This behavior first showed up when S20 was 5 years old. He thought then that something was wrong with his throat, that he couldn't swallow and then that he couldn't breathe. He came home from Kindergarten one day with his shirt soaking wet from his own saliva. He had been convinced that he couldn't swallow so he'd been spitting on his shirt all day. He also had fears of poisons, household chemicals and flimsy plastic, like plastic grocery bags
This sounds like classic OCD, not anxiety. This is not surprising given his father's behaviors. Try to find a new doctor who specializes in OCD.
Please read an excellent book (although older - so the medication recommendations are dated) called The Boy Who Couldn't Stop Washing by Rapoport. It will really help you to understand the full spectrum of OCD behaviors and how they manifest.
Some OCD may be linked to an immune reaction to strep infections - did he have a lot of sore throats as a kid? It's called PANDAS OCD. I also know of one book about a case caused by Lyme disease.
The mainstream medical treatment is HIGH dose SSRI's - usually about 3 times the typical starting dose. It can work, but there are side effects at that dose.
5-HTP is a natural supplement that boosts serotonin by simply giving more of the precursor that you make serotonin from (rather than SSRIs, which boost serotonin by blocking its breakdown). I have had some success with OCD patients just giving 5-HTP; you have to start low and work up gradually, though, or it can cause diarrhea.
Also read Brainlock by Schwartz - an excellent book on behavioral therapy for OCD.
I know a lot about this because two of my three kids suffer from OCD; one in conjunction with an eating disorder, one with Tourettes.
If he were my kid (and I could get his cooperation, which I cannot with my two right now, lol) I would: - test for strep antibodies - test for celiac disease and start a gluten-free dairy-free diet afterwards regardless of the results (the two biggest offenders in autoimmunity and inflammation) - start 5-HTP (a typical initial dose is 100 mg, then increase in increments of 100 after a couple weeks) - add a good multivitamin and a b-complex with methylated (activated) B vitamins - check his B12 level - if he'll do it, he might get even more benefit from going on a Paleo diet (check out marksdailyapple dot com for info) although with OCD, it gets tricky when you start restricting foods, sometimes they get carried away with it.
It's his OCD that is MAKING him anxious. It's the repetitive thoughts of OCD that are freaking him out. He needs treatment - preferably from a holistic practitioner who understands all this stuff. Try contacting the Institute for Functional Medicine to see if they can recommend a psychiatrist in your area.
