When you start reading about details of Williams Syndrome symptoms in adults, you begin to pick up that anxiety is one of the more common symptoms shown by many adults.
Anxiety – doesn’t sound too disturbing does it? Maybe a little nervousness, maybe some uncertainty in difficult situations? I admit I wasn’t too worried to read this and thought a little extra loving care would sort the problem should it arise.
Nothing prepared me for the scale of the symptoms that appeared.
Linda started hearing voices, a blast from the past. Someone who had bullied her at school many years ago now re-appeared as an intense but invisible enemy.
She would shout at this enemy, this ghost, yelling, swearing, desperate to defend herself and obviously in great distress at the insults she believed she was receiving. She would even punch out violently – and woe betide you – me – if I just happened to be standing in the wrong place as the punch lashed out…
Is this a common manifestation of anxiety? Have you seen anything like this in your Williams person?
Now for Linda, this was almost certainly triggered or at least exaggerated by the trauma around the death of her father. We all grieved and it affected her in a particularly vicious way.
We sought medical help and support that, thank goodness, really did make rapid improvement in Linda’s symptoms.
But this week we’ve seen the symptoms return, the voices, the punches, the disturbed sleep…
On reflection, it’s very likely to be due to the death and funeral of her aunt bringing back memories. Understandable really.
We’ve encouraged Linda to try to talk, to tell us what she feels but this part of her life seems intensely private or maybe she’s unable to externalise these feelings… Lot’s more hugs are prescribed.
Now I’ve no idea how common this is as an experience. I certainly don’t see people describing such outbursts as Williams people are almost universally described as so cheerful and friendly.
What really happens in your family?