Patient's question:
The girl is 5 and a half years old. She often complains of stomach pain, especially before going to kindergarten in the morning. However, if she doesn't go to school that day, she will play happily and never complain of stomach pain. The hospital examination revealed inflammation of the mesenteric lymph nodes. Due to the child's history of allergic reactions to intravenous drips, medication was prescribed for treatment (Xinkenuo). She often says that going to school is not good and that going to work is better. She shows a dislike for kindergarten, but when she is at kindergarten, she behaves well and gets along well with teachers and classmates.Is this stomach pain caused by psychological factors? What might be the reasons for this phenomenon? How can parents help their child break free from the cycle of hating kindergarten? I really want to hear your thoughts.
Doctor's answer:
The physiological reactions caused by psychological terror at school. If this is allowed to continue, it will further exacerbate her "illness" and ultimately affect her academic performance and normal social activities. The cause is your excessive focus on her body and life. During her adjustment period at kindergarten (when she first started), she chose to avoid it (didn't go to kindergarten). You adopted the wrong approach, which was to: agree to her demands—this satisfied her psychological need for security from avoiding kindergarten. Repeating this behavior will further increase her fear of kindergarten and school. As she grows older, you may need to persist in sending her to school. When she realizes that her tactics of being cute or manipulative no longer change your mind, if you overindulge her during her usual illnesses to achieve her goal of not going to school or kindergarten, she may resort to pretending to be sick to elicit your sympathy. Over time, psychological stress responses can trigger real physiological reactions, resulting in actual illness. Moreover, under the long-term influence of negative psychological suggestions, her physical health may decline.The solution is to reduce excessive focus on her body and life. Even if she is genuinely sick, as long as there is no danger to her life, you must persist in sending her to kindergarten. Once she psychologically adapts to life there, all symptoms will dissipate.