting her to sleep is such a challenge. We read her book, I lay with her and play her soothing music but I say everything possible to help her cope with her thoughts like naming her bad thoughts as a bully and gave it a name so she can say “be quiet (insert made up name here) and “you are wrong (say name here). I saw it online and that it can help. I just want to give her relief. And I get so tired putting her to sleep and dread the things I have to do when she finally goes to sleep. Mental illness runs in my family so unfortunately I think she might be struggling with ocd or anxiety. I am diagnosed bipolar and have horrible anxiety constantly. I also tell her she isn’t alone and that everyone has negative thoughts sometimes. Sorry this is a long post but any advice or people who have been through similar things would help greatly. I’m trying not to get to worried but I don’t know what else to do.