Dr. Kathe Josephine Hift, PHD

That's a very good question. Psychoanalysis would be a very good type of therapy for you. Bad dreams can be very upsetting in themselves, but what's really important about bad dreams is that they tell us that something is going on inside us that is upsetting us. Very often it's not easy to know why we're having bad dreams because what's causing them isn't something that we're consciously aware of. In other words, it's something unconscious that's bothering us. That's why psychoanalysis is particularly useful as a type of therapy that is designed to help a patient understand unconscious processes including dreams. By understanding the underlying conflicts or traumas that are causing the bad dreams a patient is able to gain insight into her emotional life and work through the conflicts that are causing her emotional distress.

Kathe Hift, PhD

It sounds like a terrible feeling. It is puzzling that you can't link it to any recent event. It might help to ask yourself what you're afraid will happen if you drive. The sudden fear may be linked to something that's come up in your life around a fear of loss or some kind of fear of loss of control. Sometimes these things can be triggered by unconscious fears. it could be very helpful to go to a therapist to talk about your fears of driving so that you can understand what's triggering the fear which probably has nothing to do with driving per se. Getting at the underlying issue that's causing your fear of driving would probably be very helpful.

I would also try to see if there was any calming music that you could play in the car or whether listening to something
would distract you from the anxiety.

I would definitely take him to a child psychologist. Unfortunately, sometimes medical procedures can traumatize children.

One thing I have found is helpful to children after they undergo cardiac catheterizations is to ask them if they could write and illustrate a book so that other children would know exactly what it would be like. It helps to make a passive, helpless experience into a more active experience.

I think that your son is telling you that he's unhappy if he's saying that he's feeling nervous all the time. As a mom, all you can do is to try to explore what is making him feel nervous. If it was a specific thing, then you could try to correct his perception or intervene in some way. Often children can't tell you what is making them nervous so it is helpful to bring them to a child psychologist who has special training in helping children to talk and play out their internal concerns. In terms of his attentional difficulties, it could help you to consult with a psychologist to determine the nature of his difficulty paying attention and following directions. I would not assume that he necessarily needs counseling, but I would suggest that you bring him for a consultation so that a psychologist could determine the nature of his difficulties. A well trained child therapist will be able to tell you whether your son needs individual therapy or whether he could be best helped just by providing you with some support and guidance about how to help your son.