Ugh, what a lot of stuff dumped on you all at once. I like your list of the Good Things, though. It always helps to look at the bright side, and all that. Thank goodness for the Ramona books. I read them still when I need a pick-me-up.

Take care.

What exactly is he worried about? I remember bieng 9 and laying in bed for LONG time before I could get to sleep, worrying about my parents, worrying about the house burning down, about school, about riding the bus... so on and so on.

Oh, I totally understand the worrying thing... I think it's genetic. My parents and my brother are all the same way. When I run out of sensible things to worry about, I start worrying about moths getting into my wool, or whether I've read enough books this month.

My current antidote to late-night worrying is praying for other people, to get the focus off myself. So hey, I'll pray about the stuff you're worrying about for you. :-)

I just wrote you an email asking you what was wrong when I could have just read this. Everytime I am going through my anxiety issues like you are (and of course, we all lead different lives so anxiety will be different for everyone) you always tell me to read the bible, talk to people of faith, and have faith myself that it will all blow over. I think the moment we start to panic, we lose our slip on God and it has a sort of dominoe effect and everything tumbles down around us. It is SO EASY to do, too. But just don't lose that grip. Have faith that "This too shall pass," and remember you have a lot of people out there that love you to death and would do anything to help you. You ALWAYS make me feel better, so I hope I am able to extend just a teeny-weeny bit of that help your way. I LOVE Kat's idea about praying for other people...It's so true that ALWAYS makes me feel better too.

I bet the Tourette's tic and the bedtime anxiety are related - at least, they both sound like likely reactions to stress. Could Clare's snorting be related to that too? Is there something that's happened to stress them both out, like say worry over their grandmother? Or could they be responding to your own anxious mood?

Or in fact, could the kids symptoms, your anxiety, and T's depression all be responses to stresses hitting you as a family? If so, worry about money or about T's mom sound like things that could hit all of you hard. If so, it's not like you can cure the problem, but sometimes it helps just to figure it out. And I think Jenn's and Kat's advice would work really well for you in those circs.

Thank you everyone for turning this into a brainstorming session instead of a pity party. :) Dichroic, you bring up really good points. Those are things that I've thought of. Last night I spent a lot of time mentally attempting to sort things out, and I think the money thing is the key. I think the kids pick up on the stress that it puts their parents under, especially LT who is perceptive enough to figure out some of the specifics of what's wrong. And the praying is a great idea. I've already got plans to put Psalm 46:10 ("Be still and know that I am God") and Phillippians 4:6 ("Be anxious for nothing, but in all things with prayer and supplication with thanksgiving make your requests be known to God") on a poster on his ceiling above his bed. :) He also mentioned that he doesn't like having his room so far at the back of the house, and I can see why, but I'm not sure how to remedy that; there's no other layout that works well. The best we could do would be switching his room and C's, and who knows how C would like her room being the furthest one back.

Anyway, I'm rambling. I just wanted to thank you ladies for your input and thoughtfulness. :)

I hope things get better for you soon!

Obviously, I don't know much about your childrens' "symptoms", and I imagine you've researched these things and know much more about them than I do... but I remember having anxiety at night when I was a kid-- feeling almost as though my throat was closing up and I couldn't catch my breath. I also went through a period during which I was afraid I would choke and would scarcely eat. At another point, I developed a nervous habit of clearing my throat more than is normal. ...And I think that'll be the end of this personal confession session. ;o) All this to say-- Take heart! It could be that your kids are just going through something similar to the slightly obsessive-compulsive habits I experienced as a child. I came through them alright. No, really. ;o) Seriously, I'm still a cautious and somewhat worry-prone person, but I don't have panic attacks or compulsive behaviours. Well, no more than the average person, I think.

Anyway, good luck with letting go of the things you can't control. And if you find an easy way to do it, please let me know! :o)

What if you put LT in your room now, put C in Lt's room and you take C's room? That way Lt would feel better?

Ok.. just thought of why that would not really work. sigh. nap time =)

I think that is a FABULOUS idea...Putting those quotes on LT's ceiling. Yousa smaat one, yess you iz! I wonder, if perhaps; considering C's personality, if she might prefer having the far room? Might make her feel a bit more grown up and private? And as to what Michael said, I agree, having once been a child myself that obssessive compulsive behavior and anxiety is actually pretty common among children. ESPECIALLY intelligent ones. It's hard to be so aware of the world and feel you have no control over anything. At least that was my problem. I still to this day (as you know) have some anxiety and weird little obssessive compulsive quirks. DiChroic is pretty right on too about kids responding to their parent's stress. Lord knows I did when I was little. Anyways, I'm so, so glad you are feeling better!