Alfy04

I think the darkness (and sleeping outside) is a trigger for him. There are other things that add to it that push him over the edge such as the fast pace of everything, feeling overwhelmed, keeping track of this stuff, getting tired.

He is 12 and at a Boy Scout camp. This is his second year at summer camp.

We will be pursuing counseling when we get home. Panic attacks actually do have a vicious cycle and people want to avoid the triggers because it’s embarrassing to feel completely out of control.

Thank you! This is all really good advice and I’m glad there are others out there that can relate to a child who has above average anxiety. We are working on it from different angles as well.

That is the exact issue I’m struggling with and talking to my husband about. If we tried camping numerous times and he always hates it what is the point? That said, there is value at working through things that are difficult. There just comes a point that it might not be worth it if it never gets better.

I agree with you. We are going to have to really evaluate scouting in general when he gets home. Even though scouting can be a great thing it may not be a good fit for everyone under every circumstance - And there are other valuable activities he can focus on.

Thank you. I completely agree with this. If things did not improve by today we were going to take him home. Thankfully he’s doing better.

Thank you all so much for your input. I am happy to report that he is doing much better today and even signed up for another merit badge class. My hope is (however) is that he would be able to do more than just “survive” the week- that he would actually make some great connections, deepen his friendships and have fun along the way. I think that scounting has so many great benefits for kids and I am hoping And praying he can actually see the value of it himself.

Advice needed… My son is 12 and this is his second year of summer camp (this week). He was not In cub scouts prior to this. He has always been very social and enjoys being around other kids and doing activities. He is also active in theater and prefers being with people often. When he joined this troop (about a year and a half ago) three of his best buddies ended up following him so they could all be together. He Attended summer camp last year by himself before his buddies joined this troop and before he knew anyone. He got through the week but said that he had such bad anxiety that he woke up crying every night. When he got home he said it was miserable and he never adjusted. To be honest I never saw this coming and he said he didn’t realize it either. Over the past year he has gone on several camping trips with his troop and has always had extreme anxiety. Apart from camping ,however, he enjoys hanging out with his patrol and they are a large close knit group of boys. This week he is at camp again and his camp related anxiety has gotten worse. He had a full-blown panic attack and was crying for several hours yesterday. He got himself so worked up that he threw up and continued to throw up today. . Have any of you experienced anxiety attacks with kids this severe? He feels overwhelmed by all the people, the pressure, the requirements, the classes and sleeping outside causes extreme anxiety. Prior to him joining scouts I never realized he had this type of anxiety. He’s always been able to go on sleepovers and be away from home without issue. This is his fifth or sixth camping trip with his current troop. The anxiety issue has not gotten better with exposure but seems to be getting worse. He wants to go home and is miserable (on day 2). My husband (his dad) Is concerned that if he doesn’t push through this he will never be willing to try again. I am concerned that if it’s this bad maybe Scouts is just not for him and we need to get him some treatment for his anxiety And find an activity other than Scouts. It seems to be more than just normal homesickness that goes away after a day or two. Right now he has hardly eating and barely functioning and crying constantly. If things don’t improve by tomorrow I feel like he needs to come home. His dad feels like he needs to stick it out. Does anyone have experience in dealing with this type of thing?